Backpacking the UK: A Guide to Edinburgh, Scotland

After being semi-unwillingly sidetracked in Stratford-upon-Avon, I boarded a bus for Edinburgh. It was a long trip. I had been planning to travel up to Orkney, but after the long trip to Edinburgh and having only a few days left, I decided against spending more of my precious vacation time on a bus. I decided to spend the remainder of my time in Edinburgh until I had to go back to London.

When I arrived at the bus station in Edinburgh it was very late in the day and I was exhausted and ready to hit a bed at the hostel. I walked down to Princes Street first and ate at the Burger King there. By the way, eating at fast food establishments can save you a lot of money. I know it’s not as cool as eating at pubs, but if you’re on a limited budget it can save you money and then you can use the money that you save for souvenirs or tours.

It was a long walk to the hostel which was far from the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is the heart of the city of Edinburgh. I thought about staying at a hostel near the city center, but my sister who was with me for a portion of the trip talked me into staying at the Belford hostel because she had stayed there previously. It was about two miles from the city center. I’m sure she’ll say I’m still complaining about it. I really did like the hostel in and of itself, but it was too far away for my liking. I saw two other hostels while I was there, one on Princes Street and the other right on the Royal Mile. I think the one on the Royal Mile would be best because it’s in the center of everything.

The Belford is an old church that was converted into a hostel. The rooms are divided by walls, but there are no ceilings, instead they open up to the church’s high cathedral-like ceiling. Downstairs is a kitchen, a television room and another room that has a bar and a pool table. They ask that you be quiet at all hours in the main portion of the church where all the sleeping areas are, because you can hear people in other rooms and it echoes terribly.