hotels in Edinburgh city centre

I was at a college fair today, representing my alma mater, Mary Baldwin College. One of the girls who came up to my table asked about the study abroad programs at the school. It got me thinking of my good friend Kate, who spent a semester in Japan. But its actually her current location that I love - Edinburgh, Scotland!

I have been to this lovely city once, for Kate's wedding. It was so much fun, I went with another friend from college, H and though we only had two full days there, we did try our best to see as much as we could of the city. As you can imagine, Edinburgh has a plethora of history, but it also has this vibrancy that makes me yearn to re-visit it! We toured the must-see Royal Mile and the Scottish history museum but we also saw the bookstore that JK Rowling is said to frequent and a haunted church yard. The touring was finished off with a delightful tea at the top floor cafe in one of the big fancy department stores right on the busy main street of Edinburgh, with a view of the whole city, as recommended by Kate.

Despite my having coming down with the flu mid-trip, I thoroughly enjoyed myself (that is the one thing make sure you dress warmly, it rains a lot in Edinburgh). This city has a charm that made me want to dress up in a Tudor gown and ride a horse drawn coach through the city.

If you have not traveled in a while or want a European trip without a lot of hassle, Edinburgh is the place for you (as an added bonus, everyone there speaks English!). You can get easy flights to the city via most major American cities. Hotels in Edinburgh city centre are swift to come by and wintertime in the city offers a surprising number of events and things to do, like a Christmas fair!

Lucky Kate to be living in such a great place!