We spent the New Year in Edinburgh with friends. Edinburgh is so pretty to look at and so different to England. The climate cooler, the winter light shorter. the building’s stone is darker and the architecture unique.

On New Year’s Eve day, we climbed Arthur’s Seat, the weather was mild and the path was muddy. It was fun and easy, a nice walk so close to town. The peak is an ancient volcano within Holyrood Park with an elevation of 251 metres.

We celebrated that night at the “street party” with Edinburgh Castle looming over us. The fireworks at midnight, though not long, were a spectacular sight erupting from the 12th century structure.

On New Year’s Day, we woke early and drove to Portobello Beach to jump in the Firth of Forth as a celebratory way to start 2023. It was bloody freezing but short lived, therefore completely doable. The water was about 8c (46f) with an outside temperature of 4c (39f.) I’m so glad we didn’t falter in our plans despite our fatigue from lack of sleep, it felt liberating. In the past I had done this polar bear dip with a nice warm up 5k run, but circumstance did not allow for it this time around. Imagine 5 people running at the sea, charging and screaming. It was exhilarating.

We left town in the afternoon by train back to London. Train travel feels so civilised. No security, no one checking tickets until an hour into the ride, carry what bags you like and store them as you wish. I love that you can walk up and down the aisles and can grab some food when you feel like it. You can request a table seat which can be shared with 4 people, to play a game, have a conversation or eat a meal. Watching the scenery go by is a pleasant way to pass time too. No wonder it is so established in this part of the world, the ease of it makes it my preferred travel method. It’s a wonder to me that some places, like the US, haven’t invested in it. We used Lumo Trains this time around – it was an all electric service, amazing!