Our Essential Guide to visiting Edinburgh
If you like to travel to top tourist destinations, we are today looking at Edinburgh!
Exploring the city's main attractions like Edinburgh Castle, Festival Season, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh Galleries, Princes Street Gardens and more.
Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, is also called "The Athens of the North" due to its numerous attractions, cradled by seven hills with a volcano in the middle of the city, Edinburgh leaves a lasting impression on every visitor. Edinburgh is full of historical monuments and museums, art galleries, ancient castles, shopping centres, fantastic festivals and lots more; we introduce 10 top activities below.
Celebrate Festival Season in August
If you are wondering what the best time to visit Edinburgh is, the city is widely known for festivals celebrated in August. During this month, hundreds of venues pop up in the city attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world. Most of these art-focused events like comedies, dramas, dance, music, cabaret, puppetry performances, kids shows are running at the same time, so you will not miss anything important. Here, you will be able to see some of the brand new to internationally famous actors and actresses, rappers, pop singers and poets.
The largest performing arts festivals arranged in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh International Festival, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Hjaltibonhoga and others. The attention of many tourists is drawn by book and food festivals as well as a military spectacle that finishes with the firework concert.
Take Part in Beltane Fire Festival
One more festival we couldn't but mention here is Beltane Fire Festival that has become hugely popular in recent centuries. This colourful public spectacle takes place on April 30 when all the costumed participants climb Edinburgh's Calton Hill. The party ends up in a ritual fire demonstration. The event may turn out to be somewhat uninhibited as participants and performers usually wear very little clothing. To have some fun during Edinburgh vacation, you can bring your kids to Beltane and show them scary Green Man and May Queen.
Climb up to Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh offers numerous attraction but be sure to visit Edinburgh Castle, an old fortress that served a residence of such Scottish rulers as Queen Margaret, Mary Queen of Scots and James VI for hundreds of years. What you might hear from any Scotland travel guide is that the castle is beautiful both inside and outside. When exploring spots displayed on the Edinburgh attractions map, you will possibly see that Edinburgh Castle belongs to the top attractions. If you get a chance to get inside the building, you will be amazed by such must-see attractions as the Scottish Crown Jewels, called the Honours of Scotland. The castle also houses the famous Stone of Destiny, also called the Stone of Scone that is known to be a symbol of the Scottish monarchy. Since ancient times, it was used in the coronation of Scottish and British monarchs.
Visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse
Dating back to the 17th century, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a currently working government building that in the past was an official residence of the most of the Scottish kings and queens. Spanish architect Enric Miralles designed the building of the Scottish Parliament. The walls of the Palace could tell many interesting stories, for example, about Mary Queen of Scots who resided here in the 16th century. If you are into art, you can visit the Queen's Gallery located next to the Palace to explore the exhibits from the Royal Collection. If you would like to see the Parliament in session, you can watch it from the Queen's Gallery.
Climb Arthur's Seat
Can you imagine that there is a mountain in the centre of your city so that you don't have to leave it? Edinburgh is this kind of city as it attracts visitors with Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano. Climbing Arthur's Seat is not an easy task for beginners. However, it is worth the effort as the views of Edinburgh are breathtaking. If you don't feel like reaching the top of this summit, you can also take a stroll around it or spend some time with amiable locals.
Get A Tour of The Edinburgh Galleries
If you are interested in art, Edinburgh day tours of the Edinburg galleries might be a great way to get acquainted with the cultural and art life of Scotland. Surprisingly, Edinburgh is full of art galleries that display collections of amazing artworks. The galleries worth visiting include the Scottish National Gallery, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and other.
Take A Walk In The Princes Street Gardens
Take some rest by taking a stroll in Princes Street Gardens, a public park that divides the Old and the New Town. Here, you can explore the seasonal floral displays, magnificent monuments and statues. The best time for walking, relaxing, bringing a picnic and playing is, perhaps, morning. One benefit is that you can take a rest near Edinburgh Castle located right at this fantastic park.
Learn About History of Scotland at a Scottish Museum
History lovers are welcome to visit Edinburgh's National Museum of Scotland where they will be offered engaging nature, art, design, fashion, science and technology exhibitions and collections. The pieces presented in the National Museum of Scotland cover Scottish history, from the ancient age to the present day.
Raise a Glass to Greyfriars Bobby
You might hear a true story of Greyfriars Bobby that served an inspiration for one of the classic British movies "Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog". This is a story about a dog that spent 14 years sitting at his master's grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard. In the dog's honour, there has been commissioned the statue standing in the cemetery until today.
Empty Your Pockets In The Edinburgh Shopping Centres
Edinburgh is a fantastic city for shopping lovers. If you enjoy shopping take a walk along the St. Stephen Street, Victoria Street, Bank Street and other streets of New and Old Town. If you are wondering where to stay in Edinburgh, this is one of the most popular districts where Edinburgh hotels offer attractive deals for tourists. By the way, if you would like to settle in Edinburgh, get some reviews from an expert on how to build or arrange your house.
Edinburgh is one of the most popular weekend destinations among those who have a desire to get impressed by the highlands of Scotland. I hope this list of the top attractions inspired you for an enjoyable journey whether you are visiting Edinburgh for the first time or the tenth.
Author's bio:
Catherine Wiley is a traveller and photographer with experience in travelling to the top world's destinations and exotic places. A person with a sharp mind by nature, she is a talented writer who loves writing blog posts about everything in the world, especially, trying tasty foods and exploring exciting destinations.
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