Things to Do in Edinburgh: A Complete Guide
Edinburgh manages something few cities pull off: it looks like a film set and still feels completely lived in. Between the castle looming over everything and a dormant volcano sitting right in the middle of town, there’s a drama to the place before you’ve even started sightseeing. If you’re planning things to do in Edinburgh, the good news is that most of the highlights sit within a genuinely walkable distance of each other, which makes this one of Britain’s easiest capital cities to explore properly.
Top things to do in Edinburgh: the Castle and the Royal Mile
Edinburgh Castle sits on its volcanic crag watching over the whole city, and it’s worth every minute of the queue. Inside you’ll find the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny, and the One O’Clock Gun, fired daily except Sundays, a tradition dating back to when ships in the Firth of Forth needed a time signal. From the castle, the Royal Mile runs downhill through the Old Town towards Holyrood Palace, lined with closes and wynds that branch off into narrow medieval alleyways worth a detour. Street performers, kilt shops, and whisky merchants line the route, and it can feel touristy in high season, but duck down any of the side closes and you’re back in quiet cobbled Edinburgh within seconds.
Climbing Arthur’s Seat
Arthur’s Seat, the main peak of an extinct volcano, rises right at the edge of the city centre and gives you one of the best free views in Britain. The climb takes most people around an hour to the summit depending on which route you take, and you don’t need any special gear, just decent shoes and a bit of puff. From the top you can see across to Fife, out towards the sea, and back down over the whole of Edinburgh’s rooftops and spires. It’s genuinely one of the more remarkable things about this city, that you can be in the middle of a capital and twenty minutes later be standing on what feels like proper Highland terrain.
Old Town grandeur versus New Town elegance
Edinburgh’s split personality is part of what makes it so interesting. The Old Town, all closes, spires and dark stone, dates back to medieval times and has that cramped, secretive feel of a city built defensively on a hill. Cross over to the New Town, laid out in the 1700s in a rational grid of Georgian terraces and crescents, and the mood shifts completely. Princes Street Gardens sits in the valley between the two, a green buffer with the castle looming on one side and the shopping street on the other. George Street and Charlotte Square showcase New Town architecture at its best, with elegant townhouses that now house boutiques, restaurants and the occasional bank still operating from its original grand banking hall.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August
If you can time a visit for August, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe transforms the entire city into the largest arts festival on the planet. Every venue imaginable, from proper theatres to church halls to the back rooms of pubs, hosts comedy, theatre, music and everything in between, often with several shows running simultaneously in the same building. The Royal Mile becomes a constant stream of performers handing out flyers and doing snippets of their shows to drum up an audience. It runs alongside the Edinburgh International Festival and the Military Tattoo at the castle, meaning the whole city is at its most alive, if also its most crowded and most expensive for accommodation. Book well ahead if this is your plan.
Holyrood Palace and a dram of Scotch
At the bottom of the Royal Mile sits the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the King’s official residence in Scotland, with state rooms open to visitors along with the ruins of an adjoining abbey. It’s a proper contrast to the castle at the top of the hill, softer and more domestic in feel despite the history packed into its walls, including Mary Queen of Scots’ private chambers. No trip to Edinburgh is complete without exploring Scotch whisky either. The Scotch Whisky Experience near the castle offers tastings and an entertaining rundown of how the spirit is made, while plenty of specialist shops along the Royal Mile and Victoria Street stock bottles from distilleries you won’t find anywhere else. Pull up a stool in one of the Old Town’s traditional pubs and ask the bartender for a recommendation. You’ll rarely get a bad answer.
Getting around Edinburgh
Edinburgh is refreshingly compact and one of the most walkable cities in Britain, with the castle, Old Town, New Town and Holyrood Palace all reachable on foot from most central accommodation. The hills can catch you out though, so pace yourself, particularly on the Royal Mile’s steeper stretches. Lothian Buses run a reliable network if your feet need a break, and there’s a single tram line connecting the airport to the city centre via York Place, handy if you’re flying in. Cobbled streets mean flat, sturdy shoes are non negotiable, and it’s worth packing for rain regardless of season, since Edinburgh’s weather can turn without much warning even in summer. If you fancy comparing notes with a trip closer to home, our guide to UK staycation ideas is worth a look too.
Planning a wider trip? Our guide to things to do in Nottingham covers another great option.
