Category: Scotland

All things about Scotland! I live in Edinburgh, and I worked as a tour guide right in Old Town on the Royal Mile, so I know the ins and outs of the city. Here you’ll find the best in food and drink, the hidden gems that even locals don’t know, travel tips on what’s worth seeing and what’s okay to miss, and more! You’ll find advice on day trips, weekend trips, holidays off the beaten path in Scotland, and so, so, much more. It’s your behind the scenes travel guide to the place I call home!

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Canada Lifestyle Scotland Travel

How I Moved to the UK from Canada

I was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. I studied my HBa in history at the local university, and had worked for the government in a variety of capacities by the time I was 22. Then, two months after graduating I moved to Edinburgh. I wasn’t on a work visa, or a student visa. I moved using this miraculous visa that the commonwealth has – the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa. This blog post is a beginning to end scope of how I moved to the UK from Canada. How I got my visa, what my visa is, what happened once I got here and all sorts of nosy personal bits in between!

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Edinburgh Scotland Travel

Things To Do In Edinburgh In Winter

The Union Canal on a frosty day, Edinburgh

On a hunt for things to do in Edinburgh TODAY? Here are my top things to do in Edinburgh in the winter. Also works for summer, considering that Scotland has pretty much one season and that season is RAIN. If by chance it is a sunny day, consider my top things to do in Edinburgh on a sunny day. But here you’ll find things that are wind, rain and sleet friendly. The list features a golden retriever, nature walks, cafes and hidden gems. Enjoy!

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Edinburgh Lifestyle Scotland

Edinburgh Gift Guide

This pot is from Nordic Living, and I filled it with some dried lavender from the florist around the corner.

I live in Edinburgh and I love shopping local, so an Edinburgh Gift Guide is a must! Give me farmers markets, Instagram sellers galore! I want to know the names of the people I buy from, I want to know exactly who I’m supporting when I buy. Sometimes, it’s just not feasible. But at Christmas, there are so many local crafters makers and creators, that you’re sure to find a gift for everyone! Shopping local is already shopping sustainable. It just so happens that makers tend to create long lasting, lifetime pieces. I’ve discussed my favourite Scotland brands in my Scottish Gift Guide, but this week we’re coming closer to home. For those of you living in Edinburgh, for those of you visiting the Christmas market, these are the places you can go to find gifts for everyone you love. Without further ado, I present the ultimate Edinburgh Gift Guide.

PSA – this is not a sponsored gift guide, I just really love gift giving and shopping local. Seriously

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Lifestyle Scotland

Scottish Gift Guide

With Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg as household names, I think it’s safe to say everyone’s thinking twice about the things they buy this Christmas. No foiling on cards or wrapping paper, so it can be recycled. No sparkles, or glitter, or gift buying just for the sake of gift buying. Even if you don’t like to think about it too much, it still creeps into your head. I still love gift giving, and I’m determined to give the people I love something special this year. I’ve decided that buying local, and buying long-term is the ideal way to shop. So here is my ‘shop local’ Scottish Gift Guide! A list of shops local to Scotland that sell sustainable and/or long-lasting gift worthy products.

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Edinburgh Scotland Travel

Most Instagrammed Spots in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle in the background of The Vennel pathway

There’s no shortage of views in Edinburgh, and so, it seems there’s no shortage of go-to spots to shoot Instagram shots. If you live in the city, you might get a little tired of seeing Circus Lane and Dean Village back to back to back. But if you’re visiting, and you want to see behind the scenes of the city so often Instagrammed, it can be hard to find a guide on these special spots! So here the most Instagrammed spots in Edinburgh. A back to basics, no funny business, best of the best, classic list.

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A weekend in... A weekend in... Scotland Travel

A Weekend In Callander

I live in Edinburgh, but I was born and raised in the middle of nowhere, Canada. So I like to get away from the city for the weekend when I can. Sometimes it’s just for a day in the Pentland Hills, other times it’s a weekend away on the Isle of Skye (it’s doable!). This time, it was a weekend in Callander. I picked Callander while on my way back from Skye, actually. Annoyed and jaded by all the tourists I saw on Skye, I wanted somewhere quiet, often skipped over by tourists. Just outside the tourist hub of Fort William* and still incredibly cute and cosy, Callander was the perfect fit.

*By normal standards Callander and Fort William aren’t too far apart. This is not the case by Scottish standards… where Glasgow and Edinburgh are on other sides of the planet

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A weekend in... A weekend in... Scotland Travel

A Weekend Away In Skye

A woman sitting in a grassy field at Brothers Point, Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye is a hotspot tourist destination, I knew that before I went. Loads of tourists on my tours had headed up there, and each and every one said that it was the highlight of their holiday. When I finally went with my family over the summer, I was so excited to see what it was all about! There are a million and one Isle of Skye destination guides: this is one for the weekend traveller. Here’s my advice for a weekend in Skye.

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