Edinburgh, scotland
Attractions Guide
Introduction
Scotland's capital city is incredibly beautiful with its many historic buildings and hills. In the center of Edinburgh you'll find most of the city's top attractions.
Edinburgh Castle Area
Edinbrugh's most iconic attractions is the rocky hilltop Edinburgh Castle, a stunning massive fortress with many things to see, including the Royal Palace, the National War Museum, the 12th century St. Margaret's Chapel, and much more.
Just below the castle you can walk the Princes Street Gardens, with fantastic views looking up at the castle. Around the park you can visit the Scottish National Gallery of fine art for free and the towering Scott Monument, a beautiful and intricate Gothic structure.
Also near the Edinburgh Castle is one of the city's most iconic sights, The Balmoral Hotel, which is known for its towering Victorian clock tower (the Balmoral Clock).
Old Town Edinburgh
Take some time to walk around the UNESCO listed Old Town and explore, especially along the famed Royal Mile street.
In this area you'll find the medieval gothic St. Giles' Cathedral, and across the street you can tour Scotland's historic underground, which is known as The Real Mary King's Close.
More attractions within the Old Town include the Scottish Whiskey Experience, where you can learn about the distillation process and do tastings. You might also consider visiting the extremely popular Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, a very interesting attraction featuring a virtual tour of Edinburgh, various types of optical illusions, a mirror maze, and more.
Old Town Museums
Also in the Old Town be sure to visit the National Museum of Scotland, a vast museum that's free to visit containing many different exhibits, including Scottish history, antiquities and artifacts, natural history, science and technology, culture, and more.
More museums to consider include the free-to-visit Scottish National Portrait Gallery featuring many works of art in an opulent museum, and the Surgeons' Hall Museum containing many medical specimens such as skeletons and body parts where you can learn about medieval history and anatomy.
Calton Hill
Overlooking the Old Town is Calton Hill, which contains several striking monuments set amongst amazing views over the city. You can reach the top with a short walk up from the Old Town.
Arthur's Seat & Palace of Holyroodhouse
Edinburgh is home to one of the royal British residences, the 16th century Palace of Holyroodhouse, which contains lavish interiors and the remains of a beautiful 900 year old abbey behind it. This palace is located just below the southern side of Calton Hill.
Another one of Edinburgh's most popular attractions is Arthur's Seat, an iconic sheer cliff which is the highest point in the city, from which you can enjoy stunning panoramic views. The cliff is located within the royal Holyrood Park, accessible via a 2 mile (3.2 km) round-trip trail starting from the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This trail leads to the top of Arthur's Seat and passes by the Saint Anthony's Chapel Ruins overlooking a small lake.
Dean Village
On the western side of town is Dean Village, a small neighborhood of charming historic homes you should walk around and explore.
Within the Dean Village you can venture along the Water of Leith Walkway, a riverside trail that takes you past great scenery, with a total distance of 2 miles (3.2 km) to the end and back. About halfway through the trail you can walk across a bridge and arrive at the free Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art if you like.
There's also the option of walking along a different section of the river from the other side of the village via Miller Row, this beautiful section is called Dean Gardens and features impressive stone monuments and small weir waterfalls.
Northern Edinburgh
Located just north of Central Edinburgh is the massive Royal Botanic Garden you might like to explore. Further north in Edinburgh's harbor you'll find the Royal Yacht Britannia, which formerly served as the royal yacht of Queen Elizabeth II and has been preserved as a floating museum you can visit.
Google Maps Attraction Lists
Save Edinburgh Attraction Lists to your Google Maps Account:
1. Click Link above while logged into Google account on your device.2. Click Follow, and the attraction pins will be saved in your Google Maps.
