Things to Do in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a city rich in history and architecture. From its medieval Old Town to the bustling Georgian New Town, there are plenty of things to see and do in the Scottish capital. The Old Town includes Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile. The castle was recently voted top UK Heritage Attraction in the British Travel Awards and is Scotland’s most popular paid-for tourist attraction. Its story has helped shape the nation’s story. Battles and sieges were fought over it, royalty lived and died within its walls, and countless generations have been inspired by it.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle houses the Crown Jewels of Scotland, together with the Stone of Destiny and other historical artefacts. The castle also features the National War Museum of Scotland, which exhibits over 20,000 objects spread across 36 galleries, including Scottish history, a special children’s zone and the Natural World gallery, which features an awe-inspiring Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is a long street that is exactly one Scots mile in length. The Mile runs through the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, which leads up to Edinburgh Castle. Various attractions such as St Giles’ Cathedral and The Real Mary King’s Close can all be found on the Royal Mile, as well as some of the best eating and drinking spots in the city.

Grassmarket

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, the Grassmarket is one of the most vibrant and bustling areas of the city. The area has some of the best restaurants in Edinburgh as well as lively drinking spots and quirky shops. Once a site for public executions in the 17th century, some of the pubs on Grassmarket, such as The Last Drop and Maggie Dickson’s, keep alive the dark tales of the city’s chequered past.

St Giles’ Cathedral

Over the last hundred years and more, St Giles’ has hosted important events including state occasions and services of national thanksgiving. The Thistle Chapel was designed by Robert Lorimer and finished in 1911. The chapel contains a wealth of detail, both religious and heraldic, and much of it uniquely Scottish, including angels playing bagpipes.

National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum contains artefacts from around the world, covering geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology, art, fashion and world cultures. The museum includes hands-on displays and free daily tours.

The Writer’s Museum

The Writers’ Museum occupies historic Lady Stair’s House, built in 1622 by an Edinburgh merchant burgess. Its name remains associated with Elizabeth, Dowager Countess of Stair; an early 18th century owner. The Writers’ Museum celebrates the lives of three legends of Scottish Literature, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Their stories are told through personal artefacts, portraits, manuscripts and first editions.

Family days out in Edinburgh 

Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World
Visit the world’s longest running indoor butterfly house with hundreds of free flying exotic butterflies in an indoor tropical rainforest.

Edinburgh Dungeons

For those who don’t get scared easily, The Edinburgh Dungeon is the ultimate creepy journey through Edinburgh’s darkest history. The 70-minute interactive walk-through experience uses live actors and theatrical sets.

Walking and Exploring Edinburgh 

Walking in Edinburgh can be a fantastic way to experience the countryside with some magnificent views to go with it. One of the main attractions for walking in Edinburgh is the sleeping volcano Arthur’s Seat. There are various different routes you can take to walk around Arthur’s Seat and up towards the summit. The views from the top are absolutely stunning.

Cramond Island is a beautiful area of Edinburgh for a stroll and if planned carefully, you can walk out to the island when the tide is low and catch the breath-taking sunset before returning. Be sure to check the tide timings before you set off, to ensure you can get back safely.

Calton Hill is a great place for a walk in Edinburgh. A walk up to the top of the hill offers superb 360-degree views of Edinburgh city, showing it in all its glory. Situated on top of Carlton Hill is Nelson Monument, a commemorative tower built in honour of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, the British flag officer in the Royal Navy.

Cycling around Edinburgh 

If you would like to take in the breath-taking views by bike, there is an extensive network of cycle routes in and around Edinburgh that cover the city.

Many people cycle around Holyrood Park where you can find Arthur’s Seat. There are no official off-road bike paths here, but there is a useful shared path that runs alongside part of the Queen’s Drive.

The path follows the road to the west and north passing by the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The path then ends by St Margaret’s Loch. Another is the Innocent Railway Path, which is the longest and most useful of the bike tracks in the south east of the city.
You can reach this path from St Leonard’s Tunnell in the East Parkside off Holyrood Park Road. At first, the path runs gently downhill, before shortly arriving into the city. The path gives access to Jewel Park and Bingham and Brunstane Station.

Photo by Jörg Angeli on Unsplash