Since I arrived in Hungary in September, I had been planning my Christmas Break. And by that, I mean that I had been driving myself crazy trying to decide whether I should go home or not. I couldn’t imagine a Christmas holiday without my family, my home, and our famous Christmas tree decorations.

However, a flight home meant a loss of up to a thousand dollars, and weeks away from Europe. I had only been in Europe for three months by that point, and I didn’t feel right about leaving so soon. Besides, this was my chance to experience Christmas in a different culture.

Unfortunately, a trip over break might have meant a solo trip since most of my friends in Hungary had decided to fly home for the holidays. Luckily, I had one friend who was still planning on staying in Europe. I contacted Mac, a friend from UGA who happened to be living in Spain at the time. He was planning on leaving Schengen to stay in Ireland/UK for three months. We decided to explore Scotland together over Christmas Break.

Ever since I was young, Scotland has always been at the the top of my must-see list. I had heard stories from my parents about beautiful Edinburgh and the wild landscape on the coasts. I had also read that Christmas was the perfect time to see the country; Edinburgh and Glasgow had Christmas famous festivals, and the highlands would be alive with the mysterious beauty of Winter.

Our trip was planned as follows: We would spend 12 days in Scotland from December 23- January 4th. Our trip would begin in Edinburgh, then move to the Highlands of Inverness, and the Isle of Skye. It would end in Glasgow for New Year’s, and a flight home out of Edinburgh.
Best of all, we planned a road trip. I rented a car, and mentally prepared myself to drive on the left side of the road. Ha, just kidding. Mac drove most of the time. Thanks Mac! (He hates me now).

We saw so much on this trip. Let me begin with Edinburgh.

Exploring Edinburgh
I loved Edinburgh almost immediately. It is a marvelous city, and one that has perfectly adapted to modernity, while maintaining a deep love and respect for its history. As a result, the city is an interesting blend of old and new. Edinburgh castle stands tall and proud above the city, while shoppers on Prince Street browse through high-end stores. It is also a blend of man-made and natural structures. One can watch the sunset from Arthur’s Seat, then climb down and walk to an Art Museum, for example.

All in all, Edinburgh captured my heart. I would live there in a heartbeat.

With Mac as my guide, I was able to see all that the city as to offer.

The view from Edinburgh Castle

Christmas Eve in a Whiskey Distillery
Mac and I toured the Scotch Whiskey Experience in Old Town Edinburgh. This is a famous attraction in the city, and I can see why. The tour consists of an automated barrel ride, which felt very similar to Disney World’s Haunted House ride. We sat in a barrel that took us through the history of the distillery and of Scottish whiskey in general. Our guide was the McIntyre ghost.
After the tour we enjoyed a tasting session, where we could choose whiskey from one of the four regions of Scotland. I chose one from the Highlands.

At the end of the tour, we were admitted into the super secret Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky Collection. Behold, the world’s largest collection of Scotch Whiskies.

Thus, our Christmas Eve ended with some more whiskey. Not bad, I’d say.

Christmas Dinner in a Scottish Pub
As mentioned in my Easter post, the holidays never feel special when you’re traveling. Christmas ended up feeling like just another day. I spent my favorite holiday without my family, my dogs, a tree or my mom’s cooking. Instead, we spent Christmas in a hostel, and we focused on exploring Edinburgh. We did try to make it special though! One of the benefits of traveling during the holidays, is that you’re guaranteed to make new friends. I reserved a table at one of the pubs near our hostel, for Mac and our hostel mates Shannon and Pranav. Spending Christmas in a Scottish pub turned out to be a great time, and we even got to pop some Christmas crackers.

Arthur’s Seat
I wanted to end this post with pictures of my favorite adventure in Edinburgh. On one beautiful, sunny and rather warm day, we hiked up to Arthur’s Seat. It was a fantastic hike, and it presented the perfect view of the city. That day ended by watching the sunset over the city. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience in Edinburgh.

End of Part One! Next, the road trip to Inverness and more!