Castles, Cobblestones & Cozy Cafés: Our Scottish Honeymoon

If there was only one place I could visit for the rest of my life, it would be Edinburgh, Scotland!

My husband and I spent nine magical days galavanting around the city—slipping on cobblestone roads, cozying up in cafés, and being amazed by castle views every single day.

Why We Chose Scotland for Our Honeymoon

Choosing Scotland for our honeymoon might seem untraditional to some, but we’re adventurous and love a good view.

So sitting on a beach or lounging in an overwater bungalow just didn’t fit us. Touring the Scottish Highlands? Now that was our kind of romance.

I have to pat myself on the back for how well I planned this trip! We did a little bit of everything Scotland had to offer—yet still barely scratched the surface.

Arrival in Edinburgh

When we landed in Scotland, I told the flight crew we were there for our honeymoon, and they let us take a picture in the cockpit! We even got Delta trading cards to add to our collection.

To our surprise, Edinburgh was much warmer than we expected, but our matching jogging suits were perfect for day one. Outside the airport, there was a taxi stand, so we grabbed one and headed to our hotel.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at Voco Edinburgh Royal Terrace—not downtown, but honestly, it was the perfect location.

The room wasn’t super luxurious, but it was cute and comfortable. From our hotel, we could walk everywhere we needed, and when we had day trips planned, the pickup spots were within easy walking distance.

Exploring the City

We spent our first day roaming the city.

We tried to visit Calton View Café, but the sky decided to fall on our walk up—and once we made it, there were no seats left. Thankfully, we checked off plenty of other spots from our list, like The Milkman, Society Bar and Kitchen, and Down the Hatch.

We ate and drank our way through Edinburgh. The food? A solid 7/10. Not awful, not amazing—just fine. (Scroll below)

Coffee & Café Hopping

Same goes for the coffee. I think we Americans are just a little too jacked up on caffeine because however many espresso shots they use in the UK—it’s not enough, haha!

We visited so many cute cafés, though. My favorite was Treehouse Café—both the coffee and the pancakes were 10/10.

For ambiance, though, SINGL-ENG Bakehouse & Café in Glasgow took the crown (a short train ride away from Edinburgh!).

Tastings & Tours

I booked all our activities through Viator, and it made everything so easy.

We did a lot of gin and whiskey tastings. Our favorite whiskey experience was definitely Johnnie Walker—it was more than just a tasting; they put on a whole show! At the end of the tasting we purchased bottles you can only buy in Scotland and we got whiskey glasses engraved with our initials and wedding date. (Scroll below)

Ambiance-wise, Port of Leith was our favorite spot for drinks. It’s a newer place and absolutely amazing!

If you go, try to book a tasting. We popped in at the end of the day and didn’t get the full experience since they were closing soon after we arrived.

Adventures Beyond Edinburgh

To be honest, there’s so much to do in Edinburgh—we’d need another two weeks to see it all.

Outside of the tastings, we did a day trip to the Highlands and a Loch Ness boat ride, a day trip to St. Andrews, chocolate tasting at The Chocolatarium, and an underground vault tour. (Scroll below)

We also took a train ride to Glasgow for the day. While there, I visited B51 to make a charm bracelet.

I actually messaged the owner on TikTok after seeing another creator’s video, and she let me come in to make a bracelet—even though they were closed!

That’s my kind of customer service. I highly recommend visiting B51 if you’re ever in Scotland. (Scroll below)

Final Thoughts

To sum it all up… Scotland is a 10/10.

If you’ve been thinking about visiting—what are you waiting for??

I hope the photos in this post give you even a little bit of the magic I felt in real life.

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Sincerely, SC