Edinburgh

A lot of Edinburgh is focused on its medieval centre but our list also goes beyond that too.

This list is drawn from review sites, visitor numbers and our own visits. 

Where relevant we've included some links for booking the following highlights - just use the underlined text.

Castle

Built on top of an extinct volcano, the site was inhabited in the Iron Age and became a Royal Castle under King David I in the twelfth century.  The castle has been besieged twenty-six times, evidencing its role as a stronghold and garrison.  Today it is home to a twelfth-century chapel (the oldest building in Edinburgh), the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels), the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum of Scotland.  Edinburgh Castle.

Arthur's Seat

The hills of Edinburgh are former volcanoes and this is the tallest.  It's a mile to the east of the city and although just 250 metres high it offers great views over Edinburgh, the Firth of Forth and Fife beyond.  It is part of the larger Holyrood Park and offers a relatively easy climb.  There is debate as to whether the name is drawn from the legendary King Arthur or is a corruption of Archer.  Today it is an area of special scientific interest.

Royal Yacht Britannia​

​Queen Elizabeth II utilised Britannia from 1954 to 1997, the yacht clocking over a million miles as it sailed all around the world, visiting 135 countries.  It was designed so it could be converted to a hospital in a war, and as a refuge for the Queen if a nuclear war started - but neither was needed.  The cost of a refit led to the yacht being decommissioned and moored in Leith.

Old Town and the Royal Mile

The Old Town is the original Edinburgh and the Royal Mile is its main street, running downhill from the castle to Holyrood Palace.  The area is known for its cobbled streets, narrow passages and closes, and street names indicative of a different age.  In the area, you'll also find St. Giles Cathedral which has played a significant role through the years, including as the final resting place in Scotland of Queen Elizabeth II.

National Museum of Scotland

This site combines the original Royal Scottish Museum with a modern building housing the Museum of Scotland.  As a result whilst there is a large focus on Scottish history and archaeology, there is plenty of scope for broader collections from around the world.  Notable Scottish items include the Lewis chessmen, the flags from the battle of Culloden, a Roman helmet from near Melrose and the Galloway hoard of gold and silver.​

Mary King's Close​

As with many older cities, you will find that the modern streets are built upon the older ones - excavations often dig down through the centuries.  In this example, you can see the actual streets as the area was in the seventeenth century.  More than two hundred years ago the area was partly demolished and then covered by the building of the Royal Exchange, only for the old streets to be rediscovered many years later.  And now you can visit Mary King's Close.​

Holyrood Palace

​At the bottom end of the Royal Mile you will find the official Royal residence in Scotland, Holyrood Palace.  Mary Queen of Scots had her apartments here in the sixteenth century and court favourite Rizzio was murdered here in her reign.  Mary also had one of her weddings at the Palace.  It lost Royal favour after King Charles I but slowly began to become popular again after King George IV's visit in 1822.  Today the monarch stays at Holyrood Palace for Royal Week each year.

​Royal Botanic Gardens

​The gardens date back to 1670 when a physic garden was begun although they enjoyed various locations until arriving at the present site, Inverleith, in the 1820s. Today there is much more than a physic garden with various themed planted areas, the tallest palm house in Scotland, a world-leading herbarium and lots of peaceful walking areas.

​Royal Tattoo and the Edinburgh Fringe

​The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a celebration of military bands and endeavours that takes place on the castle's esplanade each August.  It sees military displays with a focus on marching bands, all finished with a fireworks display and has run since 1949.  It coincides with the Fringe, a now huge festival with up to 4000 distinct shows and around 60000 performances.  It is dominated by comedy but has a huge range of arts included.

Princes Street Gardens

​Over 35 acres in size, the gardens are to the north of Edinburgh castle and sit to the south of Princes Street.  Originally most of this area was the Nor Loch, a marshy area that formed part of the natural defences but then became full of waste, sewage and even corpses.  It was drained in the 1820s.  Today formal gardens, statues and performance areas attract thousands, offering a green boundary between Old Town and New Town.

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