Visit Edinburgh
A tour through the main attractions of the historic Scottish capital
Written by an Edinburgh-based journalist, this details all the must-see sights, best restaurants, and looks at the key festivals.
Edinburgh was built to impress. It’s a peacock of a city, boasting some of the best sightseeing in Europe. On arrival in the Scottish capital, a thousand years of history is waiting to bowl you over. Your first glimpse is something you’ll never forget. At every corner you’re hit by another panoramic view, another interesting architectural feature, or yet another monument to Scotland’s bloody and wonderfully rich past.
THE TOUR
Head for Princes Street in the city centre. On one side you look up to the 11th century castle and the medieval Old Town; right in front of you is Princes Street Gardens and the towering Gothic monument to one of Scotland’s bards, Sir Walter Scott, and you’re standing on the main shopping avenue in Edinburgh.
Beyond lie the domes and classical columns of the elegant 18th century Georgian ‘New Town’ where private schools, private clubs and private gardens are the order of the day. Edinburgh, you see, is a very ‘private’ city. Private, conservative, and very, very classy.
Arriving in Edinburgh is like entering a stage set. Very, very few cities in the world can match its drama. It’s got everything: hills, extinct volcanoes, the sea, mountains, beaches, spectacular bridges, canals, rivers, docks and superb architecture. With just under half a million inhabitants, it’s a compact yet cosmopolitan metropolis. Just the right size to negotiate on foot, and perfect for a city break.
Most visitors start their explorations at the Castle which offers far more than a superb vantage point over the city’s soaring spires and rooftops. Here you find gory dungeons, military museums, a 12th century chapel, and the usual array of historic Halls and crenellated towers. Then you can ooh and aah over the ‘Honours of Scotland’ – the oldest regalia in Europe .
While the castle stands at one end of the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace - the Queen’s official residence in Scotland - sits at the other. Close to the Palace is the new Scottish parliament, and Dynamic Earth – an interactive science museum with a geological bent. Climb the path that leads you from just outside Dynamic Earth along the base of the red cliffs and onto the 822ft tufted turf summit of Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh's volcanic icon. There you get a superb view over the Pentland Hills, the Firth of Forth and the coast of Fife. The walk feels like a remote trek through the Highlands, complete with lochs and wildlife, yet it lies within the very heart of Edinburgh
Along your mile walk from the Castle to the Palace you’ll come across a series of ‘wynds’ (alleys) and numerous medieval houses which today serve as home to some of the city’s quirky museums. Two not to miss are the Museum of Childhood and the ‘People’s Story’.
While walking is the best way to see the Old Town, an open-topped double-decker bus tour will help negotiate the New Town. From your perch you can enjoy neo-Classical architecture at its finest. The National Trust for Scotland has decked out no. 7 Charlotte Square exactly as it was in 1796.
DON'T MISS....
After 44 years of state duties the Royal Yacht Britannia is now moored in her retirement in Edinburgh's port of Leith.
In the visitor centre you see royal-family-album shots and film clips of numerous voyages, from honeymoons to the handover of Hong Kong. Then it’s all aboard to see the royal beds (yes, singles; separate rooms), the portable Rolls-Royce Phantom, and the surprisingly naff 1950s furniture. There are many odd things on board that have you questioning even further the sanity of the British royal family, but perhaps the prize goes to the stuffed wombat in the officers' mess that the chaps used to lob into the fan for amusement, handing the then-mutilated beast to the ship's doctor for repairs!
The Edinburgh Festival is a generic term used to describe the cultural explosion of top world-class talent that takes place in the Scottish capital in August each year during the biggest Arts festival in the world. No matter what your interest: music, ballet, modern dance, poetry, rock music, comedy, satire, classical theatre, jazz, film, TV, literature, sculpture…you will find it here.
Come this time of year and you can enjoy the famous Edinburgh Hogmanay – the biggest New Year’s party in the world that dominates the city centre. More info.
It’s a city full of surprises, but here’s one that nobody can believe - despite the fact that many people think Scotland is permanently living in a cloud of rain, Edinburgh in fact has half the rainfall of Rome !
For tourist information on the city click here.
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