Category: Bloggy Stuff

Scottish food isn’t just about haggis and deep-fried Mars bars you know, although if you want to sample those delicacies they are of course readily available in Edinburgh.  But Edinburgh is actually a gourmet’s paradise, packed with fantastic restaurants from the humble-yet-delicious to the Michelin-starred. And of course when dinner is over, there’s always a tempting-looking bar or pub round the corner to have a nightcap in. If you’re planning a short break full of eating and drinking to your heart’s content in the Scottish capital, it’s a good thing it’s easy to find a Travelodge in Edinburgh, so you can use the money you save on the hotel to put towards your dining fund!

Fine Dining

If you want to push the boat out to impress that certain someone, you’ve come to the right place. TV’s Saturday Kitchen regular, the aptly named Tom Kitchin is Edinburgh’s best-known celebrity chef and his two restaurants The Kitchin and Castle Terrace consistently receive rave reviews. Michelin-starred Martin Wishart in Leith also has the accolades and the waiting list to match.

Romance

Edinburgh is full of hidden gems worth tracking down for a date night to remember. The Stockbridge Restaurant, Le Café St Honoré and Angels With Bagpipes will give you the full candlelit experience but when it comes to rolling out the red carpet romance-wise, The Witchery, with its wood paneling, sumptuous food and Castle-side location will give you an evening out you’ll never forget.

Pubs

Edinburgh is famous for its pubs and with good reason – they’re plentiful and for the most part friendly and welcoming. If you fancy a bit of a pub-crawl, the Grassmarket area is the traditional place to start – try The Beehive for your first pint. Rose Street, which runs parallel to the main shopping streets of Princes Street and George Street is another favourite drinking drag – handy if all that shopping brings on a bit of a thirst. The best thing about Edinburgh pubs is of course the Scottish licensing laws, which mean that most venues are open till at least midnight, sometimes later.

On The Go

Edinburgh is packed with fabulous cafes serving up cakes, coffees and more substantial fare. Glass & Thomson in the New Town is the perfect place to relax with a coffee and a slice of cake and Urban Angel on Hanover Street is where to head for a lazy brunch.

Bars

If you fancy making a real night of it, Edinburgh has a thriving bar scene. Also home to the most upmarket shops, George Street is a good place to sample Edinburgh at its most glamorous – try Tigerlily for a pre-dinner drink and you’ll see why. Or Rick’s on Frederick Street and The Bon Vivant on Thistle Street, both of which also do great food, and are perfect places to party with Edinburgh’s beautiful people.

Phew, after all that, you’ll be ready for a good night’s sleep before getting up to do it all again. Cheers!

Sponsored Guest Post 

For many parents, the weekday mornings are an absolute nightmare. Most days, being able to get to school on time is nothing short of a miracle, especially when there’s more than one child to worry about.

Some parents may look at the laidback ones wondering ‘how do they do it?’ while others will be so stressed out by the whole ordeal that they need a couple of hours each day to get over it (in their dreams!).

The key to getting to school on time, and stress-free, is organisation.  If you’re organised, very little can go wrong. Your kids will be out the door on time, and you’ll feel a lot less hassled than if you hadn’t planned things in advance.

Here are some great ways of making sure that you’re organised, so that your family can get into some good habits and make the school run as painless as possible.

• Get the school uniform ready the night before. From the t shirt, jumper and pinafore right down to the socks and underwear, if it’s all laid out and ready to go, getting ready in the morning will be a doddle. Choose crease-free school uniform from George and you won’t have to worry about ironing it, either.

• Prep packed lunches the night before, too. Better still, opt for school dinners if that’s an option!

• Put everything in the car that can be put in there before you go to bed. Book bags and PE kits won’t be needed in the morning, and if they’re already in the car, they can’t be forgotten!

• Keep a timetable on the kitchen wall so that you know what after school club or class the kids have on what days. If there’s specific kit they need, such as their football boots or their swimming kit, you will be able to ensure this is ready and won’t be left at home.

• If you have paperwork to fill in, do it the night before (or as soon as you get it). Make sure it’s back in their bag, ready to go.

• Keep the TV off until the kids are completely ready for school and make sure they understand that, sometimes, they will have to leave before the end of the programme. Bribe them with the option of recording it – the joys of Sky+!

• Make sure that you’re completely ready before getting the kids up. Don’t worry about looking amazing either; not unless you have to run straight off to work. You can always sort yourself out when you get back home.

• Avoid open-ended questions if you can help it.  Rather than asking what they want for breakfast and being met with a sea of options, give them an either/or.  The same applies for how they want their hair, what to wear, etc.

Getting through the school gates on time isn’t easy, but it’s completely doable by applying a little bit of forward thinking and planning.

Get super-organised, get up and get gone for a stress-free start to the day.