A Blogger's Guide to Edinburgh
We've teamed up with Ildiko of The Weekend Enthusiast
for a GIVEAWAY!
Enter the GIVEAWAY on her instagram!
Tell us a little about yourself!
Hello, I’m Ildiko! Originally from Hungary, I moved to Scotland over 7 years ago and that is when the story of The Edinburgh Enthusiast began.
Why did you move to Scotland?
I moved to Scotland to be with Mr Enthusiast, my husband (then boyfriend). We met in Warsaw, Poland during a university exchange semester and spent 3.5 years away from each other. It was time to settle down and it just happened to be the Scottish capital where I managed to get a job. So happy we ended up here!
What are some of the things you love most about Scotland, particularly Edinburgh?
Scotland is a dream - from natural beauty to historic castles, from cute villages to Edinburgh’s stunning Georgian New Town and of course its larder and foodie scene. I don’t actually mind the weather, I’ve always tried to escape north from the scorching Hungarian summers. The white nights are a bonus, even at the expense of cold, dark and wet winters.
I love how compact Edinburgh is - not too big, not too small. I can walk from home to the city centre within half an hour. There is so much greenery along the way, I particularly enjoy the Water of Leith path between Stockbridge and Dean Village.
What inspired you to start your blog/instagram?
I actually started my blog, The Weekend Enthusiast, well before my instagram page, @EdiEnthusiast. I was missing the familiarity of Warsaw and knowing about all the cool events in town, so I created the weekly Edinburgh Weekend Guides on the blog. They feature a wide range of events from food and drinks, art and history as well as lifestyle. A few months after starting the blog, the Instagram page followed. I was very much inspired by the @igersedinburgh instameets and the local Instagrammer community - I met so many friendly faces through the app!
How do you always find such good spots?
I love exploring the city and walk a lot whenever I have the chance. Before road trips I try to do some research in advance, but sometimes we just stumble upon wee gems by chance. I follow the same approach when picking restaurants and accommodation, always on the hunt for unique and lesser known places.
What would your perfect day in Edinburgh look like?
Definitely starting with a good cup of coffee - we source our coffee beans from Mr Eion, he always has super fresh roasts. Then we would head to our favourite breakfast place, 27 Elliott’s. If the weather’s nice, we would go for a walk by the Water of Leith or visit the Botanics. Otherwise we would escape the rain by visiting one of our favourite museums, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art - they always have some great exhibitions on. If we get peckish, we love to treat ourselves to something sweet from the Pastry Section, followed by wine and cheese at Little Rascal or Smith & Gertrude.
What does colsie look like for you at home?
My ideal colsie moment is a quiet evening on the sofa in candle light, with some turntable music on in the background. Most certainly wrapped up warm under a wool blanket and holding a cup of peppermint tea, or a hot toddy on cold winter days.
What does colsie look like for you when you travel?
I love being wrapped up in an oversized wool scarf whenever we take out our Caterham. Having a convertible car in Scotland really means you’re exposed to the elements and I have quickly become the master of layering. Having no roof also means we’re particularly close to nature and one of my favourite road trip memories is driving in the Scottish countryside with the wild gorse in full bloom - it had such a wonderful coconutty smell as we drove past! Of course after a particularly chilly drive there’s nothing like arriving to the final destination and putting on the fire.
Tell us about your car! What inspired you to get her?
We got Katie, the Caterham this January - we bought her second-hand and it took nearly a year for Mr Enthusiast to convince me! In fact I knew nothing about Caterhams until last spring, when Mr Enthusiast came up with the idea to rent one. And I went with it - after lung problems and an operation I was totally up for an adventure. We liked the experience so much that we rented a few more times and even tried a Morgan for my birthday. The hire car solution worked so well that we did not actually consider buying our own until the Caterham rental company shut down last autumn. And then we found our Katie.
What’s your favourite TBCo. product?
I adore the new wool blankets - we have two of them: Natural Basket Weave and Grey Herringbone. I already have my eyes on a third one, perhaps a knee blanket in Dusky Pink.
