Italy was phenomenal and full of history; Paris was beautiful; London had so much to see. However, the city that surprised me the most, and turned out to be one of my favorites was Edinburgh, Scotland. Before arriving, I already imagined that Scotland wouldn’t have as much to offer me as the other countries did. We spent two nights in this city. On the first night, we got in pretty late, and Dr. Smalley took a group of us up what felt like a mountain/hill. Just when my legs were about cave in, my eyes were struck with the most beautiful view of the city skyline. It was dusk so the buildings were glistening with lights, and the sun was about halfway done setting. The sky was breathtakingly bright with pink, blue, and orange. The ocean could be seen extending infinitely in the distance. At that moment, I realized that Edinburgh might actually surprise me. And surprise me it did. I had the time of my life shopping at outdoor markets, eating a local eateries, doing a Tour of the city to learn the legends and history, and of course hanging out at various pubs–including one called Frankenstein’s where the man appears from the ceiling every hour. Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised with the vibrant culture and rich history of Edinburgh. And of course the Edinburgh Royal Botanical Garden was the icing on the cake.

View of a city street in Edinburgh, Scotland
View of a city street in Edinburgh, Scotland
Sunset over the sky line of Edinburgh, Scotland
Sunset over the sky line of Edinburgh, Scotland
Rock Garden at Edinburgh Royal Botanical Garden
Rock Garden at Edinburgh Royal Botanical Garden