Round the world trips are getting more and more popular as people are sick of waiting until retirement to see the world. When travelers plan a trip around the world, they have a lot of things to think about. First on the list is usually the itinerary. Figuring out where to go is no small task, and travelers need to consider a variety of factors when planning their trips.
Many people don’t like to add places in Europe to their trips because of the high cost of traveling there. But if you have a higher budget, Europe would be a great place to add. If you are planning on adding the continent to your travels, you have even more choices to make as Europe is huge and has many popular destinations. For some reason, Scotland isn’t the most popular of places to add. But we think that adding a city like Edinburgh to your RTW trip itinearary would be a great idea.
Edinburgh is a city of festivals, so if you’re hoping to get an authentic Scottish experience, try to plan your time here around one of its many festivals. Coming around New Year’s would give you a chance to take part in Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebration. It’s one of the biggest New Year’s celebrations in the world. You’ll be in for a treat and get to party with both travelers and locals alike. If you can’t make it for Hogmanay, though, then think about coming to Scotland in the summer. The weather sure will be a lot better, and it seems like there’s a new festival every week during the summer, with the largest arts festival in the world being the highlight. When planning your round the world trip, don’t leave out the Athens of the North.
Photo credit: 1
Each year, my New Year’s Eve plans range between: night in with my better half, night with parents, party with friends or concert in the city’s public square…and , honestly, it gets really boring after a while. So, I’ve decided to do something totally different this year. Yes, travel to a city which holds interesting New Year’s Eve celebrations.
As a writer myself I know how annoying it can be to get stuck and not be able to write a single world. Each of us knows that such issues require creative solutions. The “rule” is to find an inspirational location so that you can restart your creative process. And I bet you know at least one place in your city where you can go, relax and start writing again. 
Greetings and salutations fellow travelers, I hope you are all starting the new year off with plans and dreams of travel. To help you with this task here is a wrap-up of my reviews during my recent trip to Edinburgh. Well I did not stay at every hostel I did spend many hours visiting and touring them and have written a basic review and guide to 7 of the main hostels in Edinburgh.
“Carry the lad that’s born to be King
Leaving on a Friday morning we are met by our kilted guide, Neil Mclennan. After picking up the rest of the troops we head out of the city on our faithful steed, the Macbackpacker bus. Neil is a fantastic story teller and is soon entertaining us with legends and stories. Our first stop is “The Hermitage” (see photo left) , where, Neil reveals, he was possibly once approached by faeries who hoped to lure him to their kingdom. There is certainly a strange magical feel about the place for sure.Killicrankie is our picnic spot where Neil enthusiastically recreates the highland charge that scared the shite out of the British troops. A brief stop at Culloden Battle Field to pay homage to the many men who lost their lives in this historic battle, a battle that was surely a turning point in Scottish history. Nearing the end of a long day of traveling we search for Nessie at Loch Ness and dip our feet in the frigid water. Finally pulling into Kyleakin Town on the Isle of Skye in the early evening. 
Barely a year and a half old, Smart City Hostel is located at the bottom of a hill just off the Royal Mile. It is following the way of newer hostels, with the shiny, modern look. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of the vibe that makes a hostel so much fun is lost to glitz and glamour. Catering mostly to large groups with 622 beds in summer, they also offer winter student accommodation. There is a licensed bar and the Smart City Café, a small meeting room and a great outside area for BBQ’s, in summer the chef cooks up a great feast there. All the rooms are en-suite, shower gel and shampoo are provided, on the girl’s floors there is also lotion and conditioner. 
Located at the foot of Edinburgh Castle you are welcomed by exceptionally friendly staff along with stunning wall art, coat of arms and suits of armor. Castle Rock is one of the bigger hostels in Edinburgh with over 230 beds ranging from 4 to 16 bed dorms. The huge kitchen provides plenty of space and storage for you to cook to your heart’s content. There is a pool table in the large common room, a movie room with regular showings at 6pm and 9pm, not to mention the “Posh Lounge” for those who prefer a bit of quiet and an outside area that is great for BBQ’s. In the morning there is a decent continental breakfast for a mere £1.90 or you can head down to the Grassmarket and go to Biddy Mulligans for a 2 for 1 full Scottish fry-up, makes a great hangover breakfast and all you need is to show your little orange ticket from the hostel. On Thursday nights be sure to join the hostel for the local Pub Crawl, a great experience, visiting 4 pubs, or was that 3, might have been 5, it’s all a little hazy. 
Edinburgh is one of the favorite cities on a backpacker’s tour – there’s culture if you want it, and more partying than you can handle. But finding the right hostel to stay in during your trip to Edinburgh isn’t always easy – especially with so many booking sites to sift through. What’s more, many of the sites are actually listing the same properties, so what makes one different than another?
Let’s face it – Scotland isn’t exactly known for its cuisine, at least historically speaking. While there are some chefs these days that are doing more than just the usual meat and potatoes fare, Edinburgh probably isn’t the place to go for a food-centric holiday.