So after my big week of traveling, I was really looking forward to a weekend lie-in. WRONG. Remember back to September when you thought trips every weekend would be fine? Remember that? Yeah, don’t bother unpacking; it’s time for Scotland.
Up until this week (and even now), the weather has been rather extraordinary. The sun has been out and the rain has, for the most part, left us alone. So you can imagine my disappointment when I saw forecasts for 80% chance of rain in Edinburgh. When we stepped off the plane at nine in the morning (shout out to Sara for that wonderful decision), the place was dry. Oh you fickle thing, Edinburgh. You fooled us. We were ecstatic. Sure, it was grey, but the streets were dry. We dropped our bags off at the hostel (High Street Hostel is wonderful if you’re thinking of visiting) and tore off for Greyfriar’s Graveyard. 
Yep. The first thing we all wanted to do was see the graveyard with McGonagall’s namesake. Much to our surprise, we found a tombstone with Sirius Black’s name scrawled across it first.
We carried on our magical pilgrimage to the Elephant House. In case you stumbled through the doors on accident, the cafe makes their claim to fame quite public. THE BIRTHPLACE OF HARRY POTTER painted on the windows just screams subtle doesn’t it. Photographs and newspaper clippings of interviews with JK Rowling guide you to your table. The bathrooms are the real spectacle. 
Every inch of wall, floor, door, toilet, mirror, and ceiling space is dedicated to the series. Some are heartfelt messages thanking Rowling for inspiring them to read while others are as significant as “HARRY DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE??” We rounded out the afternoon with a wonderful walking tour (free, courtesy of Neweurope). Wherever you travel, always take walking tours. No matter how much your feet hurt. The night ended with hands down the best Mexican food north of Boulder. Thank you Viva Mexico. You made my heart happy with your sloopy beans and love of spice.
And here is when the freedom ends. We all went to bed, laughing at the awful weather reports and woke to drizzle. The very distinctive brand of British drizzle that makes the word waterproof a myth. And this time, we decided, was best dedicated to exploring the Edinburgh castle. Which is mostly outdoors. Though the fog and rain made for beautiful pictures, it left the three of us with soggy socks.
I wish we could have explored longer, but it just wasn’t pleasant. After warming up with a delightful pub lunch in The Maggie Dickson, our last stop was the National Museum of Scotland. Again, I wish we had more time. Two hours was not sufficient to explore this nine level museum. It must be part of the British museum tradition to take the largest space, fill every corner, and then offer it for free–because you could actually spend weeks just trying to find your way out.
No matter how rainy, Edinburgh was a charming town of bagpipes and whiskey. It makes for enough of a weekend trip that leaves you wanting to come back.
Maybe in the summer though.