This was our second trip to Scotland, and our love for this incredible country has only grown. From Edinburgh’s historic charm to the misty, epic vistas of the Isle of Skye, it’s as picture perfect as it seems! My dream for this trip was to just wander from bookstore to bookstore and coffee shop to coffee shop and we did just that. If you’re on the fence on whether or not it’s worth the visit, let me help you! Below I’m sharing a few of our favorite coffee, food, and sights as well as the places we stayed.
Edinburgh
Stay: Hotel Indigo Edinburgh and voco Edinburgh - Royal Terrace
Coffee
LowDown - Best flat white of my life!
The Source - A very minimalistic menu and a unique setup, but they have fun coffees and provide an overall cool experience.
Cafen - Great coffee and pastry option if you find yourself nearby
Fortitude - Multiple espresso and drip coffee options which is always fun. The vibes are also fantastic!
Santu - Multiple locations, the one on Union street was big and open and where they roast.
Bedrock - Incredible flat white, a small selection of pastries and a delicious looking toasty with the option to be served with pineapple tamarind and sriracha hot sauce. Probably our favorite shop in Edinburgh.
Jackrabbit Coffee - Not my absolute favorite coffee, but great vibes, pretty good coffee, and excellent food options. Also open earlier than other shops which is great for a jet-lagged-early-bird like myself.
Bastard Barista - More of a dark jazz club vibe, but surprisingly fun pour over menu and very knowledgable barista.
Food
Twelve Triangles - Incredible baked goods and breads, we bought a loaf to take with us on the plane ride and we ate the entire loaf. They also have a location that has more sandwich and seating options that is called Kitchen Table, but it has the same owner.
Bibimbap - Incredible korean food, the kimchi fried rice and the bulgogi beef were amazing.
Kuzina Greek Street Food - Get the grilled halloumi, Greek salad, and mixed platter for one and it will plenty of food for two
Nookyn ChaKafe Studio - We stumbled upon this after we had struck out at a few other restaurants and it was such a great find. They serve incredible thai food and are so incredibly kind. Get the Thom Kah noodles and the peanut butter condensed milk toastie.
Bookstores / Shops
Topping and Company Bookstore - I think we went to this bookstore at least 5 times. It was right by both of the hotels we stayed at. They’re open 9am-9pm and it’s such a great place to find a nook and flip through books or just walk around browsing. I think we purchased 5 books here, but could have easily gotten so many more.
Rare Bird Bookstore - An adorable bookshop in the Stockbridge neighboirhood that focuses on woman authors
Golden Hare Bookstore - Indie Bookstore with a very inspiring collection
Armchair Books - Lots of very vintage books
Cabbage - We visited this one twice because I fell in love with a table runner, but forced myself to hold out until we came back to Edinburgh. When we came back all except the sample one were left, but the shop owner happily folded it up for me.
Skout - Curated secondhand goods
Sights
Edinburgh Castle
Walk The Royal Mile / Old Town
Dean Village + Waters Water of Leith - 10 minute walk from Princes Street
Princes Street Garden
St. Giles Cathedral
Arthur’s seat
Royal Botanic Garden
Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery - where JK Rowling got a lot of names for Harry Potter characters
On the route to Isle of Skye
We drove from Edinburgh to Ballater and then on to Fort Williams, making many stops along the way. The whole drive was beautiful and had quite a few opportunities to get out and stretch our legs which made the time go quickly. Whether it was a cafe, bakery, or stunning mountain view, we definitely stayed entertained for the entire drive.
Stay
Ballater - Alexandra Hotel
Fort Williams - Ben View Guesthouse
Food / Coffee
Aran Bakery - I found this bakery in a book of all the top bakeries in the UK that I happened upon in an Edinburgh bookstore and knew we had to make sure to stop. We stopped on our way to and from Isle of Skye and it did not dissapoint! Get there early because they sell out of a lot of items.
Fife Arms Hotel - A great stop for food or to even just do a quick glance inside the hotel. It's STUNNING! If you’re looking to splurge on your trip maybe even spend one night here.
Ryvoan Cafe - A light and refreshing lunch stop.
Chocolate of Gkenshiel - What started as a necessary bathroom stop turned into a surprisingly adorable specilaity chocolate cafe visit. We grabbed a bag of hot chocolate mix and made it at our Isle of Skye airbnb on one of the rainy evenings.
Sights
Ruthven Barrack - A great free stop along the way.
Pattack Falls - Check out upper and lower, both very, very short hikes to view. Perfect for a little leg stretch.
In Fort William
The Geographer - They have a wide variety of dishes from the owners travels. We had the haggis and burger. Both were delicious!
Black Isle brewery - Incredible beers and delicious pizza. It gets pretty busy, but we enjoyed trying a bunch of different beers while we waited. so it was super fun!
Three Wise Monkeys - Coffee Shop and climbing gym — A super odd combo, but it was super fun! I could sit and read my book and watch Josiah climb.
Fox William / Wildcat - It seems both these coffee shops are owned by the same people as they have very similar vibes and are both vegan, but I am not certain. Both were great! Great coffee and pastries and a nice atmosphere to sit and read.
Isle of Skye
Stay: Airbnb in Broadford
Coffee
Lean to Coffee - One of the coolest coffee shops I’ve ever been to. Incredible views, delicious pastries /toasties, and great coffee. I think we went here like 5 times and I would have loved to go 100 times more. It’s so charming!
Birch Coffee - This was a perfect coffee option in Portree on the way to do Old Man Storr hike.
Caora Dhubh Coffee Company - A great stop for a cappuccino and toastie with a nice outdoor seating area with a great view.
Corran - Great hot chocolate and chai. This tiny shop is next to a sauna which I wish we had known about it and planned accordingly. It would have been perfect to go for a quick dip in the water, do the sauna, and then get some warm drinks!
Sights
