Old Town
This is public art at its best: harmonious, understated and accessible. In 2010 Turner Prize winner Martin Creed was commissioned by the Fruitmarket…
Must-see attractions in Edinburgh
Old Town
This magnificent 17th-century hall, with original oak hammer-beam roof, is where the old Scottish parliament met before its dissolution in 1707. Now used…
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
Old Town
Edinburgh's camera obscura is a curious 19th-century device – in constant use since 1853 – that uses lenses and mirrors to throw a live image of the city…
New Town
The design of the City Observatory, built in 1818, was based on the Temple of the Winds in Athens. Its original function was to provide a precise,…
National War Museum of Scotland
Old Town
At the western end of Edinburgh Castle, to the left of the castle tearooms, a road leads down to the National War Museum of Scotland, which brings…
Leith
This public park was originally common grazing land but is more famous as the birthplace of modern golf. Although St Andrews has the oldest golf course in…
Old Town
The Royal Mile narrows at the foot of High St beside the jutting facade of John Knox House. This is the oldest surviving tenement in Edinburgh, dating…
Edinburgh
Rising on the southern edge of Edinburgh, the Pentland Hills stretch 16 miles southwest to near Carnwath in Lanarkshire. The hills rise to 579m at their…
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art - Modern Two
Edinburgh
Directly across Belford Rd from Modern One, another neoclassical mansion (formerly an orphanage) houses its annexe, Modern Two, which is home to a large…
Edinburgh
The Hermitage of Braid is a wooded valley criss-crossed with walking trails to the south of Blackford Hill – with sunlight filtering through the leaves…
New Town
At the western end of George St is Charlotte Sq, the architectural jewel of the New Town, which was designed by Robert Adam shortly before his death in…
Old Town
One of the most impressive buildings in the Old Town, this school was built in the 17th century with funds bequeathed by George Heriot (goldsmith and…
Leith
The most attractive part of Leith is this cobbled waterfront street alongside the Water of Leith, lined with pubs and restaurants. Before the docks were…
Edinburgh
Set in the valley that runs beneath the Dean Bridge ('dene' is a Scots word for valley), Dean Village was founded as a milling community by the canons of…
Edinburgh
While ghost tours of Edinburgh's underground vaults and haunted graveyards have become a mainstream attraction, Gilmerton Cove remains an off-the-beaten…
Edinburgh Printmakers’ Workshop & Gallery
New Town
Founded in 1967, this was the UK’s first ‘open-access’ printmaking studio, providing studio space and equipment for professional artists and beginners…
Old Town
Halfway down the Royal Mile is 'the noisiest museum in the world'. Often filled with the chatter of excited children, it covers serious issues related to…
New Town
The largest structure on the summit of Calton Hill, the National Monument was a rather over-ambitious attempt to replicate the Parthenon in Athens, and…
New Town
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…
New Town
In complete contrast to the austerity of most of Edinburgh's religious buildings, this 19th-century, neo-Romanesque church at the foot of Broughton St…
Holyrood & Arthur’s Seat
In Holyrood Park Edinburgh is blessed with a little bit of wilderness in the heart of the city. The former hunting ground of Scottish monarchs, the park…
New Town
The National Trust for Scotland's Georgian House has been beautifully restored and furnished to show how Edinburgh's wealthy elite lived at the end of the…
Edinburgh
St Bernard's Well is a circular temple with a statue of Hygeia, the goddess of health, built in 1789. The sulphurous spring within was discovered by…
Leith
This neoclassical building dating from 1816 was the headquarters of the Incorporation of Masters and Mariners (founded in 1380), the nautical equivalent…
Old Town
One of Edinburgh's most prominent 17th-century merchants was Thomas Gledstanes, who in 1617 purchased the tenement later known as Gladstone's Land. It…
Edinburgh
This mile-long stretch of lush grass criss-crossed with tree-lined walks was once a shallow lake known as the Borough Loch. Drained in the 1740s and…
New Town
The impressive Palladian mansion of Dundas House, built between 1772 and 1774 on the eastern side of St Andrew Sq, was built for Sir Laurence Dundas (1712…
Holyrood & Arthur’s Seat
A fantastic literary resource housed in award-winning modern architecture off Canongate, the poetry library hosts regular exhibitions and is a source of…
Old Town
Tucked down a close between the Royal Mile and the Mound you'll find Lady Stair's House (1622), home to this museum that contains manuscripts and…
Old Town
Housed in the Bank of Scotland's splendid Georgian headquarters, this museum is a treasure trove of gold coins, bullion chests, safes, banknotes,…
Old Town
Tucked away at the end of an Old Town close, this walled garden has been laid out in the style of the 17th century, with gravel paths, neatly trimmed…
New Town
The beautiful Register House, designed by Robert Adam in 1788 and with a statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback in front, houses the National…
New Town
Looking a bit like an upturned telescope – the similarity is intentional – and offering superb views over the city and across the Firth of Forth, the…
Holyrood & Arthur’s Seat
This stunning modern gallery, which occupies the shell of a former church and school, is a showcase for exhibitions of art from the Royal Collections. The…
New Town
One of Edinburgh's most innovative and popular galleries, the Fruitmarket showcases the work of contemporary Scottish and international artists, and also…
New Town
The centrepiece of the grand Georgian facade on the north side of Charlotte Sq, No 6 is the official residence of the first minister of Scotland.
Old Town
This art centre comprises six floors of exhibitions with a variety of themes, including an extensive collection of Scottish art. Fees apply for special…
Edinburgh
The Summerhall cultural centre houses several permanent art displays, and stages changing exhibitions of contemporary art.
Edinburgh
A hidden gem loved by local hikers and dog walkers, Cammo is all ancient woodlands, crumbling ruins and faded grandeur. Located on Edinburgh’s…
Edinburgh
The most westerly of Edinburgh’s seven hills, and the city’s largest woodland, Corstorphine offers steep (but short) ascents, venerable woodland and…
