Bagpipes, Bravehearts, and New Friends in Edinburgh

Edinburgh rises up as a city with a storied past and an impassioned future. The castle on the hill, backlit at night, resonates with the old-world history that pulses in its streets. The people have an exuberance about them.

The Royal Mile dominates a trip to the capital city. The chill in the air and the brisk breeze that whispers of pending raindrops lure you into the many shops offering woolen treasures in the form of hats, scarves, sweaters, and—for the brave of heart, or is it Braveheart—kilts.

The stone and wooden buildings appear to sit flush to each other, yet give way to a close, a wynd, or a lane. Edinburgh was developed as a city where rich and poor lived alongside each other (or at least above and below each other), giving rise to the modern basement apartment.

The spirit, intellect, and poetry of the Scots are on display throughout the statues in courtyards and squares, churches, and museums—John Knox, Adam Smith, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, to name a few.

We pause and tour the tributes to them and marvel at this city that was the center of so much enlightened thought. The drone of the bagpipes is never far and adds an authenticity to the moment.

The weather turned from cloudy and cool to sideways rain, offering a sign it was time for a cream tea. A steaming cup of tea and a warm scone topped with jam and clotted cream can make even a bedraggled tourist revive and renew.

While a cup of tea can warm your hands, a pint at the neighborhood pub will warm your soul—especially if you strike up a conversation with the regulars. Kay’s pub was “a pitching wedge” away from our apartment and was cozy and crowded with a mix of young professionals and locals in the real estate trade. No pub is complete without a sweet, friendly dog who, while well behaved, could also charm a head scratch or a dog treat out of the most sour patron. Winnie filled the bill.

We returned to Kay’s on our last night in Edinburgh for a quick drink. Seating in a window seat in the tiny back room, a casual hello opened the door to a delightful night. The two young friends, Jack and Dom, who had grown up together and now worked in different divisions of the company, had met up for a pint to catch up. A UK pub is a place you enter as a stranger and leave as a friend.

A simple, “Where are you from? How do you like Edinburgh so far?” led us to an evening of sharing travel stories of Scotland and the US—the differences, the similarities, and the possibilities. Dom said, “It’s a Scotsman’s job, if you meet a foreigner, to make them feel welcome, at home.” We hope he meets an American who feels the same way on his upcoming trip to Houston.

After a photo op with all our new friends, we went home to pack—England is calling.