Things to do in Edinburgh
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Real Mary King's Close
Across from St Giles is the City Chambers, originally built by John Adam (brother of Robert) between 1753 and 1761 to serve as the Royal Exchange – a covered meeting place for city merchants. However, the merchants preferred their old stamping ground in the street and the building became the city council offices in 1811.
Part of the Royal Exchange was built over the sealed-off remains of Mary King's Close, and the lower levels of this medieval Old Town alley have survived almost unchanged in the foundations of the City Chambers for 250 years. Now open to the public as the Real Mary King's Close, this spooky, subterranean labyrinth gives a fascinating insight into the dai…
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St Giles Cathedral
Dominating High St is the great grey bulk of St Giles Cathedral. Properly called the High Kirk of Edinburgh (it was only a true cathedral – the seat of a bishop – from 1633 to 1638 and from 1661 to 1689), St Giles Cathedral was named after the patron saint of cripples and beggars. A Norman-style church was built here in 1126 but was destroyed by English invaders in 1385; the only substantial remains are the central piers that support the tower.
The present church dates largely from the 15th century – the beautiful crown spire was completed in 1495 – but much of it was restored in the 19th century. The interior lacks grandeur but is rich in history: St Giles was at th…
reviewed
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Mum’s
After a change of name due to management fall-outs, the original founder of Monster Mash has reopened with a new name. This nostalgia-fuelled cafe continues to serve up classic British comfort food of the 1950s – bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, fish and chips. But there’s a twist – the food is all top-quality nosh freshly prepared from local produce, including Crombie’s gourmet sausages. And there’s even a wine list!
reviewed
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Edinburgh Castle
The brooding, black crags of Castle Rock rising above the western end of Princes St are the very reason for Edinburgh's existence. This rocky hill was the most easily defended hilltop on the invasion route between England and central Scotland, a route followed by countless armies from the Roman legions of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD to the Jacobite troops of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745.
Edinburgh Castle has played a pivotal role in Scottish history, both as a royal residence – King Malcolm Canmore (r 1058–93) and Queen Margaret first made their home here in the 11th century – and as a military stronghold. The castle last saw military action in 1745; from then until the …
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Maison Bleue
Eating here is a comfortably laid-back affair – the candlelit ground-floor dining room has basketwork chairs, chunky wooden tables and modern art on bare stone walls; upstairs is brighter and more cafe-like. The menu lists bouchées (French for ‘mouthfuls’) – starter-size helpings of which you can have as many or as few as you wish – and the food is an eclectic mix of European, North African and Far Eastern influences.
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Scott Monument
The eastern half of Princes Street Gardens is dominated by the massive Gothic spire of the Scott Monument, built by public subscription in memory of the novelist Sir Walter Scott after his death in 1832. The exterior is decorated with carvings of characters from his novels; inside you can see an exhibition on Scott's life, and climb the 287 steps to the top for a superb view of the city.
reviewed
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Arthur's Seat
The rocky peak of Arthur’s Seat (251m), carved by ice sheets from the deeply eroded stump of a long-extinct volcano, is a distinctive feature of Edinburgh’s skyline. The view from the summit is worth the hike, extending from the Forth Bridges in the west to the distant conical hill of North Berwick Law in the east, with the Ochil Hills and the Highlands on the northwestern horizon.
reviewed
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Meadows
This mile-long stretch of lush grass crisscrossed with tree-lined walks was once a shallow lake known as the Borough Loch. Drained in the 1740s and converted into parkland, it’s a great place for a picnic or a quiet walk – in springtime its walks lie ankle-deep in drifts of pink cherry blossom, and there are great views of Arthur’s Seat.
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Café Marlayne
The second branch of the New Town French bistro is a hidden gem, down a steep cobbled alley off the Royal Mile, with a changed-daily menu of market-fresh produce and a lovely little lunchtime sun-trap of an outdoor terrace.
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National Museum of Scotland
Broad, elegant Chambers St is dominated by the long facade of the National Museum of Scotland. Its extensive collections are spread between two buildings, one modern, one Victorian.
The golden stone and striking modern architecture of the museum building, opened in 1998, is one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. The five floors of the museum trace the history of Scotland from geological beginnings to the 1990s, with many imaginative and stimulating exhibits – audio guides are available in several languages. Highlights include the Monymusk Reliquary, a tiny silver casket dating from AD 750, which is said to have been carried into battle with Robert the Bruce at Ban…
reviewed
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Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands Small Group Day Trip from Edinburgh
11 hours 30 minutes (Departs Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
by Viator
Take the high road to the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness on a small group day trip from Edinburgh. You'll travel through beautiful Glencoe, admire the spectac…Not LP reviewed
from USD$70.52 -
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Princes Street Gardens
These beautiful gardens lie in a valley that was once occupied by the Nor’ Loch (North Loch), a boggy depression that was drained in the early 19th century. They are split in the middle by The Mound – around two million cart-loads of earth dug out from foundations during the construction of the New Town and dumped here to provide a road link across the valley to the Old Town. It was completed in 1830.
In the middle of the western part of the gardens is the Ross Bandstand, a venue for open-air concerts in summer and at Hogmanay, and the stage for the famous Fireworks Concert during the Edinburgh Festival. At the gate beside The Mound is the Floral Clock, a working cloc…
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Old Calton Burial Ground
One of Edinburgh’s many atmospheric old cemeteries, Old Calton is dominated by the tall black obelisk of the Political Martyrs’ Monument, which commemorates those who suffered in the fight for electoral reform in the 1790s. In the southern corner is the massive cylindrical grey stone tomb of David Hume (1711–76), Scotland’s most famous philosopher. Hume was a noted atheist, prompting rumours that he had made a Faustian pact with the devil; after his death his friends held a vigil at the tomb for eight nights, burning candles and firing pistols into the darkness lest evil spirits should come to bear away his soul.
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Our Dynamic Earth
The modernistic white marquee pitched beneath Salisbury Crags marks Our Dynamic Earth, billed as an interactive, multimedia journey of discovery through Earth's history from the big bang to the present day. Hugely popular with kids of all ages, it's a slick extravaganza of whiz-bang special effects and 3D movies cleverly designed to fire up young minds with curiosity about all things geological and environmental. Its true purpose, of course, is to disgorge you into a gift shop where you can buy model dinosaurs and souvenir T-shirts.
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St Andrews and Fife Small Group Day Trip from Edinburgh
8 hours 30 minutes (Departs Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
by Viator
Pay homage to the home of golf at St Andrews and visit the fishing villages of Fife on a small group day trip from Edinburgh. With a maximum group size of 16 pa…Not LP reviewed
from USD$54.85 -
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Maxie's Bistro
Maxie's candlelit bistro, with its cushion-lined nooks set amid stone walls and wooden beams is a pleasant enough setting for a cosy dinner, but at summer lunchtimes people queue for the outdoor tables on the terrace overlooking Victoria St. The food is dependable – Maxie's has been in the food business for more than 20 years – ranging from pastas, steaks and stir-fries to seafood platters and daily specials, and there's an excellent selection of wines.
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Duddington Village
Nestling under the southeastern slopes of Arthur’s Seat, the picturesque village of Duddingston is one of the oldest parts of the city, dating from the 12th century, though all that remains of that era are parts of the parish church. At the western end of the village stands an 18th-century pub, the Sheep Heid, and at the eastern end is Prince Charlie’s Cottage, where the Young Pretender held a council of war before the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745.
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Dome Grill Room
Housed in a magnificent former banking hall, with a lofty glass-domed ceiling, pillared arches and a mosaic-tiled floor, the Dome Grill Room boasts one of Edinburgh’s most impressive dining rooms. The menu here holds few surprises – from smoked salmon to chargrilled chicken or roast lamb – but it’s really the setting that sells the place; it’s hard to keep your eyes on your plate with all the stupendous finery that surrounds you.
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Mums
After a change of name due to management fall-outs, the original founder of Monster Mash has reopened it with a new name. This nostalgia-fuelled cafe continues to serve up classic British comfort food of the 1950s – bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, fish and chips. But there's a twist – the food is all top-quality nosh freshly prepared from local produce, including Crombie's gourmet sausages. And there's even a wine list!
reviewed
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First Coast
Our favourite neighbourhood bistro, First Coast has a striking main dining area with pale-grey wood panelling, stripped stone walls and Victorian cornices, and a short and simple menu offering hearty comfort food such as Thai marinated chicken salad, or glazed ham hough with mustard mash. At lunch, and from 5pm to 6.30pm, you can have an excellent two-course meal for £11.
reviewed
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Roseleaf
Cute and quaint and verging on chintzy, the Roseleaf could hardly be further from the average Leith bar. Decked out in flowered wallpaper, old furniture and rose-patterned china, the real ales and bottled beers are complemented by a range of specialty teas, coffees and fruit drinks (including rose lemonade) and well above average pub grub (served 10am to 10pm).
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Kitchin
Fresh, seasonal, locally sourced Scottish produce is the philosophy that has won a Michelin star for this elegant but unpretentious restaurant. The menu moves with the seasons, of course, so expect fresh salads in summer and game in winter, and shellfish dishes such as seared scallops with endive tarte tatin when there’s an ‘r’ in the month.
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Blue
Set above the foyer of the Traverse Theatre, this is a cool white minimalist space with polished oak and Danish designer furniture. The food is simple but skilfully cooked and presented. Choices include Crombie’s sausages with mash and onion gravy, and ribeye steak with bearnaise and chunky chips. Two courses costs £16 between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
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Fishers Bistro
This cosy little restaurant, tucked beneath a 17th-century signal tower, is one of the city's best seafood places. The menu ranges widely in price, from cheaper dishes such as mackerel with beetroot, chilli and orange dressing, to more expensive delights such as North Berwick lobster served with garlic and herb butter.
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Centotre
A palatial Georgian banking hall enlivened with fuchsia-pink banners and aubergine booths is home to this lively, child-friendly Italian bar and restaurant, where the emphasis is on fresh, authentic ingredients (produce imported weekly from Milan, homemade bread and pasta), and uncomplicated enjoyment of food.
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