6 Days in Edinburgh: Packing Report

In my suitcase
Clothes, shoes, and accessories:
4 tops/tees (1 navy, 1 white, 1 berry, 1 striped), all with three-quarter sleeves
1 multicolor woven (by me) scarf
2 pairs Nine West dark-denim-wash jeggings
1 pair Eddie Bauer navy ponte knit pants
3 pairs Bali Comfort Revolution undies
2 Hanes pullover bras and 1 set removable cups/pads
5 pairs no-slip sneaker socks
2 pairs long-sleeve cotton pajamas
1 pair ballet-style slippers
Navy hooded rain parka with zip-out quilted vest
Navy ankle-strap Mary Jane flats
A midge net

Electronics:
Cord and charger
1 UK plug adapter

Stash of gluten-free food:
Package of Schar deli-style sourdough bread (5 slices)
Yumbutter almond butter tubes
Miso Cup instant miso soup packets
Instant oatmeal packets
Snack-size trail mix packets
Soft-baked almond flour breakfast bars

Miscellaneous:
A few laundry detergent strips for hand-washing clothes in the sink

In my “personal item” tote
Clothes and accessories:
1 berry short-sleeve tee
1 pair undies
1 berry small pashmina
Backup pair of eyeglasses (my computer glasses)
2 pairs small silver hoop earrings

Electronics and other stuff:
Day bag (empty)
iPhone
iPad Mini
Cord and charger
Phonesuit power bank
1 UK plug adapter
Trtl neck pillow
Eye mask
Earplugs
Vapur roll-up water bottle
Wide-tooth shower comb
Battery-powered Sonicare toothbrush
Mini stick deodorant
1 packet each instant oatmeal and trail mix

In the quart-size Ziploc “3-1-1” bag:
Tube of Weleda Skin Food cream
Tube of tinted sunscreen/moisturizer
Small atomizer of rose water
Small tube of toothpaste

Worn en route
Uniqlo navy three-quarter sleeve tee
Vintage Vera raspberry/plum/white patterned scarf
Karen Scott navy ponte knit pants
Fleece zip-front berry heather jacket from Duluth Trading Co.
Navy Hotter sneakers
No-slip sneaker socks
Undies
Another pullover bra with removable cups/pads

MVPs of this trip:
My computer glasses—a last-minute addition that came to my rescue when I discovered that my progressives weren’t giving me clear distance vision. (Yes, I scheduled an eye exam as soon as I got home.) They served me well for everything except the really distant focal points; on my day trip to the Highlands I had some eyestrain and a mild headache after looking at mountains in the distance for hours.

Hooded rain parka—I had two days of warm, sunny weather and then four days of more typical Scottish weather, so I was wearing my parka nearly all the time. And the zip-out vest looked fairly stylish on its own, so I wore it over my tee when I went out to dinner.

Fleece zip-front jacket—This worked well as outerwear when the sun was shining and as an extra warm layer under the parka when it was rainy and windy.

Shoes I bought, not packed—At the Hotter shoe shop in Edinburgh I bought a pair of navy lightweight hiking sneakers with a Gore-Tex lining. I bought them on the last sunny day and wore them every day after that, and on the plane ride home. They kept my feet dry in the daily downpours. I wouldn’t have enjoyed my trip nearly as much with constantly wet feet!

Turned out not to need:
One of the 2 pairs of pants—I wore each pair of the ponte knit pants only once, so I could have just worn the slightly more comfortable pair (Eddie Bauers with a side zip) and left the other one home.

Trtl neck pillow—I splurged on this in the hope that it would enable me to get some sleep on the overnight flight, but it didn’t. Maybe I should have invested some time practicing with it at home first, using it for naps on the couch.

Eye mask and earplugs—I couldn’t locate them in my tote, so I used the ones Delta provided. And I really couldn’t sleep on the plane, as usual, so it didn’t matter how effective they were.

UK plug adapters—My hotel room and the Discover Scotland coach had USB outlets for charging my phone and iPad, and I had no other appliances to plug in (the hotel room had a hair dryer).

Midge net—I spent only one day in the Highlands, and it was either raining and windy or warm and sunny all day, so I had no encounters with the dreaded wee midgies.

Would bring next time:
A larger-capacity power bank for my phone—I needed something with more juice than my little Phonesuit could supply, especially when the Rabbie’s coach turned out to have nonfunctioning USB outlets. (The driver let me use the dashboard outlet up front.)

I always read these packing reports and think, am I the only one who brings enough underwear for every day? 😊 underwear just does not take up a lot of space.

Thanks for taking the time to write both reports. I always find the trip report to be a great resource in my trip planning.

Nancy, I loved your trip report and love this! Thanks for the shoutout, ha ha!!! Glad your undies worked!

And I like your crossbody bag - I love LL Bean stuff! Did you wind up unzipping the zipper a lot?

ETA: I finally gave up on neck pillows - none of them work for me and I wind up sleepless and stuck with a pillow. Last year I left it on the seat of the plane. I'm thinking next time I might put some soft clothes in a small pillowcase and try that. At least it won't cost me any money.

Not once did I unzip it, Mardee! One thing that I packed and forgot to mention is a reusable grocery tote. I used that to carry whatever I bought, so there was no need to expand my Bean bag.

Thanks for posting this! I'm heading to Scotland Aug 2nd and these reviews are so helpful for my packing list.

@ExcitedTraveller: Happy to help! I’m excited for you—less than a month till you’re in Scotland! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Another item I forgot to mention—one that I bought for the trip but decided to leave home: Eddie Bauer Stowaway packable backpack. There wasn’t quite enough room for it in my suitcase (maybe because I had to accommodate a stash of gluten-free food). As it turned out, I didn’t need it, so leaving it behind was a good decision. I can see myself using it at home for trips to the local farmers market, so the purchase wasn’t a waste.

Great detailed packing report! Re: the midge net - At least it weighs next nothing. We actually needed our last year in Glencoe and others in our group bought theirs at a gift shop that we visited for considerably more than we paid for ours at home. I would still recommend bringing it. We have the turtle pillow, too. It was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law which was so sweet and thoughtful of her but we used it once. We simply didn’t want to carry/deal with it and didn’t find it helped us sleep on the plane. Your packing list is about the same as my list for a month with the exception of foodstuffs which I understand you need just in case.

Me, too, Carrie -- "I always read these packing reports and think, am I the only one who brings enough underwear for every day? 😊 underwear just does not take up a lot of space."

I typically follow Sarah Murdoch's advice from: Ultralight Packing: 9 pounds for 11 Days -- https://adventureswithsarah.net/ultralight-packing/?amp=1
On her list is: "7 pairs underwear (yes, 7. A girl must have standards.)" Even my beloved Jockey Elance Breathe French Cut panties weigh less, take up less space and dry faster than my "travel" underwear.

Mary, I agree that the midge net is so small and lightweight that it’s worth packing just in case.

The Baggalini bag looks interesting.

For personal bags, my husband and I have used FUR backpacks from Costco many years ago. I love the many pockets and the inner laptop packet. The packs are indestructable---I also used mine to cart my teaching gear every day. A few times we've had to adjust contents so they would fit under the seats---they really hold a lot (too much---we are lucky to have gotten away with them on so many flights). However, because we generally pack them so full (on the trip home), they are heavy and bulkier to carry than we should use. Our daughter (who travelled with us last year, and will this year) has demanded that we get different packs. She says that even she---at half our age---would not be carrying them (although she often took one from us last year because she did not want us to carry).

So, I'm on the lookout for a new bag. I ordered the RS Ravenna Day Pack, which looks about the same size as the Baggalini. It should arrive soon. However, I'm still looking at options. I know it will be difficult to settle for less space. I had decided that I should get a backpack that also has a sleeve for the carryon handle. I see that you checked luggage so I guess you did not have to worry about attaching the Baggalini to your suitcase. I do like the look of the Baggalini.

Has anyone used a bag they like with a sleeve that slides over the carry-on handle?

This is a great report. Thanks, Nancy.

CanAmCherie, I'm glad you found my report helpful.

You might get more answers to your personal-item question if you make a separate post about it. I searched the Baggallini website for "luggage sleeve" and got a bunch of results. The Overnight Expandable Laptop Tote and the Fifth Avenue Weekender are two I'd take a closer look at if I were looking for another personal-item bag.