Top 10 Things to do in Edinburgh

The best thing to do when you’re in Edinburgh is to simply explore the phenomenal Capital. From festivals to castles, from museums to the meadows, Edinburgh is full of stories to share. There’s always going to be something for you in the City buzzing with life.

 

1. Enjoy the Many Castles of Edinburgh

Several castles within Edinburgh have stayed resilient through the years and trials that befall them, but mere time and trouble will not cause these castles to surrender!

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official Scottish residence of Queen Victoria II. This luxurious home with grand gardens is located within walking distance from the town center.

The Tantallon Castle, one of the most inspiring ruins in Scotland. This Castle stands strong since the 1300s despite three sieges but was left in ruins in 1651 because of an attack by Oliver Cromwell. Despite a horrific history, the architecture, engineering, and craftsmanship of the castle really are one for the books because it still is able to stand on its own.

Another historical castle that holds a special place in Edinburgh is the Lochleven Castle. Being one of the older castles in Scotland, legend has it that Mary, Queen of Scots was held captive in this castle from 1567 to 1568. The ruin of this structure sits on Loch Leven, an island only accessible by boat.

The Craigmillar Castle is a well-preserved 15th Century royal residence of Mary Queen of Scots. Before entering the castle are two yew trees that have stood their ground for centuries, even having supplied wood for weaponry. Visitors may climb the castle tower to be able to access spectacular views of Edinburgh and to learn about Scottish history and culture.

 

2. Climb Arthur’s Seat

Not many cities can say that they have an extinct volcano within their premises, but in Edinburgh, this extinct volcano with a peak at 823 ft (251 m) above sea level is visible from pretty much anywhere in the City, rising up from the vast grasslands of Holyrood Park. This is the highest among the seven peaks throughout Edinburgh.
It is believed that this peak was where the legendary castle of King Arthur, Camelot once sat. Some locals keep the traditions of May Day alive by having young women wash their face with the hill’s morning dew too, as legend has it, make them beautiful. Despite climate change and varying air quality
From the apex, you will discover sublime views of the City like never before. It’s a relatively easy 30-minute hike up with the right hiking boots! Just make sure to bring a coat and stay warm during the windy days.

 

3. Stroll through Old Town

As the name suggests, this is the old part of Edinburgh, with its preserved medieval street plan and structures, this is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. This typical Northern European road layout follows the crest of a ridge, forming the main street. This landform is a reaction from the receding glaciers during the last ice age when soft soil was being pushed aside while making way for volcanic rock.

It is in this area that you will be able to find the Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum of Scotland, and, for enthusiasts, The Scotch Whisky Experience. This labyrinth of narrow streets also homes a few eccentric attractions such as tenement housing of the medieval times and “wynds” (alleys) that lead into pedestrianized squares.

 

4. Relax in the Meadows

If you have extra time on your hands, you may want to chill in the luscious greens known as the Meadows. This vast open space was originally a loch that supplied drinking water for the City but drained during the 1700s. The locals then left the area to become parkland and have been a community favorite.

At the end of the tree-lined path called the Middle Meadow Walk is a small commercial area with cafes and local shops. If those don’t entice you to stay a little longer in the City greens, maybe the sports fields and 16 tennis courts would persuade you. Who wouldn’t be tempted to play a little golf or croquet n the upper part of the Meadows? It’s open to anyone and everyone!

 

5. See the Scottish Ballet

The creation of the Scottish Ballet’s goes back to 1969, but the history goes back even further to the middle ages. Together with the Scottish Dance Theatre, they aim to provide programs and events of world-class performances throughout Scotland and the World.

Edinburgh is the epicenter of Performance Festivals such as the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. These bring thousands of performers together, whether professional or emerging in the arts of professional dancers, musicians, visual artists and so much more, these events are always an interesting interaction.

The Edinburgh Festival takes place in the heart of Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Playhouse is the largest all-seated auditorium, among other venues for the arts being Usher Hall, the King’s Theatre, the Traverse Theatre, and the Festival Theatre. The original building was opened back in the 19th Century and is now home to the Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera.

 

6. Brave the Dungeons and Vaults of Edinburgh

As you travel around Scotland’s Capital, you may find yourself booking a tour with the Underground Vaults of the South Bridge. After the completion of this bridge, the city chose a judge’s wife to inaugurate the new structure. She died a day before the event but was still brought to the inauguration. Her casket her corpse was then carried across the bridge. These vaults have several chambers under the bridge that was built in 1788. These were originally used as a stock room or bespoke shop by traders and illegitimate figures. Over time, these underground spaces became popular with the poor and homeless, often inviting crime in the 1990s.

Not only does Edinburgh offer Castles and Roads that date as far back as the City itself, but this unusual alternative is surely worth the visit for the bold and courageous. With live actors, special effects, and interactive rides, show the gruesome and horrific past of Scotland. Visitors and fanatics of the bizarre will learn about the Plague and the “Foul Clenger” (Plague Cleaner), the witch trials and the torturer and his torture chamber, and much more.

What better way to learn about a horrific past than a highly experiential ordeal that will have you running for the meadows or laughing your socks off because of wit and dark humor.

 

7. Summerhall Happenings

The Summerhall is the local art scene where there are art exhibitions, theatre performances, clubs, films, workshops, talks, gigs, and a lot more in every shape and size that you can possibly imagine!

The first recorded occupants of the Summerhall were a family that ran a brewery in the 1710s which then sparked a legacy, of producing beer and gin in the microbrewery and Distillery of Summerhall. The original rowhouses and shops were later adjusted to fit the needs of The University of Edinburgh Veterinary College between 1913 and 1925. By 2011, the property was acquired by the McDowell family and is now being used as a cultured and curated hub for all things creative.

 

8. Walk Along an Ancient Thoroughfare

 Royal Mile stretches from the Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace and would take only around 15 minutes to walk end to end (of course depending on your walking pace). This exact course was used as a processional route for Kings and Queens over the last 500 years.

Along this walk, you will be passing by old structures on a street set with cobblestones. Museums and historical landmarks like the Royal Mile, making you feel like you have taken a few steps back in the height of the Old City. This is a great activity when you want to get a true sense of the place of the Capital of Scotland.

 

9. Leith

Now known as “the Shore”, this port district wasn’t all pretty restaurants and watering holes during the 1980s and 1990s. This fast-evolving area has turned the tables and now become a culturally significant area on its own, being a haven for music enthusiasts and theatre lovers.

The former royal yacht of the British Monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Yacht Britannia was in service from 1954 until 1997 and traveled more than one million nautical miles around the World. Now permanently retired from service, HMY Britannia now sleeps at the Ocean Terminal in Leith. As part of the National Historic Fleet, this visitor attraction is a vital historic core of the Port of Leith. Today, the Royal Yacht welcomes visitors to have a cup of tea on her decks and is a popular venue for evening events.

 

10. Learning from the Scottish Museums

From historical museums to themed museums, there is always a reason to walk into these institutions scattered across Edinburgh. Though most historical museum exhibits may seem like they’re all the same, it’s always a good idea to engage in Edinburgh’s history and educate yourself with artifacts and displays.  

The Museum of Childhood was the first in the world which stage toys and games starting from the 18th Century to the modern-day.  This institution offers an interactive experience with trends and fads, as well as the way childhood has been defined through the centuries. This museum not only attracts children but also adults who wish to re-live their childhood, and even explore the toys and games that they missed out on!

 

Top 10 Fun Facts about Edinburgh

Scotland is a nation full of legends and traditions, there a lot of strange and bizarre things to learn about Edinburgh! And if you look hard enough, skeletons are not the only things you may see inside the closet or on the streets.

 

1. One of the Most Haunted Cities in the World

It may not come as a surprise that a City rich in so much history has a very dark and bloody past. With the medieval structures as living proof of a ruthless time, this is another way to be able to truly connect with the ghosts of Edinburg’s past.

From the 16th and 18th Centuries, Scotland was teeming with witches. As believed that witches were only women, over 300 men and women were killed after meeting the witch criteria. The accusations that lead to the criteria are having a birthmark, being left-handed, and having red hair. Those suspected to be a witch were tortured, tied, and thrown into the North Loch; if they sank, this meant that they were innocent, but no one would bother rescuing them, and if they float, even for a few second, meant that they were a witch and would be burned in a public place.

Grave-robbers, half-dead hanging victims, and underground vaults are only some of the fabled terrors that came with the medieval period in this City. Tours through graveyards, dank ancient cellars, and a hidden metropolis below the streets are only the tip of the iceberg. Believe it or not, you need to prepare.

 

2. The World’s First UNESCO City of Literature

The literary pedigree of Edinburgh can be traced all the way back to the middle ages, offering the World with Scottish writers, or those simply inspired by Edinburgh. The City has inspired more than 500 novels, some of them being Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde, and Sherlock Holmes.

The rich literary history of the City has inspired writers all over the globe over the years, and just like any other first-time visitor, the experience of arriving at the Waverly Train Station, wandering along Princess Street, and finally having the Edinburgh Castle welcome you really lets you set yourself in the locale that is the beautiful Edinburgh.

 

3. First Fire Fighters

Fire fighting techniques that we know today were developed by a local in Edinburgh, James Braidwood. After thousands of tests and experiments, he was able to discover tactics to put out fires. This community effort led to the implementation of the process in other parts of Europe. He was able to conclude that to effectively put out a fire, you have to enter the burning building and reach the heart of the fire. Until the age of 60, he was still leading his brigade into fires until a burning wall collapsed on him in 1861.

 

4. The Greenest City in the United Kingdom!

There are 112 parks in Edinburgh. There are also more trees than the entire population of the City!  Officially, this is also the greenest city in the entire United Kingdom! This isn’t surprising because of a 49.2% total green space in the City. More greens mean less pollution, and with the right education, support, and focus from residents, this may influence nearby areas to follow the same, as well as lead the whole world into a more environment-friendly lifestyle.

 

5. A City’s Legacy with Animals

The World’s one and only knighted penguin Brigadier Sir Nils Olav III is a King Penguin who resides at the Edinburgh Zoo. His duties include being the mascot and colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian King’s Guard, as well as inspect the soldiers when they visit the City.

One unusual historical character to have passed through the portcullis gate would have to be an elephant! Yes, an elephant once lived in a Castle. Brought in from Sri Langka, this elephant was supposed to be used as a mascot by the Highlander Regiment in 1838. The elephant was kept inside the Edinburgh Castle for a number of years, drinking ale with the soldiers, keeping each other company.

The national animal of Scotland is a unicorn!  The Celtic mythical (and magical) creature is a symbol of purity and innocence, as well as power and masculinity. Legends and stories of the unicorn often revolved around the themes of chivalry and dominance, making this creature the national animal of Scotland.

Dolly the Sheep is one of Scotland’s greatest innovations, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. This cloning process has become very important most especially in preserving endangered species from becoming extinct.

 

6. Edinburgh’s World-Renowned Scientists

It’s very difficult to imagine life without the technology that we know today. Some of the inventions and theories include the television, dolly the sheep, the telephone, MRI Scanner, penicillin, a flushing toilet, and so much more.  The University of Edinburgh has honed the likes of Charles Darwin, Alexander Graham Bell, and David Hume. The world has been forever changed thanks to the inventions and scientists behind machines and inventions that made a difference in all our lives!

 

7. The City Landscape was formed by Nature a Glacier

The City owes much of its beauty to mother nature and the most recent Ice Age. The deep valleys on Cowgate and Nor’Loch were formed by moving ice sheets that shaped them.

The mountains that line the edge of the City are not mountains, they are in fact extinct volcanoes that have been dormant for over 350 million years. During their active years, they were a major part of forming the natural landscape of Edinburgh.

 

8. Scotland and Sewage

As Edinburgh was becoming a growing City, the increase in population started to cause overcrowding and unsanitary practices by the 18th Century. Tenement buildings were flooded with residents, with no sanitation provisions. Unfortunately, only the wealthy residents had running water, and the Waterborne diseases started to become common throughout the City. Edinburgh was once called “Auld Reekie” because of the stench that lingered all over the City from feces, blood, and corpses. There was no escape from the stench of death and waste as well as the smoke that came from coal fires that filled the City’s atmosphere.

Because the City was growing at such a rapid pace, so was the mortality rate that came with the inhumane living conditions of Edinburgh. This may shock you, so make sure you’re seated before you read the next bit. The Greyfriars, at first glance, may look like a refreshing grassy hill, but at its core is about 500,000 human bodies. Bones may find their way through the thin layer of soil above it.

 

9. Tallest Buildings & Listed Buildings

Aside from Churches and their towers, the tallest buildings in Edinburgh are tenement houses! One of them being the Martello Court, Muirhouse. This residence stands at 210 ft (64 m) high and with 23 floors. Located in Pennywell Gardens, north-west of the City, this residence is known as the Tower of Terror because of the high crime rate of the area around it. The Persevere and Citadel Courts, built in 1961 as part of the redevelopment of the area was designed with 10-story blocks each containing 40 units. Despite renovations in the 1980s, the colorful metal cladding has faded into miserable shades.

More than 75% of the buildings inside the World Heritage Site are listed for their historic or architectural importance. These comprise of the structures from the Old and New towns of Edinburgh.

 

10. Once The Capital, Not Always The Capital

It would make sense why Edinburgh is the Capital of Scotland, because of its pristine greens and lavish supply of history, but as it seems, it wasn’t always the case. The previous capital wasn’t even Glasgow! Scone was Scotland’s very first official capital which was where the Scottish Parliament was based since 1235. It is believed that the throne was only moved to Edinburgh Castle after King James I of Scotland was murdered in Perth by assassins in 1437, having a defensive location was then on really important because there have been growing attempts to overthrow those in power.