A day trip to Edinburgh

Now that I'm a lady of leisure (well, to a certain extent - we can all pretend), I'm trying to make it my mission to accompany the male more on his work trips. Also known as: find where he's going and then plan my own little trip around it.

So when he had Scotland in his diary for a day on my first week of freedom, it was a no brainer to go and explore the sights of Edinburgh again, but this time in Summer. I'd visited a few Christmas' ago, and fell in love with the city and it's places, but instead of staying central, I knew there was other spots I wanted to visit (also, stalking Louise's IG).

And what better time to start learning all about time alone and appreciating your own company, than this trip. With an optimistic mind, a fully charged phone and a book in my bag, I jumped on the flight to Glasgow excited for the day ahead.

STOCKBRIDGE

I'd seen gorgeous pictures and heard lovely things about Stockbridge, so with the weather being beautiful and it not far from the centre, I headed that way as soon as I arrived into Edinburgh. I found myself wandering down streets that I didn't need to, purely just to admire all of the houses - before stumbling upon Circus Lane.Circus Lane is beyond beautiful, and so very picturesque. The houses are quaint, well looked after and full of colour and life. And even through the stroll down this lane merely lasted only a few minutes, I found myself falling in love with Edinburgh just that little bit more for all of their cute lanes and mews.

THE PANTRY - STOCKBRIDGE

I wanted to be a little prepared for this trip, more in the way of somewhere to lunch. Louise had mentioned a few places to lunch in Stockbridge, and with The Pantry being moments from Circus Lane, it seemed like the perfect pit stop for lunch.

They had some delicious options and being an indecisive person, only made it trickier, but I opted for their U.S.A (ubiquitous smashed avocado) alongside a fresh pot of peppermint tea. The Pantry is a lovely little spot, with cute interiors and a relaxed setting.I've never lunched alone before (not in a cafe anyway), so it felt a little strange, but I had my book and in between uploading my photos to IG (of course), felt proud for doing it alone. It was, actually, kinda nice.

DEAN VILLAGE

Dean Village wasn't somewhere I'd heard of until recently, and I can't quite believe that this not-so-hidden gem is only a 10 minute walk from the centre. It's an absolutely beautiful oasis, with cobbled streets and storybook Victorian cottages and the Water of Leigh.

I merely spent my time wandering around, exploring all the different lanes and corners and admiring all of the charm, wondering whether it was possible to move into one of the houses.A definite must visit when you're in Edinburgh, because it's completely full of so much charm.

THE MILKMAN, COCKBURN STREET

I'm not a coffee drinker, but with minimal phone battery (I wouldn't normally mind but I needed it for my boarding pass home later!) and in need of a refreshment, I stopped by The Milkman as I was heading back towards the centre from Royal Mile. I'd snapped a photo of the quaint coffee shop when I first visited nearly two years ago, so I was eager to head in. Siting with a book in hand, an iced coffee to my side (and my phone firmly on charge), I happily sat in one of their corners for over an hour. For such a small space, it was a fairly popular spot and I can see why. For someone who doesn't really drink coffee, I'm currently thinking about their Iced Coffees...

Edinburgh truly is such a beautiful city, and I can't wait to head back again at some point, for another day of exploring. Because, this city has so much to offer, and I feel like I haven't even covered half of it.It's a bold statement, but I actually think that Edinburgh might just be one of my favourite places.