This past weekend I took some time to hop a train and head north to visit Edinburgh Scotland for a quick 24 hours of walking and picture taking. I booked a return train trip on Virgin Trains and got a pretty good hotel deal on Tripadvisor for just under $300.

My train left early Saturday morning from the London Euston tube station.  I boarded the train and we left the station at around 7:30 for a roughly 5 hour trip up to Edinburgh.  I am a big fan of traveling by train and this was no exception.  It was smooth and relaxing and it was really great to see the countryside as we headed to the north.

I arrived into Edinburgh at 12:15 and set out to find my hotel. It was right up the road from the train station and in a perfect central location to tour the city.  After checking in to my room, I headed out to see the city.  My first stop was the Edinburgh Castle, which I had pre purchased tickets online and I highly recommend for anyone considering going.  The castle was amazing and the history just oozes out of every stone the castle is built upon.

After that it was back to wandering around and seeing what lay around every new corner.  One interesting place I found was while wandering looking for a place to eat.  I like to get away from the typical touristy stuff and find a place with more local flavor, and boy did I.  Down the hill form the castle I ran into the place called Oink.  The first thing that caught my eye was the line out the door and then I saw what they were waiting for.  The pic to the left is what everyone was waiting for.  Fresh pork sandwiches, they were AMAZING.  The rolls were fresh and they spread a little applesauce on the roll and then a heaping pile of fresh pork …. good eating.

The rest of the day I visited graveyards, museums, stores, et al.  I saw bagpipers on the corners, craft vendors, and Sunday morning was lucky enough to see the start of the Mens Health Survival of the Fittest 10k race !  It is so cool to stumble upon things like this taking place in a city you are visiting.  The night photography was cool and I felt rather safe as the area was full of people out on ghost tours and other just wandering the older parts of the city.

Overall it was a good day.  The city is beautiful and there is much to see and do, day and night.  It was quite crowded with locals and tourists alike.  The train ride was more than pleasant and a note to anyone taking the Virgin Trains in the UK on the weekends, they have a great 15 pound First Class upgrade which is well worth the cost. You get free wi-fi, drinks, power, and much quieter nicer cars.