Kennedy Williams

The crummiest thing about living abroad is missing holidays in your home country. Each year, I have to go through this mental back and forth about going home from the Christmas holiday. On top of the prices being RIDICULOUS, its not really worth the long hours of traveling just for a few days at home! When I travel from Europe to the US, I need around 2-3 days to chill out until I am a person again. For the past couple of years, since I’ve been living in Spain, I have taken advantage of the Christmas holiday to solo-travel. For some odd reason, this past year I chose to do my solo-travel trip the Arctic Circle aka the U.K.

Obviously, since it was the week of Christmas, a lot of stuff was closed, but I was still determined to see all I could see and I was on a mad hunt for tea because…why not. I stumbled on @cuptearooms during my search for things to do in Glasgow and I was not let down. This place was a chic, cool, modern tea room and it was CHEAP! I got a pot of their Masala Chai (which is like 4 cups) and toast and eggs with bacon for £8! It was delicious and so filling, I went back to my hotel to take a nap. I wanted to do their afternoon tea package, but there’s no way I could get through all those treats alone.

This place would be perfect for a brunch or a special celebration cause it’s such a good price with the package. I went to the Merchant City location. The inside was small and intimate, but there’s a lot of room outside as well, (it was way too cold for me to even think about sitting outside). They have a whole book of teas ranging from black tea to herbal teas. Their menu has small bites like traditional scones to brunch items like egg Benedict and sandwiches. The Cup Tea Room menu is only available till 5pm, but after 5pm it turns into Gin71. I wasn’t able to try it, but I’d put money on the line it’s equally as fantastic. If you are ever looking for things to do in Glasgow and want to get an amazing, non-traditional tea room experience and a bomb brunch at the same time, this is your place!

As expected, being that I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Glasgow, most of the popular things to do in Glasgow were closed. And I was okay with that. I did lots of walking because Glasgow was actually a pretty walkable and to be fair I had nothing but time. I spent a lot of time at the Christmas Market in George Square taking in the GORGEOUS decorations, people watching, and throwing back my favorite holiday beverage, mulled wine. The day after Christmas, I took a £5 bus trip to Edinburgh. Let me say this right now, I was actually VERY surprised how much I LOVED Edinburgh. Despite the cold, wind, and rain, Edinburgh is easily one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited.

Scotland has such a long and rich history, that you can discover all throughout the city. One of my favorite things to do in Edinburgh was taking a Free Sandemans Old Town walking tour. Our phenomenal tour guide, David (@thatguidewithglasses), knew so much about the city and random tidbits. He took us to some amazing spots I don’t think I would have found on my own. It was around 2 hours (did not feel like it!) and he told so many stories about Scottish history, as well as Scottish tales from centuries ago. If I would have had more time in Edinburgh I would have taken all the Sandemans tours!

Victoria’s Street, Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland

After our Sandemans tour, David recommended some things to do in Edinburgh during our stay, like Calton Hill. The walk up wasn’t so bad and it was so worth it for the views of the city, Arthur’s Seat, and the monuments on the hill as well. Some advice, make sure you have on reliable shoes on! It’s super muddy and uneven up at the top. So there’s a chance you will fall on your ass, embarrass yourself, and have to hide out for the rest of your life. So long story short, wear something with some grip.

Carlton Hill and Loch Ness, Edinburgh, Scotland

We booked the Hairy Coo day tour to Loch Ness and Scottish Highlands on Viator by TripAdvisor, and it was quite the opposite experience of the Sandemans Tour. We essentially paid around $60 for a 12-hour bus ride. The tour guide was great, but the actual experience was the problem. The description made it seem like a hop on hop off experience, but in reality he’d tell us about a landmark and slow down just enough to get a look at it and keep it pushing. The only times we got off the bus was for bathroom breaks and when we got to Loch Ness (Loch Ness cruise was NOT included) and when we got to the whisky distillery at 9 IN THE MORNING and it was additional apart from the $60! The Scottish highlands was beautiful, but we only saw it from a window. I would absolutely recommend putting the highlands on your list of things to do in Edinburgh, but definitely with a different tour company. Next time you’re in the UK, do yourself a favor and make time to explore Edinburgh. You won’t be disappointed.

Loch Ness, Edinburgh, Scotland