Scotland’s capital city is steep with hills and steeped in history. While we were there, a heat wave had brought what is called taps aff weather in Scottish slang. One woman we met said when it is warm like that, you don’t have to ask where your friends are, just go to the park and you will find everyone you know. I would have gladly spent two months in Edinburgh instead of just two days, but if you also have limited time below are the highlights I recommend.
To orient yourself to the city, consider three main areas – Old Town, New Town, and West End. Old Town is south of Princes Street and includes Princes Street Gardens, High Street, Edinburgh Castle, etc. New Town is north of Princes Street and includes George Street, Queen Street, and Calton Hill. West End is west of Queensferry Street/Queensferry Road.
We stayed in a lovely AirBnB just north of Calton Hill on Montgomery Street, which served as a good home base in a quiet neighborhood. This was the best option we could find for location, price, and available street parking. If you don’t have a car, there are more options closer to the city center. I always prefer AirBnB to a hotel because it gives a sense of living in that neighborhood, even for a few days. A few of our favorite spots nearby:
- Joseph Pearce’s, a laid back Swedish bar
- Kahani Indian, there is so much amazing South Asian food in the UK, this was the first of many
Day 1
High Street and Edinburgh Castle
Start your day in Old Town with breakfast at the Edinburgh Larder just off of High Street. This sunny cafe has excellent brunch and bakery items, and is also part of a social enterprise called Edinburgh Food Social, which works to promote local food and cooking skills by working with schools and communities. Alternatively, Deacon’s House Cafe is a charming spot for a full Scottish breakfast or tea and a scone.
High Street is part of what is called the Royal Mile, a series of streets connecting the Palace of Holyrood House (the Queen’s official residence when she is in Scotland) and Edinburgh Castle. So the same stretch of road may be called Canongate, High Street, Lawnmarket, or Castlehill.
Tip: Visit Edinburgh in August to experience two of the world’s largest arts festivals – the Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, both of which span almost the entire month.
After breakfast, walk up High Street, past St. Giles’ Cathedral, to see Edinburgh Castle and the Esplanade, a sort of long courtyard leading to the front of the castle. You can pay to see the inside of the castle as well, but your time and money are better spent elsewhere. Truly, it is best admired from afar, where you can appreciate the dramatic precipice it sits on.
Victoria Street and Grassmarket
It is possible I have a bias toward things that share my name, but also as a fan of Harry Potter I loved Victoria Street. The colorful street of boutique shops and restaurants is said to have inspired Diagon Alley in the book series. From the castle, walk back down the Royal Mile and turn right onto Bow Street (or go a little further down to Fisher’s Close, or further to George IV Bridge), and then another right will take you onto Victoria Street. There is a shop dedicated to bow ties, one with piles of fancy cheeses and charcuterie fare, and my favorite – a Potter themed shop called Museum Context, which even had a working Ford Anglia parked outside, just like the flying car from the second book!
With its many hills, Edinburgh is a very vertical city. Offering shortcuts from one level to another are closes, or alleyways, usually with steep steps. Sometimes the entrance can be nondescript and hard to spot, so look closely. Haha, get it?
At the end of Victoria Street is Grassmarket, with more restaurants and shops. On Saturdays, this area plays host to a Farmer’s Market from 10:00-5:00. This is a good place to stop for lunch. My favorite part of Grassmarket was W. Armstrong and Son, a veritable treasure-trove of vintage and consignment shopping.
Greyfriars Bobby
If you turn right out of W. Armstrong and head up Candlemaker Row, you’ll come to steps that lead to Greyfriars Kirkyard, the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk (church). There are gravestones dating back to the 1500’s including some names that may be familiar to fans of the Potter series. Most notably, Thomas Riddell and his son of the same name, likely inspiration for Lord Voldemort’s family in the books. The site is also notable for a famous dog – Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal canine of Edinburgh police officer John Gray. When his owner died, Bobby was said to sleep next to the gravestone every night for 14 years until the dog passed away as well. Now a statue of Bobby at the junction of Candlemaker Row and George IV bridge is a popular tourist stop. You can stop for a pint in a pub by the same name.
Elephant House
It may have been at this point that my husband asked if the Scotland leg of our trip was just a tour of all things Potter 🙂 Just past the statue of Greyfriar’s Bobby you’ll find Elephant House, the self-proclaimed birthplace of The Boy Who Lived. In fact, JK Rowling did frequent the cafe when she was writing early drafts of the series. We ordered affogatos as an afternoon treat and enjoyed the cafe’s cozy vibe.
Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat
File Holyrood Park under ‘can’t miss’. The Palace of Holyroodhouse serves as the official royal residence when Queen Elizabeth II visits Scotland. A $19 ticket (less for kids, seniors, and students) gets you access to the state apartments, gardens, the ruins of Holyrood Abbey, and the chambers of the ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots when she lived at the palace. It is incredible to walk through, especially if you are a fan of the royals. Right now, you can see Harry and Meghan’s wedding outfits on display.
Holyrood Park is open from 9:30 AM until either 4:30 or 6:00 depending on the time of year. It’s a popular destination, so give yourself time to explore.
If you prefer to be out of doors than in, also in Holyrood Park is the path up to Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano offering a fantastic view of the city. It takes 30-60 minutes to hike to the peak but it’s well worth it.
Afterwards, grab a drink at The Waverly on the Royal Mile, which will transport you to 1900s Edinburgh.
Day 2
Dean Village
Use your second day to explore Edinburgh’s West End. If you’re not staying close, I recommend getting a ride to Dean’s Bridge and then working your way back toward the city center. On the north end of the bridge is Rhem Christian Centre Church, a pretty chapel with a red door, and on the south end is the path down to Dean Village.
Walk down the somewhat steep path to find the over 800-year old village that for centuries was a center for grain-milling. From the very quaint Dean Village you can follow a path along the River Leith, going under Dean Bridge. This was a lovely quiet escape within the city.
Edinburgh Gin Distillery
Scotland may be known for whisky but gin & tonics are just as tightly knit into the culture of Edinburgh. Any pub will have a great variety of local gins to sample but visiting a distillery is even better. Continue your tour of West End with a gin tasting.
Edinburgh Gin is arguably the most well known and offers varieties like Jasmine & Lemon and Rhubarb & Ginger (my favorite). If you plan on a tour of their West End distillery, schedule well ahead of time. We thought we could walk up and were told they were booked solid for the next three days! And the wait is even longer for weekend spots. Gin distilleries are much smaller operations than whisky, so tour groups have to be smaller as well. Bonus – going on the tour gets you a 10% discount in their tiny gift shop. It’s kind of hard to find, as the entrance is a staircase leading to the underground space.
Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens
Next, make your way to Princes Street in New Town and down steps into Princes Street Gardens. In my opinion, Princes Street Gardens is the best place from which to appreciate Edinburgh Castle. The day we were there had lots of young people lounging on the grassy hills, most enjoying ice cream cones.
Also on Princes Street is the Scott Monument, the second largest monument to a writer, honoring Sir Walter Scott.
Just up Saint David Street from the Scott Monument, check out The Ivy on the Square for a chic spot for brunch or afternoon tea.
Calton Hill
If you don’t do anything else I mention, do this. Watching the sun set over Edinburgh from Calton Hill was my favorite moment of our time in the city. We made dinner reservations at The Lookout, newly opened in November 2018 and neighbor to the City Observatory at the very top of the hill. The space is modern and open, with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city. Every course was amazing and made with local-to-Scotland ingredients. Give yourself some lead time to get to the restaurant because it is a trek up the hill. We were breathing a little heavier than usual as they took our jackets since we had hustled to make our reservation. If you’re not up for it, a taxi or Uber can deliver you to the top.
The Lookout is sister restaurant to Gardener’s Cottage at the bottom of Calton Hill, which is cozily picturesque, built in 1836 as an actual gardener’s cottage, and equally delicious.
After dinner, we walked around the hill and appreciated the several monuments that call Calton Hill home. The Dugald Stewart Monument and National Monument of Scotland were both designed by Scottish architect William Henry Playfair and inspired by similar structures in Athens, Greece. Standing sharp against the sky is the Nelson Monument, commemorating Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson of the British navy.
Even if you’re not a history or architecture nerds, each of these structures is dramatic at magic hour and is the best backdrop to appreciate light fading over the city sometimes called “The Athens of the North”.
