Guide to Edinburgh- featuring eco-friendly shops & plant based & vegetarian eats
It’s about “bloody” time I wrote a Guide to Edinburgh! 🤣
My husband, Rob, is Scottish and for the past 10 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to Scotland many times. I fell in love with Edinburgh the moment I arrived and continue to enjoy visiting and exploring the historic city. Luckily, our Scottish family is open to trying all the vegan and vegetarian spots that I find whenever we visit. See below for our favorite activities, places to eat and shop, and where to practice yoga. Edinburgh has it all.
Before I get to my recommendations, I must say that our favorite part of traveling to Scotland and to Edinburgh is visiting our family and friends there. They’re definitely the best part about Scotland.
What to do:
- Walk up the Royal Mile and check out Edinburgh Castle at the top. It’s definitely worth going inside and taking a tour.
- Arthur’s Seat is in Holyrood Park, which is a short walk from the Royal Mile. You can climb Arthur’s Seat for great views of Edinburgh.
- Grassmarket is home to some of my favorite shops and eateries in Edinburgh. It’s so fun to walk around and pop in and out of the shops.
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is lovely. It’s perfect to walk around and learn about the world of plants.
Where to eat:
- The Garden at the Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel
One course of the vegetarian afternoon tea at The Garden.
Rob and I met friends at the Garden Restaurant on my 30th birthday. The menu and décor were delightful and it was the perfect place to celebrate my birthday. I had to take my family there and decided that treating them all to Afternoon Tea as their experiential Christmas gift for 2018 would be lovely. And it was! We had the choice between the regular and vegetarian tea menus. Everyone was beyond pleased with the food and service. The polenta fries on the vegetarian menu stole the show! I highly recommend having a fabulously British tea when in Scotland and the Garden is a great place to go!
Hula Juice Bar is right in the middle of Grassmarket where you can also go to a few other of my favorite Edinburgh spots! Enjoy the gorgeous selection of vegan treats (think Millionaire Shortbread and Chocolate cakes) or avocado toast or, my personal favorite, roasted eggplant and hummus on fresh sourdough. It’s also a plastic-free zone!
I didn’t get a chance to eat here but it looks like a MUST. The menu is strictly vegan and is sure to please everyone in your company (whether vegan/vegetarian or not). The pasta dishes and pizzas look particularly delicious. I hope to make it here the next time we’re in Edinburgh.
Enjoying a green juice at Beetroot Sauvage (in a Brora sweater!).
This vegan restaurant and yoga studio is exactly as advertised: “equal parts healthy and indulgent.” They serve specialty lattes, smoothies, freshly baked scones and other breakfast/brunch options. Lunch options include soups, buddha bowls, mac and cheese and sandwiches. The desserts are definitely worth trying. We were all impressed with the food and atmosphere here. Next time we’re in Edinburgh, I want to try their vegan afternoon tea!
My vegan bowl from Harajuki Kitchen @Stockbridge market (in my own jar!)
There are a few locations for this market and it’s definitely worth going hungry. The food stalls are great (bring your own containers and they’ll happily fill them with the delicious food) and there’s also a great selection of local Scottish artisan goods. I loved the vegan bowl from Harajuku Kitchen and the vegetarian Scotch egg from Scotch & Co. There vegan and non-vegan options so it’s a great destination for everyone.
Where to Shop:
Outside the New Leaf Coop with lots of bulk goods!
The gorgeous bulk spices @ The Refillery.
- Bulk stores: There are so many bulk stores popping up in Edinburgh and I always love to check them out and stock up on food to snack on for my trip and for the flight home! I love New Leaf Coop, The Refillery, and The Eco Larder. Weigh To Go is another one that looks great.
In Brora head to toe!
Brora is my absolute favorite designer and one look at the shop’s windows or the website showcases why! Its most famous for its luxurious cashmere clothing and I was initially attracted to it because it’s a sustainable fashion brand that makes timeless pieces. I had the pleasure of meeting Victoria Stapleton, the founder and Creative Director of Brora, in New York. She walked me through the store and described the process of designing and creating the clothes. I was so impressed with the care, attention and passion that goes into each and every Brora piece. Victoria told us that she creates clothing that you wear for 30+ years. In an age of fast fashion, it’s so refreshing to hear that! You must stop by the Brora store in Edinburgh (there’s also one in the airport! Just don’t miss your flight while browsing!).
- The Edinburgh Natural Skincare Co.
If you’re looking for divine, high quality skincare Natural Skincare Edinburgh delivers. The best part: the products are vegan, organic and packaged in containers that you can return to the store! My personal favorite is the anti-aging oil and the hand lotion bar.
- Harvey Nichols is a famous department store in Edinburgh and lovely to walk around. There’s a nice restaurant on the fourth floor with great views of the city.
Where to Practice Yoga:
I attended the hot yoga Christmas eve flow in 2018 and it was fantastic. Although I fell asleep in shavasana (I’ve never down that before!), it was the perfect way to start off my vacation and get rid of my jet lag. I always feel so much better when I maintain some activity when I travel.
There are three locations for Tribe Yoga and I’ve practiced at the New Town location. I loved the classes I took and it’s conveniently located- it’s perfect to practice and then head to Brora and Hendersons.
This is another great yoga studio that offers many different types of classes, including Ashtanga, pre- and post-natal yoga, vinyasa flows and restorative practices.
I hope that you love Edinburgh as much as we do. We’ll continue to update this Guide!