Herself in the Wild: Edinburgh

I spent three days in Edinburgh, Scotland and tweed is my whole personality now. 

Where to Stay: Cute Apartment Rentals 

Since I travelled with a friend for this trip, we opted to stay in a two bedroom apartment for the extra space and use of a kitchen. It was the perfect location in New Town, with just a 15 minute walk to the main attractions of Old Town. 

If you prefer hotel amenities, there seem to be lots of options from luxurious to budget in Old Town. We had afternoon tea at the Balmoral (more on that below) and it was a grand historic building. For another luxury option, my friend had loved her previous stay at the Gleneagles property in the countryside of Scotland, and they have a townhouse hotel in the city of Edinburgh. 

Must Do: Make your own Satchel at Islander 

Our favorite activity of our girl's trip was the "Islander Workshop Experience" where you get to design and assemble your own bag. Make sure to schedule ahead, as the classes  fill up quickly. There are a couple locations, so if the first one is full, make sure to check the other options. If you are not into the whole DIY thing, you can also buy fully assembled bags and accessories at their shops. 

The benefit of making your own bag is that you can choose your own custom color combos for your bag, flap and straps. 

The workshop was led by a great host who not only made sure each person had assembled their bag correctly, but also gave us a little historical background about Harris Tweed, Tartans and the wool of Scotland. (Did you know it was were Coco Chanel developed her love of tweed??) 

Must See: Palace of Holyrood

We loved our visit to the Palace of Holyrood, a current residence of the British Royal family, and within walking distance of Old Town. My favorite part was actually the outside, with a beautiful fountain, lush gardens and the gothic remains of an old stone abbey that was once a part of the palace. 

The ticket to the palace includes an audio guide that provides interesting insight into the historical and current uses of each room. We got to see beautiful tapestries, paintings, furniture and jewelry within the palace walls. It was also a bit surreal to be walking the same halls that past rulers, such as Mary Queen of Scots, once did. The whole experience can be done in as short as an hour or so, making it the perfect afternoon stop. 

Favorite Restaurant: Afternoon Tea at the Balmoral Hotel 

One of our favorite dining experiences was the Afternoon tea service at the Balmoral. Before getting to Edinburgh, we stayed in London for a couple of days and had British afternoon tea at Fortnum & Masons. While the tea itself was very good at F&M, the whole experience felt overpriced (85 pounds per person) for the quality of service and food. I am sure you can find incredible tea in London, but we definitely preferred our experience with Scottish afternoon tea. 

The tea was served in the Palm Court, which was beautifully decorated. The sandwiches and scones were really good, but the pastries were the real standout. Shoutout to whoever made the pumpkin cheesecake. We also had a lot of fun trying several of the 80+ tea flavors they had on offer. My personal favorite was the rose petal tea. 

Bonus Tips: 

For light and crisp Fish & Chips, check out Bertie's. 
Dress in layers and carry an umbrella. We experienced sun, wind, clouds and rain on each day of our stay (and it wasn't always predicted on the weather app). Keep an eye out for rainbows as they are quite common! 
Check out shops/cafes that aren't Instagram hot spots. For example, there was a long line outside of the popular Milkman cafe, but just down the road we got our coffee and breakfast at the delicious Printworks Coffee and saved ourselves from wasting time standing in line. 

Finally... What (Jewelry) to Wear

Poppy Ring

Wear it over of your glove for an unexpected touch of glam. 

Letter Birthstone Necklace

When layering necklaces, choose ones of varying materials and lengths to help prevent tangling. 

Bleeker Street Bracelet

The perfect, elegant bracelet (and easy to travel with). 

Hammered Hoops

I added little pearl drops that I made to match the pearl necklace I was wearing. Email me for custom additions/projects! 

Want to see more? Check out our Guide to Mont Blanc.