Can anyone suggest some "must do" things in Edinburgh ?

Question

I'll be there for a week

Answer 1

Walk up Arthers Seat (great view of the city).

Visit the Scotts monument (£3 and worth it. Weird stairs, great view).

Edinburgh castle is OK, not really a must do.

Walk down the Royal Mile.

Wander the new town.

Wander the old town.

Go on a hop on, hop off tour bus. Easiest way to see the city.

Answer 2

If you buy an Edinburgh Pass it will save you LOTS of money. You can get into over 30 top attractions at no extra charge. The pass currently costs £24 for one day, £36 for two days, or £48 for three days. That may sound like quite a lot, but when you see what you are saving it's extremely worthwhile - especially if you intend to visit a lot of places. It also gives you free unlimited travel on any Lothian bus around the city.

Answer 3

shopping make sure you take in some shopping out of the city center. the zoo is good, wldnt do the castle its just military history the palace is better.

Answer 4

• In no particular order

Edinburgh Castle

A must see. Queues get very busy in summer so you'll save a lot of time by booking tickets in advance through the official Edinburgh Castle website http://www.edinbu...

Royal Botanic Garden

70 acres of beautifully manicured lawns and flowers: a perfect outing for a sunny afternoon.

Guildford Arms Good Pub

Museum of Scotland

Museum delineating the history and culture of Scotland from the Stone Age to the present.

Camera Obscura and World of Illusions A unique image of Edinburgh is displayed on the fascinating Camera Obscura. On the way to the main attraction you will experience a number of visual treats, including stunning views of the

Royal Yacht Britannia

One of the world's most famous ships in British maritime history can now be boarded for tours.

Scott Monument

A 200-foot spire dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, the famous Scottish poet.

Royal Mile

Stretch of road connecting Edinburgh Castle with Holyrood Palace, the Queen's residence in Scotland.

Edinburgh Playhouse A traditionally styled 3 tier theatre with over 3000 seats, offering a broad range of shows ranging from visiting West End performances, dance, musicals, comedians to events staged by local theatre groups..

New Town Bar g*y bar

The Cabaret Voltaire Good Club

Pear Tree House Good Student Pub

Cafe Royal Circle Bar Tourist bar

Greyfriars Church

Historical church famous for its cemetery where Bobby, a loyal terrier, kept watch over his master's grave for 14 years.

Holyrood Park

Holyrood Park, also known as the Queen's Park since it is still owned by the monarchy, contains some interesting attractions such as the remains of an ancient volcano, a bird sanctuary, the dramatic Salisbury Crags and three lochs or lakes.

Arthur's Seat

Located within the center of Edinburgh at Holyrood Park, the remains of this extinct volcano rise 823 feet making it a notable landmark of the city.

St. Giles Cathedral

This is the main church of The Church of Scotland.

Dean Gallery

Art gallery with an impressive collection of Dada and Surrealist art.

Castle Rock This massive rock towering over Edinburgh is the setting for Edinburgh Castle and serves as one of the most defining symbols of Scottish history.

Portobello Beach My local beach

Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre

Learn about the history of Scotland's national drink on a tour of this museum.

Edinburgh Hop on Hop Off Bus tour

Real Mary King's Close

A guided tour through a warren of hidden streets beneath the Royal Mile dating back to the 16th century: dramatic episodes from the past are recreated, including life in plague-ridden Edinburgh during the 17th century.

Our Dynamic Earth

Scotland's millennium dome and science museum, featuring several interactive exhibits for the whole family.

Leith My home area

Bow Bar

Small quiet bar with a large selection of whisky.

Museum of Childhood

The Filmhouse

A small, three-screened theater playing Scotland's most innovative independent films.

Butterfly and Insect World

Maggie Dickson's

This pub is named after a woman who survived the gallows, a punishment she received for allegedly murdering her newborn baby.

Old Town

Edinburgh's oldest neighborhood, dating back to medieval times: these small streets are lined with wool shops, pubs and historical monuments.

Craigmillar Castle Another castle in Edinburgh

Princes Street Gardens

Impeccably landscaped park and woodland surrounding Edinburgh Castle.

Jekyll & Hyde Pub

Fun, friendly pub named after Robert Louis Stevenson's famous story.

Princes Street

A busy street lined with shops, historic monuments and restaurants.

St. Margaret's Chapel

This stately chapel is the only original building left in the Edinburgh Castle complex.

Murrayfield Ice Rink

Want family-friendly entertainment that won't break your budget? Try ice skating at this rink.

Holyroodhouse Palace

This is an official residence of the Queen and the Royal Family.

Greyfriars Bobby Memorial

This memorial commemorates the loyal pooch who spent 14 years by his master's grave.

New Town

The modern face of Edinburgh, with lots of restaurants, pubs, museums and galleries.

Calton Hill

Historic neighborhood lined with monuments dating back to the Enlightenment.

Three Sisters

Large pub located in the Cowgate with an outdoor courtyard and a number of themed bar areas inside.

Hopetoun House

This historic building is known as "Scotland's finest stately home."

Jenner's

Ritzy department store selling everything from bedding to Edinburgh Crystal.

Charlotte Square

Considered to be one of the finest Georgian squares in Britain, this plaza has maintained many of its elegant, old buildings on all four sides.

George IV Bridge

Built between 1829 and 1832, this bridge or elevated street spans more than 1,000 feet in length, linking Chambers Street and the Royal Mile.

C. C. Bloom's g*y bar

Deacon Brodie's Tavern

Traditional bar in a prime location, on the historic Royal Mile, at the corner of the Lawnmarket and The Mound. Food is served throughout the day.

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Answer 5

If you are going soon then i would recommend taking in a show at the Fringe Festival, there are a good selection of both free and paid options to choose from.

The main attraction in Edinburgh to visit is the castle, there are also some good bars nearby which you may want to check out.

A couple of free things to do include the Botanical Gardens and the Museum of Scotland, both of which are in the city centre.

If you are looking for more ideas then visit either of these sites:

http://www.edinburgh.org

http://www.roomsinedinburgh.com

Answer 6

1)Leave

Answer 7

As well as sampling all the delights that Edinburgh has to offer, I also would recommend a day trip to Glasgow The journey time by train to Glasgow’s Queen Street Station (right in the hear of Glasgow) is about 50 minutes.

Scotland’s largest city is an exciting & vibrant city built on the banks of the River Clyde & set against a backdrop of outstanding Victorian architecture. The name Glasgow means “dear green place” and it is known for its spacious and relaxing parks and green areas – there are over 70 parks throughout the city. It has the best shopping in the United Kingdom outside London, and the most vibrant and exciting nightlife in Scotland. Unlike Edinburgh, where the Festival and Fringe is concentrated in a few weeks in the year, Glasgow has a year-round calendar of festivals and events.

Glasgow has the feel of a major European city, yet manages to retain a distinctive Scottish flavour whilst offering a warm welcome to visitors. It isn’t as compact as Edinburgh, and to get round the attractions you have to be prepared to walk and travel around by Underground and bus, but you’ll be richly rewarded as Glasgow has a lot to offer. Art and culture are important in Glasgow life where galleries and museums are in abundance. So, if you’re a culture vulture... visit the museums. Unlike Edinburgh – Entrance to all are FREE!! and they are open seven days a week!

Take the exit from Queen Street station onto George Square, and have a look at the magnificent City Chambers building, at one end of the Square. If you’ve time, you might want to take the 45min guided tours. They run twice daily at 10:30am & 2:30pm. No need to book and they’re FREE!

The following are what I think are Glasgow’s “must-see” attractions –most of them can be reached by the city’s subway (Underground) system, and the best bit? – they are FREE!!!

The Glasgow Underground is a convenient and fast way to travel from the City Centre to West End venues and several sites on the south of the River Clyde A single journey costs £1.00, a return ticket £2.00. A Discovery Ticket, gives you one day's unlimited travel after 9:30, all day Sundays for £1.90 – what a bargain!

1.In the west of the city, the not-to-be missed Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. In 2006, following a 3-year closure due to major refurbishment, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum of Glasgow re-opened, and within 6 months overtook Edinburgh Castle as Scotland's most popular tourist attraction!!! When you visit, you might be lucky to catch an organ recital in the magnificent main hall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwIhfuRZ0...

Whilst there you might care to visit the Museum of Transport in the Kelvin Hall, across the street.

2. On the south side of the city, the world famous Burrell Collection in Pollock Park was left in trust to the city by one of its most famous sons, Sir William Burrell.

3. In the old centre of the city, Provand's Lordship (Glasgow’s Oldest House, 1462), & Surrounds (including Glasgow Cathedral, Necropolis & St. Mungo Museum). Sadly, this all that’s left of Glasgow’s mediaeval architecture, but what gems they are!!

4. GoMA:   The Gallery of Modern Art,  housed in an elegant, neo-classical building in the heart of Glasgow city centre, is the second most visited contemporary art gallery outside London.

5. Glasgow Science Centre (including IMAX & Glasgow Tower):  This gleaming titanium crescent overlooking the Clyde has 3 floors packed with exhibits, cafes & shop. Explore & discover over 300 hands-on exhibits, interactive workshops, live science shows, labs, the Virtual Science Theatre, E-Learning Centre & ScottishPower Space Theatre, one of the finest planetaria in the world.  Take a 100m trip skyward to the Glasgow Tower cabin to enjoy great views over the city and surrounding countryside.

6. The People's Palace & Winter Gardens: The People's Palace is Glasgow's social history museum telling the story of the people &  city of Glasgow from 1750 to the present. A short walk from the heart of the City, it lies within the grounds of historic Glasgow Green. Whilst there, you will see Templetons Carpet Factory Building (now a business centre), which was modelled on the Doge’s Palace in Venice.

7. The recently refurbished Kibble Palace glasshouse, situated within the Botanic Gardens, is one of the most prestigious iron and glass structures remaining from the Victorian era.

8. Glasgow University & grounds, & Kelvingrove Park.

Glasgow University Tower is one of Glasgow`s most important landmarks as it is 85m (278 feet) high & is easily spotted from most parts of the city. It is possible to climb the tower, weather permitting, for a fabulous view of the city. As well as strolling around the ground, you may want to visit Scotland’s oldest public museum, the Hunterian, & the Mackintosh House.  In Kelvingrove Park, you might want to take a FREE ranger-led guided walk.

Walks are also available in the Botanic Gardens, & Glasgow Green.

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/P...

9. The Tenement House is an authentic 19th century Glasgow tenement house, the home, for over 50 years, of an ordinary lady who kept all sorts of things others would have thrown away.

10. The Mackintosh Ten (i.e. Mackintosh House, Willow Tea Rooms, Ruchill Church Hall, Queen's Cross Church, School of Art, Martyrs' Public School, the Lighthouse, Daily Record Building, Scotland Street School Museum, & House for an Art Lover). All of these buildings were designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. If you are a real CRM afficianado, you might want to take the Mackintosh Trail. You can stop for tea and scones at the Willow Tea Rooms. Take advantage of the one-day CRM Trail ticket. For £12, you get unlimited travel on the buses & Underground & entry to all participating Mackintosh attractions in & around Glasgow.

No visit would be complete without experiencing the city's shopping with high street stores, designer labels, and speciality outlets to explore, with welcome pit-stops in the first class cafe culture around the Italian Centre, Merchant Square, Gallery of Modern Art, and Princes Square.

If you’ve time or energy left, there are many clubs and bars worth a visit. http://www.10best.com/Glasgow,UK_-_Scotl...

Check this site out for some of Glasgow’s best cafes and restaurants

http://www.totaltravel.co.uk/travel/scot...

Sadly, you wouldn’t be able to do all of the above in a day trip, so why not come back and spend a week in Glasgow next time?? I will admit to a certain bias :o) as I’m a Glaswegian, but I’m willing to share my wonderful home city with you!

Oh... you might experience some language difficulties whilst you’re here... This phrase book might come in handy when you converse with the natives – braw!

http://www.rampantscotland.com/parliamo/...

Answer 8

Go to Frankensteins bar/club. Go to mary kings close? The edinburgh dungeons? The castle? And if you're coming shortly, well, the festivals on. Not exactly the highlight of our year as we can never go shopping or out in the town without the heaving amount of tourists. But there is loads on just now.  

Answer 9

If you are going in August then there are thousands of shows in the biggest arts festival in the world and it would be a shame not to see something. There's something for everyone covering all types of comedy, drama and music.

have a browse at http://www.edfringe.com/area.html?id=27

After that you are only left with a choice of the permanent attractions of one of the worlds favourite tourist destinations.

The most obvious is Edinburgh Castle, actually a whole series of buildings, museums and memorials as well as a military base. From there things to see are thick on the ground all the way down the Royal Mile. Camera Obscura, with great exhibits attached, Real Mary King's Close, the 'real' ghost tour, plus the many fun 'ghost' tours of Edinburgh. St Giles Cathedral, the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Palace are just examples of things to do. Away from the Royal Mile; Dynamic Earth, the Royal Botanic greenhouses and the Royal Yacht Brittania are just some of the things to see.

Tourism aside, you have the choice of many hills to climb, for fantastic views. Arthur's Seat is a huge hill right in the middle of the City, as is the smaller Calton Hill with the National Monument on top. If you prefer shops to views then Ocean Terminal and the St James Centre both have a wide range of stores, as does Europe's only one-sided main street (Princes Street, with the climb to the top of the Scott monument dominating the centre of the street) with the famous Jenners Department Store (a labryinth) and the nearby Harvey Nicholls. More niche individual stores are dotted around the City with a group, for example, in Victoria Street (Victoria Terrace is built on top of it - one of the sites in itself) having stores such as a cheesemonger you can smell from well away in the summer and a year round Christmas shop. Edinburgh Zoo is a day out in itself with many endangered species you would struggle to find elsewhere, with a recent slant towards Asian species.

At night you are spoiled for choice, just about every nationailty of restaurant exists in Edinburgh, including Jamaican, West Meditteranean, Kurdistani in addition to the more obvious 20 or 30. There are allegedly more pubs per head of population than in any other town in the UK, and the variety of choice of styles seems to increase because of this level of competition. the areas of the Grassmarket/Cowgate, George Street (including the Dome) and down in Leith are particularly popular.

You could easily pass a whole week in Edinburgh, but common days out are to St Andrews, or along the coast to the beaches and castles of East Lothian, and the museum of flight with its Concorde. Shorter journeys to Cramond Island (a causeway opens up away from high tide), or Roslin Chapel where the end of the Da Vinci code is set can all be achieved on local buses.

It can be expensive doing the usual tourist routine, and assuming you don’t have unlimited resources you will probably look at one of the multi-attraction passes, the best known is the ‘Edinburgh pass’. I've been asked about the value of these by many visitors and the best I've been able to respond is 'it depends' clearly if you run around mad it is a huge saving and well worth it, you can't possibly visit everything in 3 days, but could certainly pack in around £100 worth at a push. The key is I suppose, what do you WANT to see.

A first timer in Edinburgh over the three days of the pass might typically choose (in terms of paid attractons):

(Slightly history slanted)

Edinburgh Castle NOT INCLUDED

Camera Obscura £7.50

Holyrood House Palace NOT INCLUDED but gallery pass £5

Real Mary Kings Close NOT INCLUDED

One of the 'ghost' tours £7.50

Brittania NOT INCLUDED

A bus tour NOT INCLUDED

add the return airport bus £5 and one of the things the pass highlights (part of the point after all) such as the excellent Literary Pub Tour and you have a total of £35 - a loss on the 3-day pass, but you could do these in a day and save on the £24 one day ticket (but have to spend the £3 on the bus back to the airport)

or

(slightly fun/family slanted)

Edinburgh Castle NOT INCLUDED

Camera Obscura £7.50

Dungeons £11.95 but noone need pay this as discount vouchers are everywhere - £9.95

Real Mary Kings Close NOT INCLUDED

two ghost tours £15

Edinburgh Zoo £10.50

Dynamic Earth £8.95

add the return bus at £5 and you have a combined saving of an impressive £66.85 against the 3 day pass at £48. Note though if you are a family 2+2 group most attractions have a family ticket so the savings above will shrink quite a bit.

In both cases the Lothian bus pass is worth £2.50 a day as this is the cost of an unlimited bus day ticket

It all depends of course on what you choose, as this simple example demonstrates, but certainly in three days doing all of zooming out West to the Maid of the Forth, East to the Museum of Flight and South to the Mining Museum is likely to leave you on a significant loss for example.

In summary the more 'alternative attractions' you fancy and perhaps the more generally you stay in Edinburgh itself, the more you will gain. But don't you want to see the Castle which needs several hours? Perhaps the pass is better for second/third time visitors than first-timers.

On a low-note their website has a picture of The Museum of Modern Art in its header - a strange inclusion as this, along with nearly all the main museums is a free attraction!!

First timers might be better with the Royal Edinburgh 2-day ticket http://www.royaledinburghticket.co.uk/

which is focussed on the traditional core attractions and includes:

Edinburgh Castle,

The Palace of Holyroodhouse,

The Royal Yacht Britannia and

2 days unlimited travel on all

City Tour Buses and The Majestic Tour

With one bus tour this £34 ticket pays out about £38, add the substantially different Majestic Tour (which goes down to the Britannia and weather proof Botanics which is free) and you are looking at £47 of benefit. A saving of £26 per couple is significant!!

Tour buses - regular departures from Waverley Bridge, the bus is hop-on hop-off so you pace your way round Edinburgh as you choose. They are all an hour long and all the same price – the difference is the route taken.

Enjoy your visit!!

Answer 10

The dungeon

Answer 11

Go to the Zoo

See the castle

Lots of SHOPPING