These 19 tips to know before visiting Edinburgh are what I wish I knew before my trip to Edinburgh, Scotland.
Hopefully these travel tips will help you from making some of my mistakes when traveling through Edinburgh!
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31 Comments
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Where can I find the train tickets? I'm going to edinburg from London but I'm kind of lost about it
I like the efficiency of these videos
Thank you for the tips! Going to Edinburgh end of the month !
Hey bro. Loved the video. Great energy. Compact info . Efficient. Were from NY heading to Scotland in August. 3days Edinburgh. 3Days Glascow, and a random as of now still unplanned 6 days in the Highlands. Cheers!
Several other places to visit-Camera Obscura (opened in 1853 and became the most popular tourist site in the city). It is right near the castle and has six floors of optical illusions, light displays, mazes, and of course, the live camera in the observatory at the top, plus great views of the city on the roof. The other is a tour of Mary King’s Close, and how people used to live in the 17th century. It is in an alley way only open to tour through the company that runs it. It’s only an hour tour but gives you a taste of life in the lower classes and how they handled the plague (Edinburgh went through 11 different times of dealing with the plague). Also, Dean Village is very small, so you would never spend more than an hour max there-but the walk from there along the Leith River to the neighborhood of Stockbridge is worth the time. I agree about the cheese monger’s shop in Stockbridge. And it’s only a 30 min. walk back up to the main part of Edinburgh. Also, it is Carlton Hill with an “r.” It has Nelson’s Monument along with a few other important memorials. The Royal Mile is better at the lower end near Holyrood Palace, away from all the bag pipe players and crowds. And you forgot to mention Greyfriar’s Bobby, the grave of both the dog and his master, John Gray. Bobby became famous because after his owner passed away, he spent the next 14 years sitting on his grave every day until he passed away. It is the second most popular tourist site after the castle. People come from all over the world to see it as the story is quite famous.
I feel you didn’t go to the right places. London is an amazing food city. From Michelin starred places to street vendors. I live up north and Manchester is a fab food city, as well as Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool. You seem like the kinda guy who enjoys more ‘local culture’ – honestly the best I’ve had in the UK, have been in those places you wouldn’t expect. I’ve recently been to Japan where I expected an amazing array of various dishes. The food was good, but perhaps not as good as we could have had. Turns out family mart and 7eleven is their ‘go to’. Keep an open mind as superficial first glances doesn’t sum up a countries cuisine or our offering.
Fur locals it's mair like EMBRA
Does the train from Edinburgh to London provide a beautiful scenery, our is it cut straight through the cities?
Wonderful video. Thank you for your great tips. I loved the way you explained. Fast, short, and to the point. 5*. Subscribed. 🥳🥰👏
Your biggest mistake is not exploring the Highlands and Isle of Skye. Which is the most common mistake most visitors to Scotland make.
Bruh when I went to Scotland people were calling it Ed-in-burg not Ed-in-bruh
Speaking of hikes in Scotland, Pentlands is a (45ish? minute) bus ride away from Princes St, and the hike near the William Wallace monument in Stirling is a 30ish minute bus ride away.
Do not touch or fondle any part of any statue for "luck". No matter what a brain-dead "tour guide" tells you, it's hideously unlucky for those of us who live here and have to pay to have things like Greyfriars Bobby's nose re-patinated.
august 18-24!
Great video. It's always nice to see people who visit Edinburgh have such kinds words to say. As someone who has lived there all their life it's easy to forget all that it has to offer.
A few additional tips for visitors:
The National Museum of Scotland on Chamber St (About 2 minutes walk from the Royal Mile) is well worth a visit, especially if you get some bad weather and need to get away from the rain! You can easily spend a few hours there.
Botanic Gardens – Again, not far away from the town centre (You can walk downhill in 15 minutes from Princes St, but the walk back up is a tough one so maybe catch a bus back up).
To expand on the water of leith, the walkway goes all the way from the shore up to Balerno. If you hire a bike it's well worth a cycle. I think it's about 12 miles long and a lot of the route is beautiful and very peaceful.
Avoid: the bus tours, they are a con. You can just use Lothian Buses (that go all over the city) and get a day saver for a fraction of the price. A day saver lets you hop on and off all Lothian Buses for that day.
If you go anywhere to eat on the Royal Mile you'll pay more for your meal, if you look about a bit you can get better meals for a more reasonable price.
Thankyou for your tips and advice !! I agree – visit Edinburgh !!
Trains are like, 2x more expensive than some flights 😂
I would second your suggestion to plan on spending significant time in Edinburgh. . . . .and Glasgow, and maybe points nearby. London is a quality destination and easier to get a trans-Atlantic flight to and from. But if I had it to do over I would go straight to Scotland and save London for another time.
I would also agree that public intercity transportation is better and easier than in the U.S. and a car is not necessary. I've got friends that rent away and have no trouble. But I would be stressed remembering to drive on the wrong side of the road.
If you are wanting to stay on a budget, look at the Leith area for accommodation and hotels. It's at the North of the city and between the beach district of Portobello and a short tram hop to the city centre £2 Single/£3.80 return and 10 mins distance. Leith Shore is also a quaint but vibrant harbour area, which has also been voted one of the world's best neighbourhoods by Loney Planet, and home to three restaurants that have been awarded Michelin Stars. Yes… visit the Royal Mile area but don't eat/stay around there, as you will be paying inflated prices geared towards tourists. Plus it gets extremely busy and noisy. Stay and eat outside the centre when you can, otherwise you will miss some fantastic food, drink and entertainment.
The Old Town (Royal Mile and area) is definitely for history, architecture etc.. but you'll find inflated food/drink and accommodation prices (they are nice though, especially if you want a romantic night out and don't mind paying a premium).
The New Town (Princes St/St Andrews Square area): Perfect for shopping (St James Qtr./Multrees Walk/George St) and some very fancy cocktail bars).
Haymarket: a nearby local's haunt for some traditional bars/restaurants, but more of a business/corporate area for commuters to Edinburgh for work.
Stockbridge: Great for wandering around, visiting independent retailers, breakfast & brunch. Also a great place to start a venture along the Water Of Leith ( you might spot some cleverly placed Anthony Gormely statues in the river itself.
Leith Shore: Great for relaxing at the harbour with some sublime seafood and great beer & wine… taking in the relaxed port-side atmosphere, sitting at the dock and watching the swans and wild-birds swimming in the river.
Leith Walk: Fantastic for an afternoon stroll and popping in and out the cafe's, bakeries etc.
Morningside: Great for lunch/dinner and a short stroll to the Meadows for a relaxing walk near Edinburgh Uni.
Bruntsfield/Newington: The place if you want an international buzz and vibrancy of late-night eateries, lively student bars etc.
The Cowgate/Grassmarket: The place to venture to for night-time entertainment, dinner, pubs & night-clubs. Very busy at the weekend.
Portobello & Beach: on a hot day for a peaceful stroll along the Seafield beach, relaxation at the man-made beach towards the town/the town area and some great boardwalk eateries and ice-creams. You also get a stunning view of the Firth of Forth and Fife on a clear day.
Spending 2 weeks in Edinburgh at the end of this year, I"m very excited!
Where you ate the charcuterie are you allowed to drink wine in public?
Went to London and Edinburgh a couple of years ago. London is so pretty but Edinburgh was the best surprise ever! I cannot wait to go back!
But how can i get good train ticket offer? Aren't flights far cheaper than trains?
Brilliant summary. Thank you for such a lovely tribute to the city
What was the name of the restaurants you would like to try with reservations and the name of the cheese place for the board??? 7/2024 😊
Tricks for visiting ALL foreign nations: wear subdued clothes, neat, trim and no identifiers on shirts, jackets, hats. Speak softly around locals and smile inanely. To all their barbed political nonsense, again smile inanely, say “ Let me think about that and I’ll get back to you” then don’t. Expect poor service, and smile because you won’t be leaving a USA level tip. Remember they all want to rob you so wear your money pouch around your neck and under a shirt, no bulge! Again, speak little as well as softly. You won’t please these people most of the time anyway, so take my advice and don’t worry about anything else. One more thing: when you spend all that extra time AND MONEY just to expose yourself to their picky crap, TRULY ASK YOURSELF if you really need to go there because of something SO SPECIFIC, you couldn’t just see it CLOSER TO HOME and AVOID all this pomposity and whining. If you HAVE TO SEE MONA AT THE LOUVRE, FINE. But if it’s something, like a beach or similar, STAY HOME, SAVE MONEY, SAVE THE BALOGNA!
Great overview. Dean Village / Water of Leith are great spots but quite hidden away. Mary's Milk Bar…tick. And also Mellis's cheese shop is OUTSTANDING!!!!
Useful tips. thank you so much!
The scenery alone speaks volumes
What a great review. I live nearby, going into Edinburgh frequently, and you have hit the mark on all counts. Edinburgh is definitely walkable, but there are quite a lot of long staircases up and down either side of the ridge that forms the Royal Mile and you'll need to pace yourself if you are anything less than 100% fit. Another recommended place for good food at a reasonable price is Grassmarket. During the Festival you also get some good street entertainment if you want to avoid the grind of the High Street end of the Royal Mile