A Day in Edinburgh: Savoring Local Experiences

Slept for 12 blissful hours! Well, minus the two hours I was awake and starving at 4am, raiding the hotel mini bar for snacks. Scottish potato chips are delicious.

Hotel breakfast buffet: Learned that a full Scottish breakfast includes haggis. Did not have full Scottish breakfast. Couldn’t bring myself to lift the lid and have a look.

Walked by the World’s Smallest Whisky Bar. It was closed. But I am immune to the charms of Scotch, so wasn’t sad.

Gin Tasting at Edinburgh Gin Distillery

Had an absolutely brilliant gin tour/tasting with our new Scottish friend, Peter, at Edinburgh Gin Distillery. Tasted and loved some gins I wouldn’t normally choose to buy. Might be testing the 1L US customs limits on our way home. Actually got to see/smell frankincense and myrrh (a first for me) — EG uses them as botanicals in their delicious Christmas gin. Myrrh smells like warm lumber and anise. Frankincense smells like a really old church. Also, Peter told us we could skip the castle (“it’s pretty much like any other castle”). You mean I don’t need to climb up there? Say no more, Peter. Say no more.

Sidebar: Scottish people actually use the word wee. Gettin’ a wee bit of rain today. Grab a wee sit. Do you want a wee bag? Kinda love this.

Watch Shopping

Indulged my wee watch dork (you see what I did there?) in a little watch drooling. Pro tip: High-end watch stores have incredible (and clean!) bathrooms. Our second new Scottish friend of the day, Steven, let Ken try on every watch in the store. Totally unrelated to watches: Asked Steven if Scottish people actually eat hagggis. His answer was an enthusiastic yes. Said before we leave the country, we must try something called a haggis bon bon, which is deep fried haggis. Steven says it’s brilliant. And while I agree there aren’t many things that can’t be made better by deep frying them, I’m not sure about haggis.

Steven recommended a place called The Dome, which used to be a bank, for lunch. Gorgeous inside. Haggis Bonbons were on the menu. Haven’t worked up the courage for that yet. Bravery is for later. Maybe. Ordered Diet Coke by the pint, though.

Ran into George the pigeon(s) several times today.

Scotland is doing everything it can to keep me from killing myself while crossing the street.

Dinner at The Royal Scots Club – I Tried Haggis

Met our fellow hunting/not hunting group for drinks and dinner at the Royal Scots Club, a military club built in 1919 to honor the memory of the Scots killed in The Great War. Could not escape the haggis. On the menu again tonight with “neeps and tatties” (turnips and potatoes) and some kind of whisky gravy. Bravery is now: I succumbed to a wee bit of peer pressure and tried a bite. So. Not awful, not awesome. Could have used some more gravy. Did not immediately die. Tasted a bit like a really peppery beef stew, but with the texture of ground beef mixed with farro or oats. There may or may not have been some gin involved in this decision.