Cheers from Edinburgh

Rachel Newton
Sep 3, 2013
3 min read

Wow, Edinburgh day two! I suppose it’s technically day three, but I spent day one as a gibbering, jet-lagged zombie, so that hardly counts. Damn you 9-hour flights! Luckily, skipping the naps and sticking it out until nighttime has proven to be the key. “Literal” day two was jetlag-free! In fact, I’ve been completely unable to wipe the smile off my face since yesterday morning.

So, you may have wondered why I’m in Edinburgh. Well, besides fulfilling a life-long dream, I’m participating in a group project through a program called City Travel Review, which brings young people worldwide together to create a travel guide/e-book. Truth be told, I wasn’t positive that this UK-based program was actually “real” until a program member did indeed pick me up from the airport. Sitting alone in Scottish customs for 30 minutes while the officials proclaimed that they’ve never heard of the program and didn’t understand its purpose was not exactly comforting…

But, to my immense relief, they did let me through, the program is real, and I’m loving every second of this incredible new culture! Heavy Scottish accents, left-lane driving, Celsius weather reports, rose petal & black pepper hot cocoa…such a delight! My team is comprised of 12 Europeans and 1 American, who all joined me yesterday in a historical tour of Edinburgh. I’ve don’t believe I’ve ever been so enthusiastic about learning history, no doubt fueled by the endless breathtaking views in this incredibly scenic city.

Basically, every street looks like this:

Or this:

Or this:

Ridiculous.

Majestic castles and stunning cathedrals are around every corner, with charming coffee shops, cafes, and pubs lining every street.

Utterly Speechless.

Though I won’t bore you with all 3 hours of the historical Scottish facts from our tour (I don’t have the adorable Scottish accent to liven it with), there were a few that I found particularly interesting:

Woman in medieval times were thought to be “too fragile” to be whipped as punishment for stealing. Rather, they were given something much more suitable–a nail through the earlobe, which pinned them to a wooden board for 24 hours. They were denied food, water, and forced to endure hot days, cold nights, and rape. If they were still there after a day, they were pardoned by law. However, if they ripped themselves free and created permanent damage to their ear, they were marked as a thief and could never find work again. These women were forced to prostitution…all because they were “too fragile” to be whipped. Seems fair, right?
On a lighter note, the Scottish apparently coined the term “shit-faced”. Once upon a time, people would pee & poop in a household pail, then dump it out the window daily. They shouted a warning to those walking below, so the sober pedestrians would get out of the way. The drunk ones…well…got a face full of shit. Hence the term!
On a similar note, such shit would eventually wash all the way down to the nearby loch (lake). Scientists today claim that this eventually produced methane gas, which in turn left all the locals constantly high. No wonder they were too superstitious to venture out from the city! In addition, beer was the only thing that anyone drank, since water was usually contaminated. Medieval Edinburgh was a constant party!

Our guide also revealed how Edinburgh is a Harry Potter fan’s dream come true:

JK Rowling lives in Edinburgh, and drew inspiration from the city she loves.

I imagine she was munching on a bag of these whilst writing her best-selling mega series:

Scottish grocery stores are chockfull of crazy snacks. I’ve yet to try them all, but will provide a full taste report ASAP, along with an account of traditional Scottish food.

Dear Haggis…we will soon come face to face. Beer had to come first.

I give Edinburgh’s pub scene a thumbs-up thus far. A laid back atmosphere, nice people, and tasty beer & cider seem to be the norm. Our new Bulgarian friend seemed pretty pleased with his favorite pub, Whistle Binkies.