A Book Lover's Guide to Literary Edinburgh

I can't believe it's been four months since I was in Edinburgh, I really don't know where my time has gone! One of the things I have been planning since I arrived back, is a comprehensive guide to literary Edinburgh, combining all the places I visited that have a connection to an author, novel or reading in general. It's a pretty extensive list, but I managed to do all of the below (and then some) during my long weekend in this beautiful Scottish city – and I definitely recommend checking it all out if you can for a proper geekfest of the bookish variety.

Literary Edinburgh: Afternoon Tea at Colonnades in the Signet Library

It's been a while seen my last travel post because life has been crazy busy, but I am finally continuing with my Edinburgh series! As this blog started out as a book one I always love it when I can write posts with a literary connection and my Scottish getaway was filled with bookish inspiration. One of the first things I discovered during my research is that you can have afternoon tea in an actual library, how cool is that? We of course had stop by for a visit and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Not only were our surroundings in the Signet Library stunning, but the afternoon tea delights on offer were as scrumptious as they were inspired.

Literary Edinburgh: Book Sculptures

On my recent visit to Edinburgh, the majority of my plans (unsurprisingly) revolved around books. After all, Edinburgh was named the first City of Literature by UNESCO back in 2004 for a good reason. What I didn't expect, was quite how many bookish things and places I'd come across. Way too many for a single blog post, so rather than cramming them all into one piece, I've split up my bookish Edinburgh guide by: sculptures, people, food, places and book shops. And today I'm kicking it off with the mysterious book sculptures that appeared across the city a few years ago and are now on display in various literary location. 

5 Highlights From My Weekend Break in Edinburgh

Last weekend I was in Edinburgh and it was wonderful. I'd been only once before a few years ago and I'd forgotten quite how amazing the city is. With the sun out every day this time, it was even more delightful to wander around the city to explore. I hit up a lot of literary hot-spots for future blog posts (there are SO many bookish things in Edinburgh), in addition to checking out the sights I didn't get a chance to go to last time. The weekend was pretty much non-stop awesomeness and I'll be writing dedicated blog posts about many of the things we did, saw and ate over the coming weeks, but as a teaser here are my top five highlights from the trip.

My Plans for a Weekend Break in Edinburgh

A few years ago I made my first visit to beautiful Edinburgh and I loved everything about it; the architecture and sights, the scrumptious food, the castle looking out over the city, and most of all the many literary spots I came across during our wanderings. I've been meaning to go back to the city ever since for further explorations but as always life and work got in the way. Until a very good train deal came along (London to Edinburgh for just £28 return, yes please), finally prompting us to book another trip. With the visit having been in my calendar for quite some time now, I've been doing lots of research into what to see, do and eat during our long weekend this Friday until next Monday to make the most of our break.

Lunch at A Room in the West End

A Room in the West End is located below Teuchters bar in Edinburgh's William Street. It's just a few minutes of walking away from the busy Haymarket and Princes Street area, so is perfectly situated for a well-earned lunch or dinner rest stop after a few hours of (Christmas) shopping.

Lunch at Edinburgh Larder

Edinburgh Larder is located in the heart of Scotland's capital and celebrated its first birthday earlier this year. There are two locations in the city and we had the pleasure to visit the Bistro on Alva Street, which offers its customers a fixed price lunch menu between noon and 2.30pm where three courses are priced at a very reasonable £15 per person.

Dinner at The Magnum in Edinburgh

When you walk into The Magnum you might think it's an ordinary pub. Though the front section certainly emanates the rustic and jolly ambience of one, when you turn a corner you enter a cosy country restaurant. The area reserved for diners is quite small and dark, but curtains of twinkling fairy lights along the large windows add a charming touch and provide just enough light to be able to read the menu without taking away from the otherwise intimate atmosphere.

Dinner at Michael Neave Kitchen and Whisky Bar

Michael Neave Kitchen and Whisky Bar in Edinburgh was opened just last year by a young Scottish chef of the same name, but already the establishment oozes years of experience in fine dining. Tucked away just off the Royal Mile the cobblestone street is easy to miss when it is dark and drizzling, as it so often is in Scotland, but a sign on High Street helpfully points guests in the right direction.