Edinburgh, United Kingdom
A view of Edinburgh Castle, seen from the top of a grassy knoll, is transfixed in a navy sky illuminated by the crackle of fireworks, as music from the Edinburgh festival sinks into the surrounding valleys. The summer months in Edinburgh are packed with festivals, and a stroll away from the hill and towards the excitement could draw you closer to celebrations of anything: from world music, to international foods, to books inspired by Scotland and the literati of Edinburgh.
The following morning an entirely different experience rises with the evaporating dew: the opportunity to see the rolling hills, and mountains sprinkled with houses and sheep, that surround a city decorated with both medieval and neoclassical architecture. Get lost in the maze of medieval buildings of the Old Town during the day, and in the evening stumble into, and out of, the late night pubs in Auld Reekie, known for its partying and mockery of the northern elite. The chilled evening air after a night of drinking brings calm over the city as high heels echo on the cobbled stone streets and an almost empty Princes St. Gardens is seen at its barest below a sapphire sky.
Top Edinburgh attractions
We know a total of 47 attractions in Edinburgh. See all Edinburgh attractions.
- Edinburgh Hogmanay
Edinburgh has turned New Year’s Eve into a four-day festival, beginning on 29th December with a torchlight procession of hundre… - The Royal Scotsman
Widely regarded as the world's most exclusive train, and certainly one of the most famous, The Royal Scotsman cossets and spoil… - Edinburgh Festival
It began in the late summer of 1947 as the Edinburgh International Festival, with the noble intention of creating ‘a platform f… - Edinburgh Castle
In the year 1018, King Malcolm II won the Battle of Carham against the English and secured lands between the Firth of Forth and… - Silver Sands
This open sandy beach, near the town of Aberdour in Fife, has spectacular views to the Islands of Inchmickery and Inchcolm with… - The Water of Leith Walkway
Described as "a silver thread in a ribbon of green" the Water of Leith Walkway runs alongside this small river for 12 miles as … - Craigmillar Castle
A 15th century court with four corner turrets with corbelled parapets backs onto a cliff on the south side, where there is an L… - Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (Gauguin)
'This painting, which dates from 1888 and was made in Pont-Aven, Brittany, is one of Gauguin's most famous works. The Breton wo… - Ghosts of Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle, widely regarded as the most haunted building in the most haunted city in Europe, seems to have at least one g… - Hiking Arthur's Seat
By far one of the highlights of my trip to Edinburgh. There are many trails to reach the top of this 251 meter peak, ranging in… - Lauriston Castle
Lauriston Castle is supposed to be haunted. Ghostly footsteps changing pace move around the upper floors as if there's someone… - Strange happenings in the South Bridge Vaults
Lurking beneath Edinburgh's Cowgate area under the South Bridge is a network of subterranean vaults, believed to harbour a larg…
Holiday ideas featuring Edinburgh
Edinburgh: The Fundamentals, The Fresh & The Freaky
If I shout Edinburgh, you might shout festival. But while Edinburgh has the characteristics of a bestseller during August, when visitors flock to frolic in the festivities, it is definitely a classic in the grand scheme of things: timeless, mysterious and
Edinburgh climate
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Other expert and press reviews
“Edinburgh: Festival Central”
The minute I stepped off the train in Edinburgh (by the way, taking trains and ferries all around the UK and Ireland is the way to travel – but more on that in an upcoming post), my jaw dropped. “Edinburgh is kind of like York on crack,&rdqu… Read more...
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Nora Dunn.
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- Scotland travel guide
- United Kingdom travel guide
- Europe travel guide
- United Kingdom tour operators and travel specialists
- Weather in Edinburgh
- Best hotels in Edinburgh
Free Student Tour of Edinburgh
During our stay in Edinburgh, we were lucky to find a free-student run tour of the area. Our tour was extensive and last for several hours. It was very in depth and showed us many of the sights in Edinburgh that a normal tour would take you on.
We were in Edinburgh during the winter and it was a particularly snowy and cold day. Our tour went from the Royal Mile, to Edinburgh Castle, to a pub, to a graveyard where Grayfriars Bobby, the scotty dog, is buried. We continued on to the central part of Edinburgh, where the shopping was.
During our tour we enjoyed the beautiful old city of Edinburgh and got to hear the history, some interesting and a lot of it disturbing. We enjoyed hot soup and beer while our tour stopped for free time near a pub. After the tour was done we shopped around in the downtown area. When we got hungry we decided to go to an all you can eat chinese buffet called Jimmy Chung's.
Our stay in Edinburgh was very memorable and remains one of my favorite towns. Sights of both old and new make this town a concoction of fun. Go here and see it for yourself! If you are looking for this same guided tour, it met outside of the Starbucks at the opposite end of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle.