Edinburgh

City in City of Edinburgh council area
★★★★★

Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital city and a global icon. The list of world-famous attractions is impressive: Edinburgh Castle, the joint World Heritage Sites of the Old and New Towns, Edinburgh Zoo, The Royal Mile, Arthur’s Seat… and the list goes on. Nowhere else in Scotland comes close to its breathtaking architecture, and there’s a depth of history here that larger Glasgow can only dream of. And Edinburgh’s striking cityscape seems in perfect harmony with the spectacular natural landscape. Extinct volcanoes are ubiquitous, making up a number of the city’s legendary seven hills and rising 251 metres above sea level at rocky Arthur’s Seat. It’s easy to forget that Edinburgh has expanded to reach the ocean too, with Portobello Beach and the Port of Leith both only a short bus ride from the centre. The city does feel like it’s owned by tourists at times – particularly during summer. And for a few weeks during August, fervour reaches new heights with the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the largest arts festival anywhere on the globe. Despite all this, exploring this so-called Athens of the North is always a hugely rewarding experience. The city centre divides naturally into the hilly Old Town (south of Edinburgh railway station) and the grid-plan New Town (to the north), so we’ve divided up our overview of the sights in similar fashion below. Farther-flung attractions in outlying suburbs bring up the rear.

Location

Edinburgh Waverley station in the city centre is at:

O.S. Grid Reference: NT 257739

GPS coordinates: 55.951938,-3.191787

Most of the Old Town and New Town attractions are within walking distance of each other. There are steep slopes or steps between the two districts.

Edinburgh is a major air, rail and coach hub. There’s an extensive network of buses and a tram line.

City centre parking is expensive during the day, though there are some free streets at weekends. Driving between city centre attractions is not recommended.

Edinburgh – 1 day itinerary

>> Available to download from the Itineraries page

Old Town (<1 mi south of Edinburgh Waverley station)

>> Camera Obscura & World of Illusions ★★★★

>> Canongate Kirk ★★

>> City Art Centre ★★

>> Dynamic Earth ★★★★

>> Edinburgh Castle ★★★★★

>> Edinburgh Gin Distillery ★★★

>> Gladstone’s Land ★★★

>> Greyfriars Kirk ★★

>> Holyrood Distillery ★★★

>> John Knox House ★★

>> Museum of Childhood ★★★

>> Museum of Edinburgh ★★★

>> Museum on the Mound ★★★

>> Music Museum ★★★

>> National Museum of Scotland ★★★★★

>> Old St Paul’s Church ★★

>> Palace of Holyroodhouse ★★★★

>> Pickering’s Gin – Summerhall Distillery ★★★

>> St Giles’ Cathedral ★★★

>> Scotch Whisky Experience ★★★★

>> Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) ★★

>> Surgeons’ Hall Museums ★★★★

>> Talbot Rice Gallery ★★

>> The Edinburgh Dungeon ★★★★

>> The Fruitmarket Gallery ★★

>> The King’s Gallery ★★

>> The People’s Story Museum ★★★

>> The Real Mary King’s Close ★★★★

>> The Writers’ Museum ★★

New Town (<1 mi north of Edinburgh Waverley station)

>> Calton Hill ★★★★

>> Collective (Calton Hill) ★★

>> Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage ★★★

>> Nelson Monument ★★

>> Princes Street Gardens ★★

>> St Cuthbert’s Parish Church (Edinburgh) ★★★

>> St John’s Church (Edinburgh) ★★★

>> St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral (Edinburgh) ★★

>> St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral (Edinburgh) ★★★

>> Scott Monument ★★★

>> Scottish National Gallery ★★★★

>> Scottish National Portrait Gallery ★★★

>> The Georgian House ★★★

Edinburgh South (within the City Bypass)

>> Caiy Stane ★

>> Corstorphine Dovecot ★

>> Craigmillar Castle ★★★★

>> Dr Neil’s Garden ★★★

>> Gilmerton Cove ★★★

>> Gorgie Farm ★★

>> Saughton Park ★★★

>> Walk: Arthur’s Seat – view from the high chair ★★★★★

>> Walk: Blackford Hill – suburban diversion ★★★

>> Walk: Bonnie Bonaly & Torduff Reservoir ★★★

>> Walk: Braid & Blackford Hills – surveying the seven summits ★★★

>> Walk: Craiglockhart – the forgotten hill of Edinburgh ★★★

>> Walk: Towpath, tunnel & Colinton Dell ★★★

>> Walk: Water of Leith & Union Canal – Edinburgh’s silver threads ★★★

>> Wild West (Morningside) ★

Our full City of Edinburgh council area list also includes places beyond the City Bypass.

Edinburgh North (within the City Bypass)

>> Cramond ★★

>> Cramond Island ★★★

>> Dean Village ★★★

>> Edinburgh Zoo ★★★★★

>> Figgate Park ★★

>> Lauriston Castle ★★★★

>> Leith ★★★

>> Newhaven Harbour ★★

>> Portobello Beach ★★

>> Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh ★★★★

>> Royal Yacht Britannia ★★★★

>> Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ★★★

>> Walk: Arvo at Cammo ★★

>> Walk: Cramond to Queensferry – foray along the Forth ★★★

>> Walk: On safari at Corstorphine Hill ★★★

Our full City of Edinburgh council area list also includes places beyond the City Bypass.