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Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a stone city built on old volcanoes, where a castle sits on a rock above the main street and every walk ends with a view.

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Photo: Matti Blume / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and one of the most dramatic cities in Europe to arrive in. The castle stands on the plug of an extinct volcano, the medieval Old Town runs down a ridge behind it, and across a valley of gardens lies the New Town, a planned grid of Georgian streets laid out in the eighteenth century. Together the two have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. This is also the city of the Scottish Enlightenment, of Hume and Adam Smith, of Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, and today of the Scottish Parliament and several universities. It is home to around half a million people, and students make up a large and visible part of daily life. For a visitor, the appeal is that it feels like a capital but walks like a town: you can climb a hill in the morning, see a museum at lunchtime and be in a pub by evening without ever taking a bus. The pub culture is warm, conversation comes easily, and in August the whole city turns into the largest arts festival in the world, which makes it one of the easiest places anywhere to meet strangers.

Places to visit

Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile

The castle sits on Castle Rock at the top of the Old Town and has been a royal fortress, a prison and a barracks over its long history. Inside you can see the Scottish crown jewels, the Stone of Destiny and St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building in the city. From the castle gate the Royal Mile runs downhill to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, lined with closes, narrow alleys that drop steeply between tall stone tenements. Explore a few of the closes rather than staying on the main street; that is where the old city still feels like itself.

Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park

A wild, hilly park right next to the city centre, with the summit of an ancient volcano at its heart. The climb to the top of Arthur's Seat takes around an hour from the foot of the Royal Mile, and the view covers the whole city, the Firth of Forth and the hills of Fife. Easier paths lead along Salisbury Crags, the red cliffs that face the Old Town. Wear proper shoes, as the upper paths are steep and slippery after rain, and bring a layer, because the summit is windy in any season.

Calton Hill

A smaller hill at the east end of Princes Street, crowned with an unfinished replica of the Parthenon, a tower in the shape of a telescope built to honour Admiral Nelson, and a circular monument that appears in countless photographs of the city. It takes ten minutes to walk up from the street, and the view from the top takes in the castle, the Old Town, Arthur's Seat and the sea. It is the city's favourite place to watch the sunset, and on clear evenings the slopes fill with people.

The New Town and Dean Village

North of Princes Street Gardens, the New Town is a calm grid of elegant streets, crescents and private gardens built in honey-coloured stone. George Street is lined with shops and bars, while the smaller lanes behind it are quiet and residential. Walk west and downhill to Dean Village, a former milling hamlet in a steep, wooded valley on the Water of Leith, where old stone buildings sit right on the river. It feels like the countryside, ten minutes from the centre.

National Museum of Scotland

A huge museum in two connected buildings, one a Victorian hall of glass and cast iron, the other a modern sandstone building with collections on Scottish history from prehistoric times to the present. Entry to the permanent collections is free, which makes it easy to visit for an hour at a time. Do not miss the roof terrace, reached by lift, which has one of the best free views of the Old Town and the castle.

Leith and the Shore

Edinburgh's old port, once a separate town, is now one of the liveliest parts of the city. Along the Shore, where the Water of Leith meets the harbour, former warehouses have become restaurants and bars, and the area has some of the best seafood in Scotland. Leith has a younger, less polished feel than the centre and a strong local identity. The tram now runs here directly from the city centre, and the former royal yacht Britannia is moored nearby as a museum.

Where to go out

The August festivals

Every August, Edinburgh hosts several festivals at once. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world, with thousands of comedy, theatre, music and dance shows in every possible venue, from large halls to the back rooms of pubs. Alongside it run the Edinburgh International Festival, founded in 1947, and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the castle esplanade. The streets are packed, flyers are pressed into your hands, and talking to strangers in a queue is completely normal. Book accommodation very early.

Pubs and traditional music

The pub is the centre of social life in Edinburgh, and many of the old ones in the Old Town, the Grassmarket and the New Town have barely changed in a century. Several pubs host regular traditional music sessions where fiddlers, guitarists and singers sit around a table and play for anyone who wants to listen. It is free, informal and one of the easiest ways to end up in conversation with locals.

Ceilidh dancing

A ceilidh is a Scottish social dance evening with live music, where a caller explains each dance before it starts, so nobody needs to know the steps in advance. You change partners constantly, spin, laugh and get out of breath. Several venues in the city hold ceilidhs regularly, especially at weekends, and there is no better way to meet a room full of people in one evening.

Hogmanay

Scotland's New Year celebration is a bigger event than Christmas here. Edinburgh's Hogmanay runs over several days, with a torchlight procession, a street party in the city centre and fireworks over the castle at midnight. Tickets are needed for the main street party and concert, but the atmosphere spreads across the whole city, and people are unusually open to talking to anyone around them.

Comedy, theatre and live music all year

Outside August, Edinburgh still has a busy cultural life. Comedy clubs hold stand-up nights through the year, the city's theatres have full seasons of drama, and concert halls and small venues host everything from classical music to indie bands. Students keep the live music scene active, and many small gigs cost very little.

Things to do

Walk the Water of Leith

A riverside walkway follows the Water of Leith for several miles through the city. One of the best stretches runs from Dean Village past St Bernard's Well to Stockbridge, a village-like neighbourhood with independent shops, cafés and a Sunday market. Continue further and you can follow the river all the way to Leith. It is green, quiet and almost entirely free of traffic.

Explore the closes and wynds of the Old Town

The Old Town's narrow passageways, called closes and wynds, run off the Royal Mile and down towards the Cowgate and the Grassmarket. Each one has a name and a story. Walk down Victoria Street, a curving street of brightly painted shopfronts, visit Greyfriars Kirkyard with its old tombs, and end up in the Grassmarket, a wide square below the castle full of pubs. Underground tours of the old vaults and buried streets are popular, though the streets themselves are free.

Spend a day at the sea in Portobello

Edinburgh has its own beach. Portobello, a short bus ride east of the centre, has a long sandy beach and a promenade lined with cafés and old Victorian buildings. The North Sea is cold, but locals swim all year round, and on a sunny day the promenade is full of walkers, dogs and families. It is a very different side of the city from the castle and the Royal Mile.

Try Scottish food and whisky

Haggis, served with mashed turnips and potatoes, is the national dish and is better than its reputation; vegetarian versions are widely available. Scottish salmon, seafood from Leith and a full Scottish breakfast are all worth trying. For whisky, many bars have long lists of single malts and staff happy to explain the differences between regions. Start with small measures and ask for recommendations.

Take a day trip beyond the city

Edinburgh is a good base for seeing more of Scotland. Trains from Waverley station reach Glasgow in under an hour and Stirling, with its castle, in less. The seaside town of North Berwick is a short train ride away, and South Queensferry, with views of the three bridges over the Forth, is easy to reach by bus. Organised day tours also leave daily for the Highlands and Loch Ness.

Great first-date spots

Good to know

Best season

May, June and September are the most pleasant months, with long days and fewer crowds than in August. August is the festival month: the city is at its most exciting, but accommodation is expensive and must be booked months ahead. Summers are mild rather than hot, usually around twenty degrees, and the weather changes quickly, so carry a waterproof jacket at any time of year. Winters are cold, dark and often windy, but December brings Christmas markets and Hogmanay.

Getting around

The centre is compact and best explored on foot, but it is very hilly, with many steps and steep streets between the Old Town and the New Town. The city's bus network is frequent and covers every neighbourhood, and a tram line runs from the airport through the centre to Leith and Newhaven; the journey from the airport to the centre takes around half an hour. Contactless payment works on buses and trams. Waverley station, in the valley between the Old and New Towns, connects to Glasgow, the rest of Scotland and London.

Language & meeting people

English is spoken everywhere, often with a strong Scottish accent, and you will hear words from Scots in everyday speech. Gaelic appears on some signs, but it is not widely spoken in the city. People in Edinburgh are generally polite and helpful, and pubs make conversation easy: sharing a table, asking about a drink or chatting at the bar is normal. Humour is dry and self-deprecating, and a little friendly teasing is often a sign that you have been accepted.

Where travelers & expats meet

Edinburgh has a large international population, much of it connected to the universities, along with people working in finance, technology and research. Students and young professionals live in Marchmont, Bruntsfield, Newington and Leith, while the New Town and Stockbridge attract an older crowd. Language exchange evenings, hillwalking clubs, running groups on Arthur's Seat and the Meadows, ceilidhs and the many university societies open to the public are common ways to meet people, and are easy to find through local groups.

Frequently asked questions

Is Edinburgh a good city to visit alone?

Yes. The centre is compact and walkable, pubs and cafés are relaxed about solo visitors, and the city is full of free things to do, from hills to museums. During the August festivals in particular, talking to strangers in queues and audiences is part of the experience.

How many days do I need in Edinburgh?

Three days is enough for the castle, the Old Town, the New Town, Arthur's Seat, Calton Hill and a museum or two. Add a day for Leith and Portobello, and another for a trip to Glasgow, Stirling or the Highlands.

What should I pack for the weather?

Layers and a waterproof jacket, whatever the season. The weather can change several times in a day, and the wind on the hills is strong. Comfortable shoes with good grip matter more than anything else, because the streets are steep and the stone can be slippery when wet.

Is it worth visiting during the festivals in August?

If you enjoy crowds, performances and meeting people, it is the most exciting time of the year. Shows start from very little money, and many are free. If you prefer a quieter visit or a smaller budget, come in June or September instead, when the city is calmer and cheaper.

Is Edinburgh expensive?

Accommodation is the biggest cost, especially in August and at Hogmanay, when prices rise sharply. Many of the main attractions, including the national museums and galleries and all of the hills and parks, are free, and walking saves on transport. Pubs and cafés are priced in line with other British cities.

Is it safe to meet someone from an app in Edinburgh?

Edinburgh is generally a safe city, and the same simple rules apply as anywhere: meet in a busy public place for the first time, tell a friend where you are going and arrange your own transport home. Pubs, cafés and well-used spots such as Calton Hill and the Meadows in daylight are natural first meeting places.

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