Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and the 2nd most populated city in Scotland. Edinburgh is full of history. It has a medieval Old Town and a Georgian New Town with plenty of gardens to relax in from the hustle and bustle of the streets. The gardens are surrounded by beautiful neoclassical buildings. The city is a photographer’s paradise. No matter which direction you look, there is always a great photo opportunity. My camera was constantly clicking away.
I love visiting Edinburgh. I have been lucky enough to visit it 4 times. Each visit has been just as good as the first visit. There is always something new to see and something different to capture on camera. One of my favourite things to do is to climb up Arthur’s Seat. The views across the city are fantastic. I believe it is one of the ‘must-dos’ when you visit the city of Edinburgh.
Accommodation
On my most recent visit to Edinburgh, we stayed in the Mercure Edinburgh Hotel. The hotel was in a fantastic location. It was located on Princes Street, opposite Scott Monument, in New Town. Princes Street is the main shopping street in Edinburgh, perfect if you love doing a bit of shopping while on holiday.
Rooms
The rooms were basic and very dated. We also found the walls very paper-thin too. You could hear what the people were watching on TV in the room next to you.
Bar/Restaurant
The bar and restaurant were lovely and very modern looking, with great views looking out onto Princes Street. You could see Edinburgh Castle and Scott Monument while enjoying a lovely buffet breakfast or a drink in the evening. The breakfasts were good, plenty of choices, including Haggis, if you were after trying some local food. The bar staff was great too. We mentioned we were here celebrating our 4 year anniversary. They gave us a free drink each to celebrate. Thank you, Mercure.
If you are after a hotel in the centre, you would like a good view while enjoying a tasty breakfast and you are not planning on spending much time in your room, then this hotel is perfect for you. Who needs a fancy hotel room if you are out all day exploring the city?!
Things To See and Do
Combining all 4 visit’s, here are the top things to see and do in Edinburgh:
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile, located in the Old Town, is a mile-long street that goes from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. The street is full of tourist shops, bagpipe players, bars, and restaurants.
Victoria Street
Victoria Street is one of Edinburgh’s most photographed spots. The street was built between 1829 and 1834 and was originally called Bow Street. The name changed to Victoria Street when Queen Victoria took the throne, in 1837. Today, the street is full of colourful, neo-classical buildings with little independent shops inside.
Are you a Harry Potter fan? JK Rowling got her inspiration for Diagon Alley from Victoria Street. As you walk down the street, you will see Ollivanders in the form of Diagon House.
Calton Hill
Calton Hill is a small hill, located at the east end of Princes Street. The hill is only a small hill to walk up. At the top, you will be rewarded with some great views of Edinburgh. Not only that, but you also get to see some iconic Scottish monuments too.
Here are some of the iconic Scottish monuments you will get to see:
The Acropolis
The acropolis looks just like the Athenian acropolis. The acropolis is an unfinished monument that was meant to be a replica of the Parthenon in Athens, as a memorial to those who had died in the Napoleonic Wars.
Nelson Monument
The Nelson Monument, what looks like an upturned telescope, was built between 1807 and 1816 to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson who died at the Battle of Trafalgar, in 1805. Now, there is a viewing platform at the top, costing ÂŖ6 each to visit it.
City Observatory
The City Observatory was the main centre for astronomers until 1896. Due to too much light pollution in the city centre, spoiling the view of the night sky, they decided to move it over to Blackford.
Old Observatory House
The old observatory house is an 18th-century building. It was originally built as a family house. The house was used by the astronomers for a short while. The property is now rented out and is not open to the general public.
White Horse Close
White Horse Close is a great photographer’s location. A picturesque group of buildings, located at the bottom of Canongate, Royal Mile. As you step into White Horse Close, it feels like you are stepping through history. However, that is not quite true. The place was heavily restored in the 1960s, enhancing the typical Scottish features. The enhanced the crow-stepped gables. pantiled roofs and the foresters. Since it has been restored, there had been a lot of mixed opinions on it. One person described it as, ‘so blatantly fake that it can be acquitted of any intention to deceive’.
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is open free to visitors. You get either get yourself booked on a guided tour or you can take a tour on by yourself. When we arrived there was an optional 10-minute introduction talk. This was very informative; I highly recommend it.
If you are feeling a little peckish on your visit, there is a little cafe on site. My partner and I opted for lunch here. The cafe has a nice, small selection of food and drinks to choose from.
For more information about the Scottish Parliament, please check out their website: The Scottish Parliament.
Arthur’s Seat
Arthur’s Seat is one of my favourite things to do when visiting the City of Edinburgh. Arthur’s Seat is part of Holyrood Park, located at the bottom of the Royal Mile. Arthur’s Seat is an ancient volcano that sits 251-metres above sea level, providing an excellent view of the city.
To climb the 251-metre ancient volcano, you have a choice of a few different paths to take. We decided to take up the easy route, the blue route. The climb to the summit and back down again will take you around 2 hours to complete. There is a car park located at the foot of the hill where the blue route starts, just off Queen’s Drive.
Here is a great website showing the different routes, which you can take to the summit: Arthur’s Seat.
Vennel Street
If you after a good photo of Edinburgh’s Castle, this is the street to go to. Climb up the steps and then look behind you. You should see the picture I’ve taken below, for yourself.
Dean Village
The Dean Village is a beautiful, green oasis on the Water of Leith. If you want a break from the hustle and bustle of streets, this is the place to go. It is only a short walk from Princess Street. While visiting Dean Village, I recommend a walk along Miller Row. It is a lovely path that runs along the side of the Water of Leith, surrounded by trees, flowers, and monuments.
Royal Botanic Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens is one of the world’s leading botanic gardens. The 70-acre of gardens is free to look around. If you want to visit any of their 10 greenhouses, it will cost you ÂŖ7.00 of one adult ticket. My partner and I only had the chance to see a very small part of their gardens.
If you are feeling peckish while walking around their gardens, there is a lovely cafe on site. I enjoyed a lovely slice of cheesecake and a good cup of coffee.
For more information about the gardens, please visit their website: Royal Botanic Gardens.
Royal Yacht Britannia
The Royal Yacht Britannia is one of Edinburgh’s ‘must-see’ attractions. It has been rated as Scotland’s Best Attraction by VisitScotland for 12 years running. After visiting myself, I now understand why it has been voted Scotland’s Best Attraction.
The Britannia was launched on the 16th April 1953 and sailed for over 44 years, carrying the Royal Family for more than a million nautical miles around the world. She became one of the most famous ships in the world.
On the tour, you get a free audio headset. As you explore all 5 decks, the audio headset explains each area of the ship. You learn about how the 220 crew used to live and work on the yacht. You get to see the rooms where the Queen use to sleep, work, and relax. There is even a mini-hospital on-board! One room that I found very interesting was the laundry room. The number of different clothes press machines they had. They had a sleeve press, a shirt collar, and cuff press, a general-purpose press, and more.
To visit there is free parking in the Ocean Terminal car park. You access the entrance to the Britannia inside the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. An adult ticket cost ÂŖ16.50 and a child ticket cost ÂŖ8.75. Under 5s get in for free. You will need to allow around 2 hours for your visit.
If you are feeling peckish while you are on your visit around the Britannia, they have a lovely Tea Room on-board. The Royal Deck Tea Room sells a small selection of sandwiches, cakes, and drinks, with great views over the Port of Leith. My partner and I enjoyed a delicious sandwich, cake, and coffee each.
For more information, please check out their website: Royal Yacht Britannia.
Leith
Leith is part of Edinburg’s new waterfront development. The beautiful port district is home to the Royal Yacht Britannia, lots of shops and great restaurants.
If you are planning a trip to visit the Britannia, I highly recommend walking into the centre of Leith. It will take you less than 15 minutes to walk from the Ocean Terminal to the centre of Leith.
Edinburgh Zoo
Have you ever seen penguins parade past you on your footpath? At 2.15 pm, Edinburgh Zoo holds a penguin parade. They take their penguins out of the enclosure and allow them to walk along the footpath. It is fantastic to see and the only place in the world that does it.
The zoo may be famous for its penguin parade, however, the zoo its self is fantastic too. They have giant pandas, koalas, kangaroos, Scottish wildcats, red pandas, and many more. Edinburgh Zoo is one of the best zoos I have ever visited in the world.
If you know when you are planning on visiting, it is worth booking your tickets online, as you will save money. An adult ticket online cost ÂŖ17.95. If you pay when you arrive, an adult ticket will cost you ÂŖ19.95.
For more information about ticket prices, opening times and the animals they have, please visit their website: Edinburgh Zoo.
