There’s no place in Scotland quite like Edinburgh. Whether you’re a royal enthusiast, a fanatic foodie or seasoned festival goer, Scotland’s capital city will not disappoint. Famous for its Military Tattoo and long standing history, Edinburgh is a hub of cultural activity and eclecticism. Take a stroll down the Royal Mall, or sit atop the extinct volcano; Arthur’s Seat after an epic trek, the city isn’t short of things to do and sights to see. Danielle Wilcock shares her experience of the Scottish capital, identifying some of the amazing sights to be seen and experiences to be had.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is an established part of the British Royal family’s estate portfolio.
The beautiful palace is the royal family’s official residence in Scotland and sees the Queen and many members of the royal family visit each summer.
The palace is even more famous for being the 16th-century home of the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots.
The oldest surviving part of the building, the northwestern tower, was built in 1529 as a royal apartment for James V and his wife, Mary of Guise.
The tours aren’t the cheapest but well worth doing, especially if you’re visiting Edinburgh for the first time.
The Royal Mile
The Royal Mile, built along a steep hill running from Holyroodhouse Palace up to the infamous clifftop castle, is highly recommended.
A stroll down the Mile undoubtedly brings about a sense of history and nostalgia; you cannot help but feel the overwhelming sense of medieval Edinburgh.
There are Gothic churches, ornate shops, delicious coffee stops, historic pubs, and dozens of small, courtyard spaces and intricate cobbled passageways, all of which branch off are from the main road.
They all offer a truly unique experience and often some very unexpected discoveries.
Secret stairways connect the town at varying levels only adding to the eclectic feel of the place.
The Mile is not to be underestimated, it’s a decent walk and if going uphill toward the castle, it does offer some resistance so be prepared for this and have on some sensible footwear (something we thankfully had the foresight to do).
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle has played a pivotal role in Scottish history, both as a royal residence and as a military stronghold.
The castle last saw military action in 1745; from then until the 1920s it served as the British army’s main base in Scotland.
The impeccable structure of the castle is not the only reason to visit, the views are truly remarkable.
The almost 360 view of Edinburgh is not to be missed when visiting this glorious city.
The beautiful café at the top the castle provides refreshments for all the family alongside some divinely authentic food.
We opted for some coffee and homemade butties, which resembled door stops as opposed to your typical sandwich.
Take your refreshments to one of the many outdoor seating areas and or indeed one of the many viewpoints that sit atop the castle.
If the weather is good as it was when we last visited, then you really cannot beat this experience for its views.
Festivals
Edinburgh is well known for its jam-packed all year around festival schedule.
Whether you love the arts, are mad about science, or relish the thought of getting lost in a good book, there is a festival for you.
Perhaps the most significant and well known is Edinburgh Fringe Festival, people quite literally come from all parts of the world to experience this highly eclectic, non-curated and tremendously diverse festival of the arts.
The Fringe, boasts reliably strong programmes, whether comedy, theatre, dance, circus, or caberet is your thing, the Fringe really does have it all and is an experience not to be missed. Other festivals include the Edinburgh Arts Festival, the Jazz & Blues Festival as well as the International Film Festival.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
An institution that’s guaranteed to sell out every year, the Tattoo is the Festival City at its most iconic and truly spectacular (no fireworks spared).
Against the floodlit backdrop of the infamous Edinburgh Castle, almost 1000 musicians, bag pipers, drummers, singers and highland dancers perform their military pageantry in front of a grand audience of 220,000 people over the three weeks.
Despite not experiencing this for ourselves (we missed the Tattoo just a week prior), we were told by many people whilst in Edinburgh about the marvelous experience it is.
Definitely on our bucket list and for those who didn’t know, the Tattoo are about to tour Australia.
Scotch Whiskey Experience
Located towards the top end of the Royal Mall, the Scotch whiskey experience is something absolutely worth doing when visiting Edinburgh.
The tour guides are both well versed and adept at answering all of your questions.
Venture inside the worlds largest Scotch Whiskey collection, where bottles are vehemently protected behind glass cabinets, some bottles date back hundreds of years. Those wanting to venture out and see some Scottish countryside you should head up the coast.
50 Speyside distilleries are only a short drive away and produce the iconic Scotch whisky.
The shop that’s affiliated to the experience tour is quite amazing, we took several trinkets and whiskey testers home among many bits and bobs for our friends and family, it’s safe to say you will not be short of gift inspiration.
UNESCO Site
Both the Old and New Town of Edinburgh, make up much of the city’s centre.
They are jointly considered a UNESCO World Heritage site, which makes exploring them on foot a joy.
The two distinct areas are contrasting in architecture and style, the Old Town is dominated by the medieval fortress, while the New Town is notable as an example of Georgian city planning.
Both are still strikingly intact and form a living example of how urban planning developed throughout the centuries in Europe.
We found just grabbing a coffee and taking a stroll, was a beautifully simple and inexpensive way to enjoy Edinburgh for all its authenticity and grand history.
Arthur’s Seat
Holyrood Park, a 640 acre Royal Park adjacent to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, is a short walk from Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in the heart of the city.
The parks highest point is Arthur’s Seat, an ancient inactive volcano that sits 251m above sea level giving excellent view of the city.
It’s also the site of a large and well preserved fort which is one of four hill forts dating from around 2000 years ago.
If the weather is good as it was when we last visited, then you really cannot beat this experience for its views and its peaceful tranquility.
