Scotland and Iceland Travel Diary: The Last Days
Day 2 in Edinburgh was my day to delve into the world of Harry Potter. Kyra went on a tour of the Highlands. I wanted to spend another day in the city to explore and be a solo traveler. Edinburgh is the birthplace of Harry Potter, and as soon as you arrive in the city you can see inspiration everywhere. It was amazing feeling like I was in the world of Harry Potter.
A True Harry Potter Experience
I started out by walking to the Elephant House which is the café that J.K. Rowling sat in to write the book. The café was really cute, and I made sure to have a hot chocolate because it was a rainy day. It overlooks Greyfriars Cemetery, which was my next stop. Once again, you can tell where the inspiration came from in this cemetery. From names of characters to the backdrop for some pretty epic scenes in the movie. Right behind the cemetery is George Heriot’s School which is believed to be her inspiration for Hogwarts.
Frankenstein Pub
Along my do it yourself walking tour, I stopped in a lot of local shops. There are so many Harry Potter shops around Edinburgh, so make sure to stock up on all your memorabilia when you visit! I then visited Frankenstein which is a famous pub, themed around the famous scientist and his creature. It was a cool place to visit, enjoy a good beer and show. After the pub, I headed back to my apartment to wait for Kyra to return. A little later on, Kyra and I met at an Irish pub called Finnegan’s Wake to enjoyed live music and baby Guinness.
Baby Guinness!
Edinburgh Castle
My third day in Edinburgh was reserved for a tour of Edinburgh Castle and kilt shopping. I got to the castle around 12 and took my time exploring the grounds. It is a beautiful castle, and you can spend a lot of time here going through all the rooms. Then it was time for my last activity in Scotland – kilt shopping! I promised a friend I would bring one back for him. So I had to choose a color, and it was so overwhelming. I finally decided on one, and I can’t wait to see his reaction!
Back to Iceland
Unfortunately, my time in Edinburgh came to an end, and I headed to Iceland for one last day in Reykjavik. I just spent my afternoon walking around the city, and I had to make one last stop at Joylato, which is truly the best ice cream I have ever had. This is embarrassing, but I went 3 times during my time there… it was that good. With my last trip to Joylato, my time in Iceland was up, and I can’t believe how fast it went. Both Scotland and Iceland are incredible countries, and I truly hope I can return again one day soon.
