Updated August 2023.

Old Smoky (Auld Reekie)

The capital of Scotland, it is the second-most populous city after Glasgow. Filled with historic and cultural attractions, it is the second-most visited tourist destination in the UK. However, its sheer beauty of dark stone architecture is truly a site to behold. Historically, it has served as a military stronghold and center of intellectual activity.

Edinburgh is built on the spine of Castle Rock, down its backbone through Old Town, and through the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyrood. Along the way, there are allies and lanes that create the "wynds" and "closes" where Old Town residents used to live. These closes were named after prominent citizens on the close. “Edin” comes from Eidyn, the name for the region in the Cumbric language, the Brittonic Celtic language. It is pronounced Ed-in-bur-uh, four syllables. 
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Its sobriquet referred to the cloud of smoke and reek emanating that covered old town due to the cramped quarters.

Overview

  • 7:00 - 8:00 AM: Princes Street Garden - garden filled with monuments
  • 8:30 - 9:15 AM: Calton Hill - public park with viewpoints and monuments
  • 9:30 - 10:30 AM: Palace of Holyroodhouse - residency of British monarchy
  • 10:30 - 11:30 AM: Scottish Parliament Building - parliament building
  • 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM: Royal Mile - famous royal processional route
    • 11:40 AM - 12:30 PM: Edinburgh Museum - historical museum of Edinburgh
  • 12:45 - 2:15 PM: Edinburgh Castle - fortresss and home to Scottish royalty
  • 2:20 - 2:45 PM: St. Giles’ Cathedral - church known for stained-glass windows
  • 3:00 - 5:00 PM: Museums
  • 5:00 - 7:00 PM: Dinner
  • Half-hour before Sunset to Sunset: Arthur’s Seat - tallest peak where fabled Camelot and King Arthur resided.
​Click the star to add the map to your Google Maps!​ To view it, simply open Google Maps, navigate to the Menu, choose “Your Places,” click "Maps", and voila, the map should be added.

Tips

To/From the Airport
There are two ways to get to and from the airport: Tram and AirLink Bus.
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Surprisingly, the AirLink Bus is cheaper and faster, but the tram is a fun way to get around. Both are located right outside the gate and bring you into the city center.
Getting Around Town
The easiest way to get around the city is by walking, especially in Old Town. However, one can also take the tram or buses.
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Water bottle filling station on the Royal Mile near St. Giles' Cathedral



​Water
​Your Water Your Life provides public refillable water stations across all of Scotland with 18 in the Edinburgh area. However, since all museums in Edinburgh are free, one can easily walk in and use their filtered water filling stations inside. Another alternative is to ask restaurants/cafés to refill your water bottle.

1-Day Plan

7:00 - 8:00 AM: Princes Street Gardens
Overlooked by Edinburgh castle, this land used to be Nor Loch, a lake where sewage from Old Town flowed into. It was drained in the 1820s to form two parks. The West Prince Street Garden is more popular:
  • Ross Fountain, gifted to Scotland by Edinburgh gunsmith Daniel Ross in 1872 who bought it after it was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1862.
  • The world’s oldest Floral Clock dating back to 1903, which changes to honor the individual or group who has contributed most to the city.
East Prince Street Garden is where the famous Scott Monument is located. This monument is dedicated to the Scottish novelist, Sir Walter Scott with his likeness carved into Carrara marble at the base and weighs 30 tons. One can take a guided tour and see the view from the third-floor view platform. Tours are every 30 minutes from 10 AM – 4:30 PM and closed for lunch 12:30 – 1:45 PM.
8:30 - 9:15 AM: Calton Hill
One of Britain’s first public parks founded in 1724, it now offers some of the city’s best views and is filled with Scottish monuments and buildings including the National Monument, Dugald Stewart Monument, Nelson’s Monument, Robert Burns Monument, and the Political Martyrs’ Monument.

​The Old Royal High School and the City Observatory are also located here, the latter now a contemporary art space.
9:30 - 10:30 AM: Palace of Holyroodhouse
Official residency of the British monarchy in Scotland and home of Scottish royal history. There are 14 state apartments to visit, the remains of the 12th century Holyrood Abbey, and royal gardens, all through an audio guide.

Historically, it is said that King David I was out hunting and saw a stag with a cross between its antlers. Believing it to be a sign of divine intervention, he founded Holyrood Abbey, which later became the palace.
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Please note that one can’t take photos inside.
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Entrance to Scottish Parliament


​​10:30 - 11:30 AM: Scottish Parliament Building
A modern building opened in 2004 that from above, looks like a vessel of ships, although locals don’t like the modern look of the building.
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The Scottish Parliament takes a recess in the middle of summer when anyone can visit. Check their website (https://www.parliament.scot/visit/tours/guided-tours) for the dates. During this time, one can take a guided tour or a self-guided one. However, the guided tours are better since one can enter to see more.


​​11:30 AM - 12:45 PM: Royal Mile
​​The road connecting the Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh Castle. Technically, the Royal Mile is longer than the current “mile”, but it is the length of a Scottish mile (1.12 miles) and this was the processional route of monarchs.

One should stop to see some of the "closes", narrow alleyways that once consisted the streets of people in Old Town.

​​​11:40 AM - 12:30 PM: Edinburgh Museum
​Along the way, one can stop by a few of the closes and museums, such as the Museum of Edinburgh, an interesting museum dedicated to the history of Edinburgh. One walks through a 16th century house through a maze of corridors with decorative art and a beautiful glass and silver collection.
​​12:45 - 2:15 PM: Edinburgh Castle
Situated on Castle Rock, a plug of black basalt atop an extinct volcano, the castle rises 250 feet above the valley. The first king of Scotland, Malcolm III Canmore made the castle his home, while the chapel was named after his wife, Queen Margaret. The chapel is now the oldest surviving building, as the castle was captured by English invaders multiple times.

  • The Great Hall was built by James IV in 1511
  • Served as a military prison for prisoners of war during the Seven Years’ War, the American Revolution, and Napoleonic Wars.
  • The Honours of Scotland—the oldest crown jewels in the UK, the Stone of Scone/Stone of Destiny and a block of sandstone that is used when Scottish monarchs are traditionally crowned—are held within a building
  • Mons Meg, the famous 15th-century gun

Tickets often sell out in advance, so make sure to book at least 48 hours in advance. Ensure one enters the castle gates before 1 PM to be able to see and hear the One O’Clock Gun fire its resounding shot exactly at 1 PM. The best place to hear it is by the whiskey tasting hut. The gun was first fired in 1861 to keep time for the docked ships.
​​2:20 - 2:45 PM: St. Giles' Cathedral
​Founded by King David I in 1124, it started as a Romanesque church before becoming Protestant during the Scottish Reformation with John Knox as the minister. Then it became a prison and Parliament of Scotland meeting place. When King Charles I tried to impose a Scottish Prayer Book in 1637, a riot ensued, leading to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Today, it is a modern Presbyterian church with beautiful stained-glass windows dedicated to Saint Giles, the patron saint of lepers.

Outside, there is also a statue of Adam Smith, renowned Scottish economist and moral philosopher, most well-known for writing the Wealth of Nations.
​​3:00 - 5:00 PM: Museum
Check out one of the many free museums that Edinburgh has to offer. The National Museum of Scotland is a great option!
​​5:00 - 7:00 PM: Dinner
Half-hour before Sunset - Sunset: Arthur's Seat
Atop a 350-million-year-old extinct volcano and the highest peak of the hills in Edinburgh, Arthur’s Seat is the tallest point (824 feet high) with panoramic views. Its name is said to come from legends about King Arthur, as this might have been the location of Camelot.

Others contest that the original name was Àrd-na-Said, "Height of Arrows", which became Archer’s Seat than Arthur’s Seat. Another interpretation is Àrd-thir Suidhe, which meant “place on high ground”.

For those craving an early morning hike and sunrise, this is a beautiful place to be. The hike itself takes about 30-minutes and can be rather steep depending on which path one chooses. The most gradual is starting from the east.
For more information about trails, one should check the more in-depth website or consult the map below provided by Earthtrekkers. I recommend taking the Green Route to the top and the Red to Orange Routes back.
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EarthTrekkers Route map

Museums

Like other major metropolitan areas, Copenhagen has an extraordinary amount of interesting museums to visit. I've listed the ones in order that one might want to visit:
  • National Museum of Scotland: Expansive museum with a variety of exhibits detailing Scottish history, world cultures, and modern-day technology. A visual of the first cloned living animal, Dolly the sheep is also on display here!
  • Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art: An exterior sculpture garden leading into fun modern art pieces inside.
  • National Galleries of Scotland: Beside the Princes Street Gardens, the neoclassical buildings hold many masterpieces. There’s Scottish artist, Raeburn’s The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch, aka The Skating Minister long with other masterpieces of Raphael, Rembrandt, Monet, Cézanne, and Van Gogh.
  • Royal Botanic Garen: Beautiful garden filled with 100,000+ plants. It is known for the Chinese Hillside, the Rock Garden, and redwood trees in the Woodland garden.
  • The Writer’s Museum: Small museum celebrating Scottish literary authors such as Robert Burns, Sir Watler Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
  • Museum of Childhood: First museum in the world dedicated to the history of childhood with five galleries showcasing childhood memorabilia.
  • Camera Obscura & World of Illusions: Oldest attraction in Edinburgh, this museum since 1835 provides fun illusions, tricks, and puzzles.

Other Attractions

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Entrance to Mary King's Close

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  • The Real Mary King’s Close: A character-guided tour of the “underground” area with hidden streets of where people once lived and worked. But over time, these narrow streets/”closes” are covered as the new Old Town was built on top. Generally, I think the price is rather high for the experience. While it is interesting, I didn’t find it worth the time and price.

  • Scotch Whiskey Experience: Use this tool to plan where one goes to try whiskey. Learn about how Scotch whisky is made, see the world’s largest collection of Scotch whisky, and taste some of the delicious spirit.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

  • Technically called Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh’s famous celebration of the arts festival occurs over three weeks in August, where artists, performers, comedians, acrobats, and dancers flock to the streets from across the world to showcase their talents. From street performances as one walks down the Royal Mile to notable venues where in-advance tickets are to be bought, the whole city is alive with entertainment.

  • It started in 1947, when 8 theater groups showed up uninvited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival after WWII. Despite not having invitations, they went ahead and staged shows on the “fringe” of the festival, leading to the more popular name, “Edinburgh Festival Fringe”. As more and more performers joined in, it became formalized in 1958. Such that the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe combined.
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  • While overwhelming at first, there are plenty of flyers around the city, people handing out pamphlets on the streets, and information on the website. For first-timers, I would recommend just walking around and heading to places that interest you. There are a lot of free events too, so don’t feel the need to always pay for tickets.

    ​Some popular venues for the International Festival:
    • Pleasance Courtyard
    • Gilded Balloon
    • Assembly (aka Assembly Festival) – multiple locations across town

  • Other performances are held in bars, restaurants, or other theaters. And of course, on the streets.
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  • Don’t forget to check out Free Fringe, with free, unticketed, or pay-what-you-want options that make it affordable for everyone.
Fringe Official Resources

Restaurants

Edinburgh has a lot of delicious food options and restaurants, serving international cuisines. One of the most famous dishes one needs to try is Haggis, which is a sheep's or calf's offal mixed with suet, oatmeal, and seasoning before being boiled in the animal's stomach. 
  • Scott's Kitchen: Considered one of the best places to try haggis. They even have a vegetarian haggis as well!
  • ​The Conan Doyle: 18th century near Conan Doyle’s birthplace that also embodies his spirit. They serve authentic Scottish food.
  • Rollo: Modern fusion restaurant that provides some small plate options. While on the pricier side, the food has a lot of flavor and the staff are outstanding. Recommend the pork belly!
  • The Dome: Fine dining restaurant known for its neoclassical décor and its afternoon teas.
    • Fishers in the City: Known for their seafood dishes, their classic is the battered fish and chips.



​Besides Scottish whiskey, one should also try Irn Bru (pronounced like Iron Brew), considered Scotland's "other national drink". It is a carbonated beverage that has a sweet and tangy taste that's hard to describe. 

It is surprisingly similar in taste to Inca Cola in Peru.

Other Resources

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