ROYAL MILE JEWEL

OLD TOWN AIRBNB
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

When you arrive in a new city for the very first time, there always seems to be this sort of electric anticipation hanging in the air. Your home, wherever you stay, will directly influence how you move throughout the city. That first impression establishes your experience, serving as a compass for finding the spirit of a city. All of this is said because this apartment in Edinburgh accomplishes it better than any other space I have ever stayed in. Full stop. Not only is this a truly one-of-a-kind space, but it opens the door to experiencing Edinburgh in a way that is hard to replicate. Let me explain...

Let’s start with the location. Upon arrival, late at night in November, the entire city was draped in Christmas spirit. As I walked up the winding streets that led into Old Town, I was greeted by frosted hills of brilliantly green grass, cobblestone streets older than anything back home, and sleepy shop fronts radiating scotch-soaked charm. Arriving at the entrance to my Airbnb, I noticed a massive structure rising from the top of the hill. "It looks like a castle, but it couldn’t possibly be that close." I thought to myself. Wrong. Throw one of those cobblestones and you’ll likely hit Edinburgh Castle; the apartment is only a few meters down the hill. Hell, if you have enough people, you can literally play "King of the Hill".

Onto the space. Meeting my host, Calim, we made our way up the winding spiral staircase and into my home for the next 4 days. The moment you set foot in the space, you get a sense of how special it is. Your eyes are immediately greeted by a richly wallpapered hallway that leads into a kitchen that immediately hugs you with its warmth. The worn and weathered island, the fine glassware, the bar stocked with Scotland’s finest belly-warming libations—it’s all proof this is a space that has been loved and wants to be loved in return. Making your way through the library with every literary hit from the past three centuries, the den invites you to enjoy the space the way it was meant to, with growing appreciation. Every inch of the apartment is considered: walls are decorated with hand-painted family portraits, furniture is well-worn and inviting, and the earnest materials used throughout contrast perfectly with the cold and wet environment just outside the century-old windows.

It’s impressions like this that give even more reasons to travel. Just getting to see this space alone would have been enough to kick off my stay in the best way. But having it as my home base made a memorable trip that much more special. You're able to explore the city with a mindset that has been conditioned to expect the best of things. Discovering the nooks and crannies of Edinburgh the same way I did with my apartment made it easy to see the best of the city through the thickest fog, both literally and metaphorically. I fully intend on revisiting this city and this space, if only to relive those first impressions of a home tucked away from the fog and frost.

Do yourself a favor and check out this wonderful space for yourself.