There are a lot of things to do in Edinburgh Scotland!
A first-time visitor naturally wants to see some of the highlights of this marvelous city that holds two UNESCO designations for its higgledy-piggledy medieval Old Town and its well-planned Georgian New Town. But you may also want to explore a few other areas as well.
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1. Edinburgh Castle
If this post was named “top thing to do in Edinburgh”, this would likely be our choice. Edinburgh Castle is the most recognizable landmark in the city, it sits atop a volcanic peak and dominates the city skyline.
The castle was the placement for a number of important historical events in Scotland and many famous people once visited or lived within its walls including Mary, Queen of Scots.
You’ll get to see loads of historical Scottish artifacts, including weapons, clothing, and even the “Scottish Crown Jewels” which are known as the Honours of Scotland inside the castle. The castle is the site of the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum of Scotland (entry included with castle admission price).
2. Walk down the Royal Mile
From Edinburgh Castle, the next logical thing to do is to stroll down the Royal Mile. This is the medieval city’s main highway and is still a very bustle place today.
Not surprisingly, it runs almost a mile from the castle at the top of the hill to Holyrood Palace at the bottom. It includes five different streets, none of which are actually called the Royal Mile.
This is a busy street and there are a lot of things to see along the way, including many of the attractions such as many restaurants, cafes, museums, and shops. You can find yourself on and off this street many times during your visit!
3. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Near Edinburgh Castle on the Royal Mile is the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions. This attraction includes two main features – first, it has several floors featuring optical illusions, light tricks, old-fashioned games, and magic displays which we had a lot of fun playing with.
Then, the “main attraction” is the Camera Obscura on the roof. A camera obscura is an old-fashioned projection system, which directs visible light from the outside world onto a viewing surface in a darkened room.
These have been known for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and were a particularly popular attraction in Victorian times. In reality, Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura dates from the 19th century, making it one of the oldest visitor attractions in the city.
4. Scotch Whisky Experience
Across from the Camera Obscura is The Scotch Whisky Experience that is a very popular place to visit along the Royal Mile. You can take tours, masterclasses, training sessions or just taste some food and whisky at their restaurant.
It starts with a fun and informative whiskey barrel ride and then a self-guided tour to learn about the origin, history, and making of whiskey. You can do a guided tasting experience and learn about the different whiskey regions in Scotland. Finally, you'll take look around a giant whiskey collection, the largest collection of its type in the world!
5. Mary King’s Close
One of the best places to explore more about, and visit this hidden part of the city, is taking the Real Mary King’s Close tour.
Mary King’s Close was covered over by construction in the 19th century. It was previously one of the busiest streets in the medieval city, located just off the Royal Mile. It was called after Mary King who was a businesswoman who lived in the close in the 1630s.
The 1 hour guided tour of Real Mary King’s Close aims to provide information and examples of what life would have been like in Edinburgh between the 16th and 19th centuries. The tour takes you into a warren of what were crowded streets, shops, animal pens, and homes that sit just below the current street level.
6. St. Giles Cathedral
Close Mary King’s Close and a fixture in Edinburgh’s skyline is the beautiful St. Giles Cathedral with its crown-shaped steeple. If you are only going to visit one church in Edinburgh, this would be our recommendation.
St. Giles, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is the principal place of worship for the Church of Scotland and the church itself dates from the 14th century.
Our favorite part of the church interior is the Thistle Chapel, built-in 1911 for The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, which is the most important Order of Chivalry in Scotland.
This order was established in 1687 and is presided over by the Queen. The Thistle Chapel is tiny, but the ceiling is absolutely beautiful, as are the sixteen stalls, one for each Knight of the Order.
7. Holyrood Palace
At the opposite end of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle, you’ll find the Palace of Holyrood House, usually referred to simply as Holyrood Palace. Holyrood Palace is the official residence of the British king in Scotland. It has served as the principal residence of the monarchs of Scotland since the 16th century.
The name comes from the 12th century Augustinian Holyrood Abbey that was built here and the ruins of which can still be visited today. Mary Queen of Scots inhabited here, as have other notable historical figures over the centuries.
Self-guided audio tours include both historic rooms as well as those used for contemporary state visits, including the royal apartments in the north-west tower of the palace which were occupied by Mary, Queen of Scots.
8. National Museum of Scotland
To leave the attractions of the Royal Mile, we’d recommend taking some time to explore the vast collection at the National Museum of Scotland. This perfect free museum includes exhibits on all sorts of things related to both Scotland and the world, from Scottish history and culture to art and fashion to science and technology.
Some highlights for me were objects related to Mary, Queen of Scots, which contains jewelry, coins, letters, and furniture. Laurence likes the science and technology parts, which feature a number of interactive exhibits.
9. Try some traditional Scottish foods
Besides visiting all the wonderful attractions and museums, you’ll want to try some traditional Scottish foods during your stay in Edinburgh. Haggis is the national dish of Scotland, a must-try for all visitors.
Haggis is traditionally made of sheep parts (heart, liver, lungs) that are mixed with onion, spices, fat, oatmeal, stock, and spices and then stuffed in a sheep’s stomach. It was a food eaten by the poor and similar foods have been eaten since ancient times.
10. Scott Monument & Princes Street Gardens
Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature. The most famous writer here is Sir Walter Scott. He wrote poems, plays, and novels, and is credited with inventing the genre of historical fiction and is best known for his works such as Ivanhoe, Waverley, The Lady of the Lake, and Rob Roy.
He is surely a well-known and much-loved figure in Scotland and even Edinburgh’s main train station is named after his first novel Waverley.
As such, there are a number of monuments to him with the most significant being the huge Scott Monument (the largest monument to a writer in the world!), which sits on Princes Street, just above the Princes Street Gardens.
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