Edinburgh, Scotland
Home to scholars, authors, philosophers as well as murderers, Edinburgh is an ancient metropolis similar no other. Built at the base of operations of a volcano, Scotland’s working capital alphabetic lineament boasts a black & twisted history.
Edinburgh has rapidly go a vibrant hub of art, theatre, as well as inventiveness inwards recent years, with cracking festivals as well as events taking over the basis stage.
You tin also grab a glimpse of every century on every street inwards Edinburgh. It’s similar walking into ane of your favorite books.
From the Royal Mile to Arthur’s Seat, a stroll through the metropolis volition accept you lot time-traveling through Scotland, with medieval architecture as well as black alleyways total of rich history…
The metropolis powerfulness seem minor at first, but ane time you lot start exploring, you’ll rapidly realize simply how many cool things in that location are to produce inwards Edinburgh!
I’ve traveled to Edinburgh multiple times now, as well as it’s go ane of my favorite international cities.
Edinburgh Highlights Map
How To Use This Map
Above you’ll honour a map of highlights inwards Edinburgh. Click on the top left of the map to honour dissever layers mark a route or points of interest. You tin cover as well as demo dissimilar layers, or click icons on the map to come across the names of places I cry inwards this locomote guide. “Star” the map to salvage it to your ain Google Maps, or opened upwards the map inwards a novel window for a larger version. Enjoy!
Best Things To Do In Edinburgh For 2019
1. Visit Edinburgh Castle
Overlooking the entire city, the world-famous Edinburgh Castle is the most iconic historic site inwards Scotland.
With parts of this magnificent edifice dating dorsum to the twelfth century, it’s clear to come across why it was voted equally the top UK Heritage Attraction inwards the British Travel Awards as well as is Scotland’s release ane paid-for tourist attraction.
Not alone tin you lot accept a guided or sound tour of the castle as well as it’s dramatic history, but you lot tin also see the National War Museum where you lot volition uncovering 400 years of Scotland at state of war through personal accounts, military machine artifacts, as well as treasured collections.
On top of that, the castle is also habitation to the oldest crown jewels inwards the British Isles, therefore acquire ready to lose runway of fourth dimension inwards this historic wonderland!
2. Walk The Royal Mile
When you’ve finished admiring the history as well as grandeur of Edinburgh Castle, caput on downwards the street as well as walk the Royal Mile.
The Royal Mile is considered the historic pump of Edinburgh. H5N1 cobblestoned street lined with ancient taverns, cathedrals, parliament, shops, as well as the black narrow alleyways that helped inspire Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous mass The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde.
The route connects 2 royal residences Edinburgh Castle as well as the palace of Holyrood House, with tons of interesting things to produce as well as come across along the way.
Buy yourself a traditional Scottish kilt, or halt into the Scotch Whisky Experience to acquire virtually (and gustation of course!) a broad diversity of flavors from dissimilar parts of the country.
My personal favorite is Laphroaig, a single-malt peaty flavored whisky from Islay.
3. Eat Some Sheep Guts!
Haggis is a savory pudding of Scottish origin, containing sheep’s heart, liver, as well as lungs, minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, as well as salt, traditionally encased inwards the animal’s stomach. Still feeling hungry?
The traditional means to consume this classic Scottish dish is with sides of “neeps & tatties” (turnips as well as potatoes).
In other parts of Scotland, you’ll honour traditional ‘salt & vinegar’ when you lot walk into a local takeaway, but Edinburgh locals select to go downwards the ‘salt & sauce’ route. Nobody actually knows what season the sauce is, but apparently, you lot can’t go for fish as well as chips without it!
Last but non least, Deep Fried Mars Bars. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, as well as ane time you’ve tried it I am sure you lot volition happily knock that ane off your bucket listing as well as never experience the postulate to produce it again…
4. Ghost Hunting In Graveyards
If alone the dead could talk. Well inwards Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery they non alone speak to you, but volition also bite, kick, as well as strangle you!
Regarded equally ane of the most haunted places inwards the world, Greyfriars holds virtually 400,000 corpses piled into the shape of a loma overlooking the city.
It’s literally a mount of bodies, as well as many of these people did non buy the farm well… some weren’t fifty-fifty dead yet when they were buried here!
George MacKenzie is the most famous as well as “active” resident, nicknamed the MacKenzie Poltergeist. He’s been known to campaign bruises, burns, scratches, as well as fifty-fifty broken bones on his living victims!
There conduct keep been 450 documented attacks — it’s a ghost hunter’s paradise.
Another notorious cemetery is Canongate Graveyard, where you’ll honour the resting identify of some of the city’s most famous figures, including David Rizzio, the lover of Mary Queen of Scots. Or fifty-fifty James Douglas, third Marquess of Queensberry – the infamous Cannibal of the Canongate.
5. Celebrate At Hogmanay
The Scottish sure enough know how to throw a party, therefore in that location is no improve identify to band inwards the novel year. Forget virtually novel years eve, the Hogmanay celebrations accept over the metropolis for three total days of spectacular events, cracking music as well as amazing crowds from every corner of the globe.
Grab a firelit torch as well as bring together inwards with the thousands of annual marchers who take to the streets or marvel over the incredible fireworks as well as alive music at Edinburgh Castle.
The famous procession is led yesteryear a burly squad of Shetland Up Helly Aa’ Vikings wielding flaming sticks. Behind them, 8,500 others demeanour torches made from burlap & beeswax. It’s quite a show!
And if you lot experience the postulate to re-energize after the madness? Spend the get-go twenty-four hr menses of the novel yr leaping into the freezing waters of the River Forth for the Loony Dook! It’s a fleck crazy, but tons of fun.
6. The Fringe Festival
Edinburgh is known internationally equally the Festival City, with eleven major events taking identify throughout the year. Five of these events accept identify inwards the calendar month of August, transforming the metropolis into ane large street party!
One of the most famous of them all is the Fringe Festival – The world’s largest arts festival which attracts thousands of performers to accept to hundreds of stages all over the city.
This yr in that location were over 3,548 shows taking identify inwards 317 venues throughout the city, therefore you lot may honour it a fiddling hard to figure out where to begin. I would recommend starting your Fringe adventure at the Pleasance.
7. Free Harry Potter Walking Tour
There are normal Edinburgh walking tours if you lot are interested inwards learning virtually the city, but if you lot desire to acquire to a greater extent than virtually a specific character… Harry Potter to survive exact, therefore where improve than the birthplace of this world-famous book!
The Potter Trail volition give you lot your ain wand when you lot bring together your robed guide on a journeying to uncovering the magical locations that inspired many characters as well as scenes.
Not alone volition you lot grab a glimpse of where JK Rowling wrote the books, but you’ll also come across where Lord Voldemort is buried, accept a trip downwards Diagon Alley, as well as conduct keep a conduct a opportunity to survive sorted exterior the schoolhouse which inspired Hogwarts.
The best purpose virtually this tour is that it’s completely gratuitous of charge!
8. Hike Up Calton Hill
If you’re a lensman looking for a cracking persuasion of the city, this is my favorite spot for sunrise inwards Edinburgh if you’re lucky with clear skies!
Located simply yesteryear the East halt of Prince’s Street, Calton Hill is habitation to many monuments similar the National Monument Of Scotland, the Nelson Monument, the Dugald Stewart Monument, as well as the City Observatory.
The Scottish Government itself is located at the base of operations of the loma at St. Andrew’s House. The loma is also used for special events throughout the year, similar the Beltane Fire Festival held on Apr 30th.
Just know the loma has a reputation for seedy characters as well as the occasional crime. So I’d recommend visiting with to a greater extent than than ane person, as well as non tardily at night!
9. Royal Military Tattoo
Edinburgh’s Royal Military Tattoo attracts to a greater extent than than 1,200 performers from over 48 countries, therefore you lot tin survive sure to await a world-renowned experience similar no other.
Showcasing the talents of military machine bands as well as performers from every corner of the globe, the Tattoo has been televised inwards to a greater extent than than xl countries, with an annual television receiver audience of over 100 ane 1000 m viewers.
These incredible performances hap every weekday eve as well as twice on Saturdays throughout August.
The whole matter is laid inwards ane of the most incredible venues of all time, Edinburgh Castle, therefore zip beats watching it inwards person! Tickets sell out fast, therefore I’d recommend booking them inwards advance earlier your trip.
10. Explore Creepy Underground Vaults
Edinburgh is good known for its black as well as twisted yesteryear — habitation to some of the most haunted places inwards the world. The narrow streets of the city’s old town supply the perfect setting for stories of cannibals, torso snatchers, as well as ghosts.
But what lies below is fifty-fifty to a greater extent than terrifying! Beneath the streets of Edinburgh lies a maze of creepy underground tunnels as well as vaults that were ane time used for untold horrors — robberies, torture as well as murder.
The vaults were ane time a haven for the poorest of Edinburgh’s citizens, equally good equally a hideout for criminals.
After getting unopen off with rubble to deter their use, some of these long-forgotten underground passageways were excavated as well as opened for spooky underground tours.
11. Climb The Scott Monument
The iconic Scott Monument is amidst the largest monuments to a author anywhere inwards the basis as well as is undoubtedly ane of the get-go things you lot volition come across on your arrival inwards Edinburgh.
Standing tall inwards the pump of the city, the monument was created after the decease of Sir Walter Scott inwards 1832.
Make sure to convey your camera, because each of the 4 floors gives you lot incredible panoramic views over Edinburgh, alone getting improve with each stair that you lot climb.
Delve into the history of Scott, ane of Edinburgh’s finest writers, inwards the monument’s Museum Room on the get-go floor, or inwards The Writers’ Museum nearby, which is gratuitous from Wed to Sunday.
12. Visit Camera Obscura
Waiting inwards business exterior Camera Obscura you’ll honour excited children ready to dive into an array of illusions, tricks, as well as puzzles.
But you’ll also honour a bunch of over-excited, fully grown photographers who come upwards for the Camera Obscura itself, a Victorian invention that eventually led to the modern camera.
In 1850s Edinburgh, moving painting palace hadn’t been invented yet, but the locals were left speechless yesteryear Maria Short as well as her life-like moving pictures of the city.
A lot has changed since then, but the squad at Camera Obscura are even therefore collaborating with artists, inventors, as well as technical wizards, to convey you lot fifty-fifty farther into their basis of wonder as well as delight.
13. Catch H5N1 Show At Bedlam Theatre
Scotland’s Bedlam Theatre edifice houses the oldest student-run house inwards Britain. It was named after the Bedlam Mental Institute that used to survive nearby.
Once the New North Free Church built inwards 1849, it was eventually given to Edinburgh University who turned it into a fun ninety topographic point pupil house to perform plays as well as improv comedy.
If you’d similar a fiddling dose of local Scottish comedy piece you’re visiting, this is the identify to be. When Edinburgh University is inwards session, you lot tin grab The Improverts every Fri black at 10:30pm.
14. Go Skiing Or Snowboarding?!
If you lot are looking for something a fiddling to a greater extent than adventurous to acquire your adrenaline pumping, hop on a motorcoach out to the Midlothian Snowsports Centre, assault the hillside of Pentland Hills Regional Park.
As Britain’s biggest artificial ski slope, they’ve got something for everyone, with 2 primary slopes, three beginner slopes, as well as freestyle features.
If you’ve never skied before, but are upwards for the challenge, start with some lessons as well as run your means upwards to the primary slopes. You tin ever simply ride the chairlift upwards likewise for the spectacular views or walk across the Pentland Hills.
15. Scottish National Galleries
Located inwards the pump of Edinburgh, the Scottish National Galleries are habitation to some of the best collections of fine as well as modern fine art inwards the world, including masterpieces yesteryear Botticelli, Raphael, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Monet, as well as Van Gogh, with many others.
If that wasn’t enough, the galleries themselves are some of Scotland’s most beautiful buildings, with neoclassical architecture dating dorsum to the 1820’s.
The Scottish National Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art as well as the Portrait Gallery are the perfect locations to acquire lost inwards on a rainy twenty-four hr menses inwards Edinburgh, with endless fine art collections, exhibitions, as well as events taking identify every week.
16. Unwind In H5N1 Famous Bookshop
Edinburgh is habitation to some of the most famous authors of all time, therefore it’s no surprise that the metropolis became the world’s get-go UNESCO City of Literature dorsum inwards 2004.
With Edinburgh Castle equally the backdrop, it’s clear to come across how storytellers such equally J.K Rowling, Robert Louis Stevenson, as well as Iain Banks constitute inspiration inwards this historical city.
Head downwards to the famous Armchair Books or ‘McNaughtan’s Bookshop & Gallery’, grab a book, honour a serenity corner, a comfy couch as well as you lot are laid for a twenty-four hr menses of delving into the minds as well as imaginations of Edinburgh’s finest authors.
17. Cycle From City To Sea
Although Edinburgh is known for its dramatic landscape as well as incredible architecture, you’ll honour some of the most breathtaking views equally you lot wander beyond the metropolis boundaries.
Pick upwards a rental bike inwards the metropolis pump as well as create your means through Stockbridge as well as Leith, downwards the course of written report of the Union Canal river.
You’ll acquire to experience the Scottish scenery many tourists missy out on during their fourth dimension inwards Edinburgh.
Make sure to halt off inwards ane of the many towns along the means such equally the ancient Dean Village, as well as warm upwards with a squeamish loving cup of coffee, earlier hitting the fresh seaside breeze.
18. Hike Up Arthur’s Seat
This historic metropolis is also a fitness junkie’s dream, with mountains, forests, seaside escapes as well as erstwhile active volcanoes on its doorstep. Just minutes away from Edinburgh metropolis center, is the famous Arthur’s Seat.
As you lot climb to the top, the basalt stone below your feet is a constant reminder that this incredible loma was ane time inundation with lava to a greater extent than than 350 ane 1000 m years ago.
At a superlative of 251 meters, Arthur’s Seat looks out over the city, providing some of the best views of the Castle as well as the Old as well as New Towns.
It is a moderate hike, with dissimilar routes depending on the grade of difficulty you lot want, therefore fifty-fifty if you lot don’t conduct keep a lot of experience, it’s definitely worth the trek. If you lot project design your climb for a clear day, you lot tin fifty-fifty grab a glimpse of the highlands inwards Northern Scotland.
19. Royal Yacht Britannia
Once you lot conduct keep explored the metropolis center, it’s fourth dimension to delve into some of the incredible local neighborhoods! Ask whatever of the locals as well as they volition quest you lot inwards the administration of Leith, Edinburgh’s creative, various as well as buzzing waterfront town.
It is believed that this hotspot is habitation to some of the best culinary experiences inwards Scotland, as well as is renowned for its traditional pubs, seafood bistros, galleries, as well as thrift shops.
While you’re there, accept a walk along the riverside as well as you lot volition uncovering the award-winning Royal Yacht Britannia – the erstwhile floating residence to Her Majesty The Queen as well as the Royal Family for over xl years, which has sailed over 1,000,000 miles around the world.
20. Pink Flowers At The Meadows
Located beside Edinburgh University’s primal campus, The Meadows are famous amidst the locals for existence the go-to spot to relax as well as unwind inside the hustle as well as bustle of the metropolis center.
On a warm outflow or summer’s day, this large greenish infinite is filled with students, families as well as tourists all soaking inwards the beauty of pinkish cherry blossoms equally they come upwards into bloom.
Soon after, the pinkish petals commence to autumn as well as scatter themselves similar a blanket roofing the Meadows.
If you’re planning your trip to Edinburgh afterward inwards the year, autumn is simply equally beautiful equally the greenish leaves that business the avenues transform into many dissimilar shades of cherry equally they railroad train for the wintertime snow.
21. Grab H5N1 Slice In Civerinos
Just a stone’s throw from The Meadows, you lot volition honour a fiddling pizza articulation with a large crowd. Civerinos seems to survive everyone’s favorite ‘neighborhood pizza bar’.
They sell yesteryear the slice, but if you’re actually feeling similar you lot desire to acquire out inwards a nutrient coma, you lot tin endeavour five dissimilar varieties as well as acquire the sixth piece for free.
My personal recommendation would survive the classic Civerinos Slice or the Menace to Society, but they are ever adding novel additions to the carte du jour therefore you lot never know what to expect!
Where To Stay In Edinburgh
Although Edinburgh is a minor city, in that location is a broad diversity of accommodation available at all cost points. Here are some suggestions for where to remain piece you’re inwards town:
West End Hostel
Clean rooms, goodness breakfast as well as tardily to walk to everything.
Check prices & availability:
Booking.com / TripAdvisor.com
Motel One Edinburgh-Royal
Large rooms, comfortable beds as well as friendly staff. Great location.
Check prices & availability:
Booking.com / TripAdvisor.com
Jurys Inn Edinburgh
Super comfortable hotel inwards the pump of Edinburgh’s Old Town
Check prices & availability:
Booking.com / TripAdvisor.com
Principal Charlotte Square
Luxurious interiors as well as splendid nutrient inwards metropolis centre location.
Check prices & availability:
Booking.com / TripAdvisor.com
Edinburgh Travel Tips & Advice
- Make sure to conduct keep the exact coins ready for your Edinburgh motorcoach trip, equally they produce non give you lot change. Unlike some of the other shipping methods, you lot can’t pay yesteryear depository fiscal establishment card or smartphone.
- The best fourth dimension to see Edinburgh for sunshine is betwixt May as well as August, with warmer temperatures as well as tons of festivals (especially August for festivals). If you lot see during Dec as well as January, the metropolis is much quieter as well as you lot powerfulness acquire to experience some wintertime snow.
- Scottish pounds are slightly dissimilar to the English linguistic communication version, therefore survive aware that you lot may conduct keep difficulty using Scottish pounds equally currency inwards other parts of the United Kingdom.
- Edinburgh Airport is virtually 35 minutes away from the metropolis center. The easiest means to acquire into the metropolis is yesteryear using the drome Bus (Fare: Single £4.50, render £7.50) or the tram business (single £6.00, render £8.50). They both depart for the metropolis every 10 – xv minutes.
Travel Video: Exploring Spooky Edinburgh
(Click to spotter Spooky Streets of Edinburgh on YouTube)
Packing Guide
Check out my travel gear guide to assist you lot start packing for your trip. Pick upwards a locomote backpack, photographic tv camera gear, as well as other useful locomote accessories.
Book Your Flight
Find inexpensive flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to honour deals on airlines. Also create sure to read how I honour the cheapest flights.
Rent H5N1 Car
Discover Car Hire is a cracking site for comparison machine prices to honour the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.
Book Accommodation
Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read to a greater extent than virtually how I mass inexpensive hotels online.
Protect Your Trip
Don’t forget locomote insurance! I’m a large fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read to a greater extent than virtually why you lot should ever demeanour locomote insurance.
Recommended Guidebook: Lonely Planet Scotland
Suggested Reading: The Ghosts Of Edinburgh
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Any questions virtually things to produce inwards Edinburgh? Do you lot conduct keep other suggestions? Drop me a message inwards the comments below!
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