Scotland in numbers

As I did in Toronto, now for Scotland.

I’m sorry, but this is going to make you hungry. It’s making me hungry, writing it. The food list is just for things I ordered since I can’t possibly remember everything Erik ate as well. (Actually… I probably can remember, but that’s just too much!)

One of Edinburgh's attractive red residential doors.

{As always, mouse over the images for description, or click to enlarge.}

SLEEP
# of nights spent in:
Glasgow: 10
Edinburgh: 31
a yurt in the Highlands (technically Torlundy, outside Fort William): 5

Wildcat Yurt

TRANSIT
flights: 1 in, 1 out
length of Toronto-Glasgow flight: 6:35
length of Glasgow-Reykjavík flight: 2:20

time zones crossed: 5

major intercity train rides: 7
hours spent on the train (approx): 13

new stamps in passport: 1

Glasgow
train rides: 11
subway rides: 2
taxi rides: 2

Aerial view of Glasgow from The Lighthouse in the city center.

miles walked (approx): 29.5
parks visited: 3

Edinburgh
train rides: 4
city bus rides: 11
intercity bus rides: 3
taxi rides: 2

Bruntsfield Place, close to where it becomes Leven Street.

miles walked (approx): 106
hills/mountains climbed: 1

My walk home from the city center, through The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links.

Highlands
ferry rides: 2
cars hired: 2 (long story, and not very exciting)

miles walked (approx): 14
hills/mountains climbed: 2

FOOD AND DRINK

Glasgow
Meals eaten out: 7
in cafes: 3

Hillhead Bookclub in the West End of Glasgow, with an edgy old-library decor.

in museum cafes: 1
at Whole Foods: 1
at the airport: 1
from takeaway shops: 1

Afternoon (or anytime) tea and/or cake: 6

Food-buying trips: 5
at supermarkets: 2
at small groceries or convenience stores: 2
at bakeries: 1

Edinburgh
Meals eaten out: 26
in Indian restaurants: 4
in museum cafes: 4
in Japanese restaurants: 3
in cafes or diners: 3

Bangers and mash, fish pie
in pubs or bars: 3
in upscale Scottish/British restaurants: 2
in train stations: 2
from takeaway shops: 1
in Italian restaurants: 1
in Chinese restaurants: 1
in Nepalese restaurants: 1
in Thai restaurants: 1

Afternoon (or anytime) tea and/or cake: 3 (not counting work sessions, see below)

# of meals which were repeat visits to the same restaurant: 1

# of meals which were mediocre: 2
# of times we experienced subpar service: 2 (not the same restaurants as the mediocre food!)

Food-buying trips: 18
at Waitrose supermarket (which I described to a friend as “my favorite place”): 6

Store-brand cheese selection at Waitrose, organized by number according to flavor strength.
at other supermarkets, including local ones: 6
at bakeries: 4
at farmers’ markets: 3
at a Thai grocery: 2
at a deli: 1

The Highlands
Meals eaten out: 10
in cafes: 4
in seafood restaurants: 2

Erik's dinner at Crannog in Fort William, the first night in the Highlands.
in a pub: 1
in an Indian/Thai restaurant: 1
in a Chinese restaurant: 1
from a fish & chips takeaway: 1

Food-buying trips: 2
at a farm shop: 1
at a supermarket: 1

AN ALTERNATE GASTRONOMIC RECKONING 

SWEETS
pots of yogurt purchased: 7
ice creams: 4 (including a Knickerbocker Glory)
pots of ready-made custard purchased: 3
jars of jam or lemon curd purchased: 3
scones eaten: 3
packages of [English] muffins eagerly devoured: at least 3
hot chocolates: 1
sticky toffee puddings: 1 (too sweet for me)

Types of biscuits (cookies): 6
Empire biscuits: 5
plain shortbread: 4 packages (shared with Erik… usually)
flapjacks: 3
Millionaire’s shortbread: at least 3
jam cream: 1
custard cream: 1

Sidewalk sign for Lovecrumbs Bakery in Edinburgh.

Types of cake: 10
carrot: 3
Victoria sponge: 3 (including 1 w/a fancy name that was basically a posh cousin)
cute cupcake with a Jubilee decoration: 1

Cupcake with a decoration that says Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Battenberg (photo below): 1
German marzipan: 1
chocolate-cardamom: 1
chocolate strawberry truffle: 1
white and dark chocolate almond or pistachio something-or-other: 1
fruit: 1
ginger: 1

Battenberg cake

Candy:
butter tablet: 3
chocolate & peppermint bars: 2
plain chocolate bars: 2
Maltesers: 1
assorted sweets: 1

SAVORIES
times I ate salmon: 9
half-dozens of eggs purchased: 7
pies or pasties eaten: 4
mash[ed potatoes]: 3 restaurant sides, 1 batch homemade

My own mashed potatoes, with chives.

bags of frozen Chinese dumplings purchased: 3
packages of oatcakes purchased: 2
tattie scones: 1 package purchased, 2 came with breakfasts at cafes
burgers: 2 (delicious!!)

Kohl Burger at Bar Kohl, Edinburgh. Back bacon and Monterey Jack and BBQ sauce.
times coleslaw appeared in or next to a sandwich: 3
kedgeree: 1 restaurant order, 1 batch homemade
plates of chicken curry: 2
orders of fish & chips: 2 (this seems low, but Erik ordered it often and I shared his)
scoops of vegetarian haggis: 2 (also delicious!)
orders of macaroni cheese: 1
orders of cauliflower cheese: 1

Vegetarian full breakfast at Loopy Lorna's on Morningside Road. Clockwise from top left: veggie sausages (really these were tasty croquettes), veg haggis, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tattie scone. Also baked beans in the center.

Types of sausages:
links (including chipolatas): 5
square sausage: 3
sausage rolls: 1 sausage meat baked in rich pastry, 1 link sausage in a soft bread roll
veggie sausage: 1

WORK
sessions in cafes: 9 (versus 5 in 2 months in Toronto — clearly a tea culture helps my writing)
teas purchased: 7
cake purchased: 7

life drawing sessions attended: 5

journals partially filled: 2

FUN
People
adults met: 4
cats met: 1
friends reunited with: 1

Lighting flying lanterns in The Meadows with new friends Aga and Scott, two nights before we left Edinburgh.

dinner parties attended: 1
ice cream outings with friends: 1
cake with friends: 1

Music
concerts attended: 1

Shopping
garments purchased: 6
accessories purchased: 3 (jewelry, scarves, shoes)

(garments/accessories given away, tossed, or donated: 10)

Sights
art museums: 6
old cemeteries: 2

The atmospheric Necropolis, Glasgow.

stately homes: 1
sculpture gardens: 1
castles: 1
towers: 1

Stairwell at the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.

MISCELLANEOUS
purchases made at charity shops: 4
pens/markers purchased: 4
books purchased (and then left behind): 4
post office visits: 4
hair salon visits: 1

Sitting in the bay window of the Edinburgh flat, after my haircut.

SIM cards purchased: 1 for each of us
art prints purchased: 1
ceilidhs attended: 1

5 responses on “Scotland in numbers

    • Definitely — and it’s a real comfort as we travel to remember how lost I felt in the first couple of weeks in Edinburgh, compared to how my fondness for the place now. :)

  1. Love your hair, love the photos, and I totally need a “there’s cake in here” sign outside of our apartment. Brilliant. ;)

    • Thank you, Mo!! The hair salon did free fringe (bangs… nothing to do with the Fringe festival, hehe) trims but I didn’t have a chance to stop in before we left, so now I need an Icelandic haircut. ;)

      As for the cake shop, OMG, you would have loved it on so many levels. They had such gorgeous cakes and tarts, and they displayed them in an old armoire with shelves, and when they brought me my tea it was in a lovely little old cup and saucer and they gave me an old-fashioned metal Thermos full of hot water. If we’d stayed in Edinburgh longer I might have made a regular habit of going there!

  2. Pingback: Iceland in numbers | satsumabug.com·

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