Edinburgh, Scotland Hotels and City Guide

Edinburgh - Attractions

Time Off: Things to See and Do in Edinburgh

For the budget-conscious the Edinburgh Pass is well worth acquiring, offering a maximum of £155 worth of entry to 27 of Edinburgh's top attractions, a 90-page guidebook, retail and restaurant offers and discounts, together with free public transport around the city, and airport transfers. A one-day pass costs £24, two days’ £36, three days’ £48. Can be purchased online or at Tourist Information Centres.

Edinburgh ‘Doors Open Day’ is an annual event, usually during the last weekend in September, when many important and historic buildings open their doors to the public at no charge. Many of the buildings are not normally accessible so this presents a unique opportunity to see some of the city's lesser-known architectural marvels. Brochures with details of the participating sites, opening times, access details etc., can be picked up from city libraries in the run-up to the day, or downloaded from the website.

Edinburgh's Main Attractions

Edinburgh Castle
Castle Hill, Old Town
Admission: £10.30; Open daily

The crowning glory of the Scottish capital, Edinburgh Castle is the symbolic heart of Scotland with breathtaking views stretching across the Firth of Forth to the "kingdom" of Fife. Allow at least three hours to do the site justice.

The castle is a chronicle of Scottish history. The rock on which it stands was inhabited as far back as 1000 BC, in the latter part of the Bronze Age. The mysterious Picts fortified it in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Anglian invaders from northern England dislodged the Picts in AD 452, and for the next 1,300 years the site saw countless battles and skirmishes.

The castle has been held by Scots and Englishmen, Catholics and Protestants, soldiers and royalty.

Cross the Esplanade built in the 18th century as a parade ground, now the castle parking lot. This area explodes with colour and music each August when it stages the Military Tattoo. The one-o'clock gun is still fired every day from the Half-Moon Battery.

Through the second gateway you will find the oldest surviving building in the complex, the tiny 11th century St. Margaret's Chapel, named in honour of Saxon Queen Margaret (1046-93).

The Crown Room contains the “Honours of Scotland” - the crown, sceptre, and sword that once graced the Scottish monarch, as well as the Stone of Scone on which Scottish monarchs once sat to be crowned. In Queen Mary's Apartments, Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to James VI of Scotland (1566-1625), who was also to rule England as James I.

The Great Hall displays arms and armour under a vaulted beamed ceiling. During the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19 th century, the castle held French prisoners of war, whose carvings can still be seen on the vaults under the Great Hall.

Military features of interest include the Scottish National War Memorial, the Scottish United Services Museum, and the enormous 15th century Belgian-made cannon Mons Meg which was moved to Edinburgh Castle in 1489 but has been silent since 1682, when it exploded while firing a salute for the Duke of York.

The Royal Mile

Enjoy most of Edinburgh’s tourist attractions in a walk down the Royal Mile. Start at the castle. Witches were burnt at the stake on Castle Hill in 1722 where you will find Camera Obscura, open daily, set up in 1853 by Maria Theresa Short. Five floors of illusions will fascinate young and old.

Gladstone’s Land, a 17th century tenement is filled with period furniture and an impressive painted ceiling.

Lady Stair’s House, built in 1622 close to Gladstone’s Land on Bank Street, is a literary museum with manuscripts of Scottish writers.

Pop into two famous pubs on the left-hand side, the Ensign Ewart or the Deacon Brodie where whisky is readily available!

The iconic 14th-15th century St Giles Cathedral has a central tower crowned by a lantern supported on flying buttresses; its ornate Chapel of the Order of the Thistle with knights’ stalls and banners was added at the beginning of the 20th century.

The only reminder of the old Tollbooth built in 1466, is a heart in the cobblestones near the cathedral laid down in 1817. This was the opening scene in Walter Scott’s novel, “Heart of Midlothian”.

Opposite St Giles Cathedral, Mary King’s Close, a medieval street in Warriston Close, was closed over in the 18th century but has been re-opened to the public daily (except for Christmas Day). It is a little slice of Edinburgh’s medieval history where you may well encounter a ghost or two!

East of St Giles stands Mercat Cross, the hub of the city in the 1600s where official announcements were made, merchants gathered, and executions took place. The present Cross, half the size of the original, was built in 1885. The round cobbled cross a few yards away marks the spot where the original stood.

John Knox’s house, built in 1490,and occupied by the famous Protestant preacher from 1561- 1572, contains many religious items, as well as a splendid early 17th century painted ceiling in the Oak Room.

The attractive White Hart Inn set back in a mews was frequented by Robert Burns and William Wordsworth. Stagecoaches set off from here for London.

Canongate Tollbooth, built in 1591 now houses a collection of Highland Dress. Pass the unusual Canongate Church before reaching the modern Scottish Parliament building designed by Spanish architect Enric Miralles. Your walk will end at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Begun by King James IV in 1501, Cromwell’s troops destroyed much of the palace by fire in 1650. When Charles II was restored to the thrones of Scotland and England, he had the palace rebuilt between 1671-1679 by architect Sir William Bruce. King George V and Queen Mary renovated the throne and state rooms. Magnificent 20th century wrought-iron gates lead to the reigning monarch’s official residence set in beautiful gardens where the ruins the 12th century Holyrood Abbey are found. Arthur’s Seat forms a dramatic backdrop. The palace houses the Queen’s Gallery containing a collection of art from the Royal Collection.

The palace, with its many secret passageways, has a bloody history of passion, intrigue, treachery and murder involving Mary Stuart, “the fairest and most cruel queen on earth”. The Catholic queen was eventually beheaded in 1587 for plotting against her Protestant cousin, Queen Elizabeth 1.

Greyfriars Kirk
Greyfriar’s Place
Old Town

The National Covenant was signed here in 1638. The Covenanters’ Prison in the cemetery is said to be haunted by the prisoners’ ghosts. That most faithful of creatures, Bobby, the terrier, sat on his master’s grave in this cemetery for 14 years after his death in 1858, the locals leaving him food. A statue of Greyfriar’s Bobby above a drinking fountain for dogs is sited near the Kirk and the popular pub of the same name at 34 Candlemaker Row where it joins George IV Bridge.

Magdalen Chapel
41 Cowgate
Old Town (beneath George IV Bridge)

This small 16th century chapel was the last Roman Catholic chapel to be built in Edinburgh before the Reformation, after which it became the cradle of Presbyterianism. It held the first assembly of the new Church of Scotland on 20 December 1560 and contains the only examples of exceptional pre-Reformation stained glass.

The Scott Monument
East Princes Street Gardens
Admission £3

This neo-Gothic monument, completed in 1844, has a statue of Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) under a canopy of arches and tiers with niches in which there are 64 statuettes depicting the characters from his novels. For those with a strong stomach, climb the 200-ft spire for fantastic views of the city.

Charlotte Square
West end of George Street
New Town

Behind Princes Street, George Street bisects New Town designed on a grid. At the west end of George Street is the 18th century centrepiece, Charlotte Square, the architectural masterpiece of Scotland’s noted neoclassical architect, Robert Adam. On the north side, Adam designed a palatial façade to unite three separate townhouses of such perfection that architects come from all over the world to study it. The Age of Enlightenment’s elegance continues within, as the centre townhouse is now occupied by the Georgian House museum. New Town is home to all the banks and the offices of professionals, the Assembly Rooms and Music Hall, the Freemasons’ Hall, Royal College of Physicians and upmarket shops. St Andrew Square completes the grid at the east end.

Rose Street
Behind Princes Street

Don’t miss this pedestrianised lane, a lively area of New Town, home to a myriad pubs and shops.

Calton Hill
Off Regent Street beyond the east end of Princes Street

One of Edinburgh’s seven volcanic hills in the city centre, Calton Hill is unmistakable for its Athenian acropolis. Designed by William Henry Playfair, only the façade was completed of what was to have been a national monument to those who died in the Napoleonic Wars, thus leading to it being known as “Edinburgh’s shame”. The Dugald Stewart Monument, dedicated to the esteemed philosopher, was also built as a Grecian temple. Nelson’s Tower, Edinburgh’s highest vantage point, has an interior circular stairway to the top for the very best view of the city. Also see The Old Observatory designed in 1792, and the City Observatory built in 1818 from where you can stargaze on a clear night.
Take your camera as Calton Hill offers stunning panoramic views over Old Town and New Town, Arthur’s Seat, Salisbury Crags and Holyrood Park. It is easily accessible on foot from a staircase at Regent Road on the south side and the Royal Terrace on the north side (or drive up the hill to the carpark). Walk along the path hugging the edge of the hill.

The Royal Yacht Britannia
Ocean Terminal, Leith
Open: Daily except for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Last entry 1.5 hours before closing.
Admission: Adult £9, seniors £7, children 5-17 years and students with ID £5, children under
5 free. Catch one of the many buses that turn down Leith Walk coming from the east end of Princes Street or across North Bridge at the Balmoral Hotel.

Decommissioned from royal use in recent years, it has been voted one of Edinburgh’s best new attractions. Visitors may tour the royal apartments and view a selection of royal gifts.

Firth of Forth Road and Rail Bridges

Don’t miss the iconic rail and road bridges at South Queensferry to the west of Edinburgh.
The red Firth of Forth (rail) Bridge was designed by civil engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker and was built by Sir William Arrol & Co between 1883-1890. It represents the high point in Victorian engineering history, the second longest cantilevered bridge in the world. It is deservedly one of Scotland’s best-loved landmarks.

The Forth (road) Bridge, completed in 1964, impressive in its own right, is a suspension bridge two miles long. Walk across it for the best view of the rail bridge and the firth. Hold on tightly if the wind is blowing! Then treat yourself to a meal at one of the restaurants on the water’s edge in South Queensferry with its olde worlde charm in the shadow of the bridges.

Museums and Galleries

National Gallery of Scotland/Royal Scottish Academy
The Mound, Old Town
Admission: Free; Open: Fri-Wed 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-7pm. Print Room, weekdays 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-4:30pm by appointment

Opened to the public in 1859, the grand neo-Classical National Gallery designed by William Henry Playfair contains one of the most exquisite collections of paintings in the world ranging from the Renaissance to the post-impressionist period. Most famous are the Old Master paintings including Titian's Three Ages of Man. All the great names are here: Raphael, Velázquez, El Greco, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Goya, Poussin, Clouet, Turner, Degas, Monet, and van Gogh, among others, who complement a fine collection of Scottish painters, including Sir Henry Raeburn, Ramsay, Raeburn, and Wilkie. The Weston Link connects the National Gallery of Scotland to the Royal Scottish Academy providing expanded gallery space as well as a restaurant, bar, café, information centre, and shop. Constituted by royal charter in 1826, the Royal Scottish Academy holds summer exhibitions of works by living artists. The free galleries bus stops here daily on the hour from 11am to 4pm.

Royal Museum and Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Old Town
Admission: Free; Open: Mon - Sat 10am-5pm, Tues 10am-8pm, Sun noon-5pm

In an imposing Victorian building with an airy atrium, the Royal Museum houses an internationally renowned collection of art and artifacts relating to natural, scientific, and industrial history. Its treasures include the Lewis Chessmen, eleven intricately carved ivory chess pieces found in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis. The striking contemporary building next-door houses the Museum of Scotland which displays Scottish pottery and weapons from the Roman era to the Renaissance, as well as Pictish to 21st century artifacts.

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
74 Bedford Road, Western fringe of New Town

Displays Scottish and other modern art.

Hotels in Edinburgh, Scotland