[May 2026] We went to Edinburgh, Scotland for the first time in five years.
Our previous trip was a month-long stay, but this time it was just a short four-night trip.
It was my husband’s birthday trip, so he chose the destination, but I immediately agreed.
We both had a very good impression of Edinburgh last time, so I think we both had a strong desire to return.
There are still tons of places in Europe we haven’t been to, but we are increasingly going to places that have left a lasting impression on us and that we want to return to.
Perhaps it’s a sign of age?
Anyway, this time we flew directly to Edinburgh from Milan, Italy.
This was our first time.
We used the low-cost airline easyJet, but the aircraft was ITA.
Apparently, there were also ITA crew members.
This seems to be related to easyJet acquiring ITA routes.
The service was lacking, though, as you’d expect from a low-cost airline.
We arrived safely at Edinburgh Airport in about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Recently, travellers entering the UK are required to have an ETA, a kind of simplified visa.
However, since both my husband and I have been long-term residents of the UK, according to the regulations, we don’t need one.
My husband entered without any problems, but, just like on our previous trip to London, I had some trouble.
After we moved to Italy, our permanent residency stamps were digitized, but mine is still just the flimsy single-line stamp in my old passport.
It seems the current immigration officers see this as a problem.
However, the slightly elderly officer at Edinburgh Airport this time was a sincere person, unlike the snotty man in London.
After much thought, he finally advised me to “get an ETA next time” before letting us through.
I’ll think about what to do next time.
From the airport, we took the tram to the city centre.
This tram was under construction five years ago when we were staying here.
It seems to have become a firmly established mode of transportation for the city’s residents.
However, the fare is quite expensive: £7.90 (about €9.25) for a one-way trip, and £9.50 for a round trip.
The scenery from the train window starts with lots of greenery, and as we gradually enter the city, the imposing, dark-coloured buildings characteristic of Edinburgh increase.
I really like this unique sense of grandeur.
We got off at Princes Street, the heart of the new town.
From there, we walked quite a distance to the Heeton Concept Apart Hotel, where we had reservations.
As we started walking, I suddenly remembered something:
Edinburgh is full of hills.
Walking with luggage was tough.
Nevertheless, we managed because we were reminiscing, saying things like, “We walked this road before,” or “Isn’t this near so-and-so?”
If you were born and raised here, you’d surely grow up to be a strong, healthy adult.
Now, rereading an old article I wrote, I realise I said the exact same thing.
Haha, I haven’t grown at all.
