what i did and what i wore: scotland

03: my edinburgh and highlands itinerary and the outfits i packed for it

I’ll be honest, Scotland wasn’t my first choice when planning my months-long trip abroad. The first time I went, I did a day trip from Edinburgh seven or eight years ago with my now husband when I was visiting him and his family in England - and I kind of hated it. Coming from LA, I really didn’t know how to pack for really cold weather so I was freezing. And as some do with cities they visit for the first time, we tackled the obvious spots — basically all the tourist traps on the hop on, hop off tour bus. Looking back, I see why that first trip to Scotland was less than ideal. I didn’t do it right — both in how I packed and how I planned. So when my younger cousin declared that her only priority on our mother-daughter trip was to visit Scotland, I knew I had to approach it differently this time.

And because I did, I enjoyed it so much better. And if you’re a fan of fantasy, books and nature, like my cousin is, I think you’ll love it, too. With its majestic castles and historical buildings, hidden little alleyways and dark, gray skies (which all serves as inspiration for Harry Potter, by the way) you feel like you’re in a storybook. There are so many small, independent bookshops to get lost in. And of course, when you drive outside of the city, you are met with gorgeous green landscapes and vast, beautiful lochs — many of which were used to film movies and shows like Outlander, Game of Thrones (!!), James Bond, and of course, the Harry Potter series.

Below, I’m sharing the itinerary of our three-day trip and what I packed for it in my carry-on suitcase.