Edinburgh had been on my travel list ever since I first visited the UK in Summer of 2011. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to venture outside of England in that trip so I made sure that this time when I was traveling for work to London, I used my weekends to see more of the UK. And Edinburgh makes for a perfect weekend getaway from London. Especially after a crazy work week.

If your notion of Scotland consists of Scotch whisky, tea and shortbread cookies, bagpipers, Tartan, Kilt, Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, castles, palaces and history, then Edinburgh delivers. And it does a very good job too. I was more than impressed by how much this city had to offer in terms of not only history and architecture but also culture. Edinburgh has the perfect balance of history with medieval relics, Gothic churches and modern life with contemporary avant-garde. In fact, I loved Edinburgh so much that I went back to Scotland on subsequent weekends to explore Glasgow and Inverness.

The only thing that really sucked about my trip was the timing. I ended up in Edinburgh right after the Fringe festival and military Tattoo had just ended. During the summer, Edinburgh turns into a festival city with August being the busiest month for festival goers here. If you’re visiting the UK or Scotland in the summer, make sure to take this into account while planning your dates for Edinburgh.

How long to stay

Edinburgh makes for a perfect weekend getaway for those visiting from London. If you want to take it easy, maybe add an extra day. For those planning on visiting other cities in Scotland, I would recommend adding a day or two for Glasgow and then go up to Scottish Highlands for a 3-4 days trip. You should give yourself at least a week or 10 days to cover Scotland properly.

Getting there and getting around

If you’re coming in from outside of the UK to Edinburgh, you’re more likely to land in Edinburgh International airport. The airport is connected to the city center via a bus and tram service.

Since I was coming from London and had a Brit Rail pass, I took the train to Edinburgh Waverly station. The train station is very centrally located between old and new towns and near all the tourist attractions. For those planning on coming from London, there is a train leaving from London’s Kings Cross every half an hour until 6:30 pm and it can take anywhere between 4:30-5 hours to reach Edinburgh. I took the last train after work and reached Edinburgh late at night. Since I got the Brit Rail pass, I didn’t have to pay anything extra for the tickets. But I looked up online just before catching the train to see how much a last minute ticket would have costed – a shocking GBP 90 one-way. My coworkers in London office told me that the cheapest tickets for London -> Edinburgh cost GBP 16 and you can find them 2-24 weeks in advance. For those planning to avoid paying for the night in Edinburgh, there is also an option to take an overnight train called Caledonian Sleeper which runs from London’s Euston station and takes about 8 hours. This train has both sleeper berths as well as seated carriage. For those holding Brit rail pass, you can use them to reserve tickets on the sleeper train too.

If you are wandering around the city for the first time, chances are you will be covering Old Town and New Town only since all the tourist attractions are present in that area. All this part of the town is very walkable and you don’t need to rely on public transportation much. Do note that the Edinburgh castle is up on a hill so there might be some uphill walk required but they are definitely worth the views. I actually had so much fun walking throughout the city and soaking in the lovely atmosphere. But, if you do need to take the public transportation, be ready for disappointment (especially for those coming from London). The network is not super extensive and relies mostly on buses and tram. In fact, the system is run by 2 bus companies Lothian and First and their tickets, fare structures and route numbers are not interchangeable. And the worst part, it’s all cash only. You need to buy ticket from the driver directly and must give them the exact change. One ticket costs GBP 1.7 and an all-day pass for GBP 4.

For the worst case scenario, when you arrive late at night (like me) and there is no public transportation, you can always use Uber. I actually used Uber twice and it didn’t cost me a lot.

Where to stay

If you want to be close to all the touristy things, I would recommend staying in either the old or the new town. Since I was traveling right after the high festival season, it was hard to fight cheap accommodation in old town or new town. Apparently, things get booked out very early for the summers. However, I did manage to find a decent Airbnb where I had a private room just outside of Old town (Haymarket) for $60/night. So, if you know you’re traveling to Edinburgh, start looking at the hotel room or Airbnb asap as things get booked very early on.

What to buy

Princes (Yes, that’s the correct spelling – It’s not princess since it was dedicated plural-ly and not possessively for King George III’s sons) street, Victoria Street and Royal Mile can be great avenues for some retail therapy. All these 3 streets are hard to miss since many of the tourist attractions are located either on them or just near them.

In fact, my Harry Potter fans should take a stroll down Victoria street which was the inspiration for “Diagon Alley”. Admire the bright color stores all around.

Princes Street gives you a good view of Old Town and Edinburgh on one side while the other side has all the shops.

Royal Mile which connects the Edinburgh castle with Palace of Holyrood house is where you can go traditional souvenir shopping and “Made in Scotland” clothing or traditional Scottish wear.

Some of the local specialties that people usually end up buying:

• Kilts in every Tartan pattern – A real kilt can cost anywhere between GBP 300-400 and is made from heavy wool. Anything cheaper is probably a bogus thin one. But if you don’t mind that, you can find decent ones for 60-100 GBP.
• Full traditional outfit – This consists of kilt, sporran, jacket, garters shirt and shoes.
• Scotch Whiskey – Contrary to what you would think, the prices for Scotch in Edinburgh are not necessarily cheaper than what you would find back home. The only difference is you will see a lot more options than what you are used to seeing since a lot of Scotch Whisky is not exported worldwide. But if you want something that is a good deal, then buy them from Grocery stores or Duty free shops at the airport.
• Shortbread – You can buy exotic ones here from gourmet bakeries or you can be cheap like me and buy them from Marks & Spencer which was equally good.

What to see or do

First thing first: If Edinburgh is one of the many stops in your Scotland itinerary, I would highly recommend getting a Historic Scotland Membership and Explorer pass. These passes are good for a year and cost GBP 40 for adults and 30 for full-time students. They provide you free unlimited entry to 70+ attractions all over Scotland. In Edinburgh, you can use them for Edinburgh castle. If you’re just visiting Edinburgh, you can skip it though.

I limited most of my sightseeing to old and new town and only left that area to check out the Royal Yacht Britannia. Here is what I did in a logical and practical order:

Edinburgh castle

Start your sightseeing with the most iconic castle in Scotland. This castle is situated on the highest point in the old town and at the beginning/end of the Royal Mile. It is pretty huge and involves a lot of walking. Make sure to buy the tickets for the castle online to not only save you some money but also guarantee admission to the castle for a specific time slot. They do have free guided tours where they take you around most (and not all) of the popular sites within the fortress and give you historical information. You can also get good views of the city from here. If you are here during the summer, make sure to check out the military tattoo.

The Scotch Whisky Experience

Even if you are not a big Scotch fan, I think you should still visit this attraction since you are in home of Scotland’s first/national drink. You will learn about the history and practice of Whisky distilling, smelling different whisky and identifying where they come from and in the end you also get to sample some of them. It is no surprise that this place also hosts the world’s largest collection of Scotch Whisky which you get to see during your tour. They have a lot of different options for you to choose from when it comes to kind of tour. I think the best value is in the Silver tour or the Gold tour (if you love Whiskey).

Greyfriars Kirkyard

Okay, don’t judge me for recommending a graveyard to visit. It’s not just any ordinary graveyard, mind you. If you have watched Disney movies, you will remember it as the home of Greyfriars Bobby. There is a statue of Bobby nearby too. Tour guides and book may tell you that rubbing his nose will bring you good luck. I am not sure how much of that is true. But the locals really appreciate if you don’t do so since it is damaging the statue.

National Museum of Scotland

If you want see the best of Scotland’s heritage then this is the place to be. The museum’s architecture in itself is worthy of your visit. There is an impressive airy Victorian atrium with Millennium Clock at its end. Make sure to be around when the clock chimes. The best part about the museum: It’s free to visit.

St. Giles’ Cathedral

This historic City church of Edinburgh is definitely a stop as you walk on the Royal Mile.

Scottish Parliament

One of my favorite things to do in any country is visit its Parliament. This gives you a good insight to country’s history and politics. Most of the time the building itself is very impressive and I love how the architecture integrates elements from the country’s history and traditions. Since it’s open to public and free to visit, go check out the assembly hall from inside and see if you scan spot how the map of Scotland has been incorporated into its design. Also, if you are interested in watching the Parliament in session, you can buy the free tickets beforehand.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Located at the end of the Royal Mile that connects the Edinburgh castle with the palace, this palace is the royal residence of the Queen when she visits Edinburgh. It’s possible to go inside and do a self-guided tour of the castle when the Queen isn’t there. They also have an art gallery called Queen’s Gallery that houses some of the masterpieces from the Royal Collection. Make sure if you are visiting the Palace, you get your tickets stamped since it is possible to revisit it again within a year.

Scotts Monument

This Gothic spire monument is the best way to get a good view of Edinburgh castle. You can climb up 200 f.t to enjoy 360 degree views of Old and New town. The best part, it only costs GBP4 which is way cheaper than what you would pay for similar “Climb up to the top and get a view” attractions.

Scottish National Gallery

Make sure to visit this free gallery where Scotland’s fine artwork is kept along with a seasonal global exhibition.

Royal Yacht Britannia

This is the farthest of all the attractions which are scattered all over old and new town. Since I didn’t carry any cash with me, I just called an Uber to get here from New Town. This royal yacht is not like any other luxury yacht you may have seen or been on. It’s almost like a palace that is floating in sea/ocean. Since it is decommissioned from the royal use, you can now tour the royal apartments and all the gifts received by the royal family from foreign dignitaries onboard. I was just impressed by the interiors so much that for a moment you don’t even realize that you are not on a yacht but a palace itself. Just a heads up, make sure to check out their opening timings before you visit since the last entry happens usually 1.5 hours before closing.

What to eat

I am not gonna lie that I was very familiar with Scottish food before this trip. I had heard of some of the dishes but not all. Hence, I was very excited to learn about the Scottish food from my coworkers in London and then check them out in Edinburgh. Based on my experience, Scottish food is very meat heavy (beef and lamb heavy to be precise) so I couldn’t try a lot of options. But the Scottish desserts are totally something that I binged on. These desserts comprise of ingredients that represent country’s produce growers, dairy farmers and whiskey makers. Here are some of the must eat Scottish food items based on my reading, experiencing in Edinburgh and trying most of them:

Full Scottish (breakfast)

Scotland’s take on the traditional English breakfast (often referred to as Full English) – You get eggs, black pudding (mix of suet, oats, barley, spices, blood stuffed onto a protein casing served like a sausage), tattie scones, Lorne sausage, baked beans, toast, fried mushrooms and grilled tomatoes. This can be served with a side of yoghurt, cereal, fresh fruit, and tea or coffee. I asked my Scottish Airbnb host if this is what they had daily and he had a good laugh. He said this was more of a weekend brunch thing or a tourist thing.

Porridge (breakfast)

Another breakfast favorite among the locals. It is made by mixing oats, water and salt and then cooking it over heat and stirring with wooden spurtle. You can add nuts, berries, milk, sugar to it or eat it as is. I actually loved eating a warm bowl of porridge when I was in the UK. It felt like a filling and healthy breakfast on cold and raining mornings.

Haggis

Scotland’s national dish. To be honest with you, it sounds very disgusting when you learn what it comprises of and how it is made but it didn’t taste that bad when you try it. Traditionally, Haggis was made by boiling the mixture of onions, oatmeal, suet (beef or mutton fat), spices and offal (organ meat) of a sheep, pig or cow in the stomach of the slaughtered animals. But thankfully, this is not the case anymore. Contemporary kitchens use a synthetic casing. They even have a vegetarian version available. Haggis is usually served with Turnips and mashed potatoes.

Scotch Pie

A meat pie that has hard crusty pastry shell and is filled with minced meat. It makes for perfect snack while strolling through the streets.

Bridie

This meat pie is made from shortcrust pastry and filled with filling made up of minced beef, onions and seasoning.

Scotch Egg

You have to be living under a rock if you have never head of these. This iconic dish is essentially a hard-boiled egg bread crumbed with sausage meat. One of my favorite appetizers when it comes to Scottish food.

Cranachan

A local dessert made with raspberries, whipped cream, honey, and toasted oats. There is an option to add whiskey too.

Tablet

So this is like the Scottish version of fudge. It’s slightly brittle compared to fudge since it’s beaten for a long time while it sets. I tried a bunch of different flavors and they were all really good. You can even buy some to take back home.

Clootie dumpling

This classic Scottish dessert is essentially a sweet pudding made with fried fruit, suet, sugar, flour, breadcrumbs, milk, golden syrup and is topped with cream and whiskey.

Ibn Bru

Scotland’s non-alcoholic national drink. Apparently, it is the only one local drink that has had the record to outperform Coke in sales in its country. Some say it’s a good cure for hangover too and I can vouch for it after going not so easy on Whisky tasting on an empty stomach.

Elephant House Café – Not really an extraordinary cafe but a must visit for all the Harry Potter fans. It was here where J.K. Rowling did much of her writing for the Happy Potter series. Go check out the back room where she sat and had a great view of old Greyfriar’s graveyard. If you look carefully, you might see a grave with “Thomas Riddell”, which apparently was the inspiration for Tom Riddle’s character.

 

Overall, I was very happy with my trip to Edinburgh. I came back fully recharged and rejuvenated to take on the busy work week ahead in London. Have you been to Edinburgh? What are your favorite things to see, do or eat there? How were you able to save some money while traveling there?