20 Things to Do in EDINBURGH, Scotland ¦ 1st timers guide!

Hey, my name is Ashley and I just wrapped up a 72-hour solo trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. This was my first time visiting this historic city and I'm happy to share with you some travel tips I learned along the way, suggest things for you to see and do on your visit, and take you on a quick tour of my accommodations. Let's jump into it. Edinburgh is situated along the eastern coast of Scotland and is the capital of the country. If you're flying in, Edinburgh airport is just inside the city limits with a simple tram service getting you to the city center in just about 40 minutes. I purchased my round-trip ticket in advance and was on the tram in no time. You can also purchase tickets from the local kiosks or the app. The tram system is super intuitive with only one line running back and forth through the city. At several points you can hop off in favor of commuter rails and a robust bus network or you can forego all of this in favor of a rental car, but do keep in mind that folks here drive on the left side of the road. Honestly speaking, I found the city to be highly walkable so if you don't mind a few hills, I'd say a rental car is really not necessary. For most visitors, you'll likely be staying in the new town or old town areas as those appear to hold the greatest concentration of notable sites and make up Edinburgh's UNESCO World Heritage Site. I booked the Intercontinental Edinburgh the George, which is an IHG hotel in Newtown. The foundation of this hotel dates back to 1766, but the bank-like facade that we see now was built in 1840 as part of the Caldonian Insurance Company. I loved walking through the hallways hearing the creaking of the wood floors below the carpet. It brought out a certain charm that just completely set the scene for my time in Edinburgh. And here's a look at my room specifically, which I found to be cozy and clean. After settling in, I paid a visit to Andrew at the concierge desk, who sat with me for about 30 minutes detailing the most popular things I needed to see and do, and giving me his personal recommendations for places he frequents as a local. What I share with you now is thanks in large part to Andrew's suggestions, and I'm just going to go in the order I did things, not by any particular ranking system. With jet lag creeping in, my first stop was a sunset stroll across town for dinner. Nestled within the Stockbridge neighborhood, the Scran and Scally is a gastropub featuring delectable Scottish food sourced from local suppliers. I indulged in a haggis dish alongside seared Orkney scallops and was convinced into a whiskey tasting, making this entire meal, in my humble opinion, the perfect introduction to Scotland. My favorite whiskey of the three was this one. If you're seeking a bit of nightlife, you might want to check out Rose Street in Newtown, which I stumbled upon on my walk back to the hotel. This felt like a local college hangout, but did have a good mix of ages, and was a bustling thoroughfare of pubs and music venues. The Black Cat was recommended to me for its authentic Scottish music vibes, but it was pretty quiet when I popped in. The next day was a day. I walked about 15 miles roundtrip hitting some of Edinburgh's lesser visited sites while truly trying to take in the local communities. Up fairly early, I began my morning in Dean Village, a quintessential milling community founded in the 12th century. What drew me to this location was its picturesque architecture and distinctly quaint neighborhood feels. It was aesthetically a town preserved in time, yet modern life was evident throughout. From here, I descended upon the Water of Leith Walkway, a well-maintained 13-mile path offering a peaceful promenade past many areas of interest. You can join the path at a number of different spots, and even enjoy an audio trail guide along the way. I walked the path for a short distance before exiting at the Stockbridge Market, open every Sunday from 10 to 4. I must say, I had high hopes for this market, and it did not disappoint. It was fairly small, but it was packed with enthusiastic locals and visitors alike conversing with various vendors, selling meats, cheeses, whiskey, homemade products, and a whole lot more. I bought an apple tart from this stand. So good. And then cheese from this booth. We all need a block of cheese to ourselves from time to time, no? Goodies in tow, I continued my walk through town, and specifically through the iconic Circus Lane, before eventually joining back up with the Water of Leith Walkway. A short distance later, I arrived at the Royal Botanic Garden, featuring 70 acres of beautiful landscape dating back over 350 years. It actually had its start as a physic garden growing medicinal plants near Holyrood Abbey, but has since evolved as a global center for biodiversity science and horticulture. This was such a peaceful retreat. I'd spent about two hours casually perusing the various areas of the garden and locating benches hidden within the foliage to reflect. They even had a little shop at the entrance where I secured a pouch of Scottish thistle seeds to bring back home to grow. Exiting the garden, I connected back up with the Water of Leith Walkway, this time noticing how distinctly local it felt along this section of path. There were no tourists over here, just Scottish folks enjoying the warming days of spring. One particular area that caught my eye was this tiered hillside, which I later learned was the Warreston Allotments. Originally created for unemployed families during the 1920s depression, the city uses this space today, renting out plots to local growers on a yearly basis. According to their website, there's apparently an eight-year wait list to secure a plot. Without too much fanfare, I finally arrived in Leith, an industrial port district at the water's edge. Since arriving home, I've realized that I may have missed the nicer area of Leith because my experience led me through a rather run-down and sad collection of city streets. This was apparently the place to be. I, on the other hand, was on my way to the Royal Yacht Britannia, and that's how I ended up here. If you enjoy following all things royal, or perhaps indulged in a few too many binges of The Crown on Netflix, you'll know how important the Royal Yacht Britannia was to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Launching in 1953, the yacht spent 44 years in royal service, calling at over 600 ports and 135 countries. Today, the ship remains tethered to the Scottish harbour, allowing visitors to browse its five decks and peer into carefully preserved cabins. 95% of items on display are original artifacts on loan from the Royal Collection Trust. This tour is led by a handheld audio guide, which I found to be super informative. It kept the flow of people moving at a nice pace, allowing me to really soak in the different spaces. If you've got kids, have no fear, there's a lot of interesting things for them to look at, but I think they'll find the adorable Corgi Treasure Hunt to be a particularly fun game to play. And if you're hoping for a more lavish experience, well, the ship today has a hotel on board, an event space, and even a tea room. I'd count this as a must-see attraction for your time in Edinburgh. After a quick break back at my hotel, I was keen to find the best view of the city and made my way over to Calton Hill. This was one of three spots recommended to me, touting its panorama views of Edinburgh, and though I haven't shown you the other two yet, this was hands down my favourite. Calton Hill is a short five-minute climb up from the Newtown area and is host to the City Observatory and National Monument. It offers a completely unobstructed view of Edinburgh and surrounding neighbourhoods. What I found most intriguing was the geological features of the city. Prior to this trip, I had no idea Edinburgh was nestled within such a volcanic landscape, and now I'd consider it to be one of its most defining characteristics. Next up was dinner at The Piper's Rest in Old Town, located just next to the Royal Mile. Don't worry, I plan to fully explore this tomorrow morning without the crowds, so more to come on that, but in the meantime, The Piper's Rest was a great casual dining venue with live music, good vibes, and a tasty burger. To close out the night, I made my way over to Mary King's Close, a ticketed tour through Edinburgh's only preserved 17th century street, a place which endured overcrowding, plagues, and so much more. Photos and video were unfortunately not allowed inside, but I'll share with you some tidbits I learned as we walked the Royal Mile in the morning. I'd highly recommend this tour if you're into history, and would even encourage you to book at the start of your trip to get a full appreciation for the city as a whole. On my way back to the hotel, I stopped by the Royal Oak, a 200-year-old pub known for its lively folk music and spontaneous performances. I was told this was another great place to hear some authentic Scottish music, but there was a ticketed event going on this evening, so I struck out again on Nighttime Entertainment. It was probably for the better, because the next morning was set to be an early one. Up for sunrise and out as the local milkmen made their rounds, I began my walk from Newtown up to Oldtown to finally explore the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is often considered to be the backbone of the city, stretching 1.6 kilometers between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyrood House. Chances are you've already seen it if you happened to watch Queen Elizabeth II's funeral procession, which made its way up from the palace to St. Giles Cathedral. The Royal Mile is packed with history and is also the central spot for tourism in the city. I dare to consider it the Times Square of Edinburgh, which is why I chose to explore it so early without the crowds. Apparently even earlier than garbage pickup. For those of you wondering, I think the best direction to walk this street is from the castle to the palace, because you will be heading downhill. So here I am starting in the castle parking lot. We'll be back later to explore inside, but for now I enjoyed the views of the sleepy city below. Edinburgh at one time was a walled city defending its occupants from attack and invasion. The upper part of the Royal Mile sat squarely within this walled section and evidence of its medieval past is easily recognizable from its cobblestone streets to its public execution sites and narrow closes. A close like Mary King's Close that I visited last night is a small alleyway that once led residents to their homes deeper off the Royal Mile. The closes were often named after a notable person who resided there, but not always. As a visitor you can wander down many closes, but just keep in mind that these are still mostly residential areas. For a more public facing place to explore, be sure to pay a charming thoroughfare filled with quirky shops along its winding corridor. This was just steps away from the Royal Mile. As I continued down toward the Palace of Holyroodhouse, I was met with other early risers awaiting their tours for the day, and just beyond them I stumbled upon the World's End Pub. Definitely too early for a pint, but I stopped here to observe the brass plates in the road signifying the former gates built into the walls of the city. It was particularly interesting because there was a definitive change of character along the Royal Mile on the other side of this. There were far less shops, a paved road, and a more contemporary residential feel. Eventually I arrived at Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the royal family in Edinburgh. It is home to over 900 years of Scottish royal history, including playing host to many significant events during the short reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. When the royals are out of town, the palace is open to the public for a guided audio tour through some of the most historic chambers of the complex. Completely unintentional, I ended up being the very first visitor of the day, and if you want to know what it feels like to have your own palace, I'd recommend you try to be there when it opens as well. Unfortunately no photos were allowed inside, but the experience of wandering room to room alone will be one I'll never forget. Outside you can pay a visit to Holyrood Abbey, dating back to 1128, and take in the vibrant gardens. Looming over the palace is Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano offering sweeping views of the city below. With several trails to choose from, I embarked on a steep hike from the palace up the hillside and found the path to be quite rocky and crowded. I don't know about you, but I love hiking for its peace and solitude, and I'll just say that this experience definitely did not bring those. This was an unexpectedly popular spot, in fact I stopped myself from fully reaching the summit because there were just too many people. With that being said, the views from this point were still enjoyable, but for me, Calton Hill remains the definitive winner. Ready for a snack and a nap, I wanted to give a shout out to the Fudge House back on the Royal Mile, which I passed as I was returning to my hotel. This shop is run by third generation makers of traditional Scottish fudge. The staff was incredibly friendly and it was some of the best fudge I've ever tried. After a few hours catching up on sleep, I was out again to attend my time slot, the last one of the day, at Edinburgh Castle. The castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe with a long history as a military base, a royal residence, prison, and fortress. Besides the strength of the structure, its placement atop another dormant volcano solidifies itself as a true beacon of the cityscape and one of Edinburgh's most visited sites. Once inside, there is so much to explore including various museums, the royal palace, the crown jewels, and St Margaret's Chapel, the city's oldest building. Unfortunately, the chapel was so crowded during my attempt to peer inside that I was forced to turn around. Sadly, much of my experience at the castle was met with a high crowd volume, making this a pretty taxing attraction. I chose to spend my time focusing on the outside spaces, taking in the architecture and city views. A highlight for me as I explored these buildings was learning that the national animal of Scotland is the unicorn. Could I love this place even more? To wrap up my last evening in Edinburgh, I booked a dining reservation at The Witchery located right near the castle. From the outside, the restaurant exudes medieval vibes and is actually nestled within a handful of 16th century buildings. Its name is derived from the hundreds of men and women burned at the stake as witches on Castle Hill during the 15 and 1600s. Inside the secret garden where I was seated was a lavish and dimly lit dining room, easily making this my most romantic solo dinner ever. And boy did I spoil myself. I enjoyed an aged scotch beef tartare appetizer with a pinot grigio, a pulled jackfruit and butternut squash lasagna, a chocolate tort, and a green tea. This meal was the perfect way to wrap up an incredible 72 hours in Edinburgh. If you'd like to follow my itinerary or at least keep a running list of suggested spots in your back pocket for your trip, feel free to visit the link in my description for a pinned map of my adventure. As always, thanks so much for watching.