Visit Edinburgh, Scotland

Welcome to my visit Edinburgh, Scotland guide! I have all the best things for you to eat, see, do, and stay in Edinburgh! It was such a fun place to visit during out Ireland and Scotland vacation. We hit up Edinburgh after visiting Glasgow, Dublin, Dingle, and Galway. The city is like something you’ve never seen before. It’s no wonder that JK Rowling was inspired to write Harry Potter here. I’m sorta a Harry Potter fan, I do love it, but we wanted to visit because of our LOVE for the show Outlander. I’ll make sure to point out exactly where they filmed scenes in Outlander throughout this post. I’ll probably write a whole separate post on it too.

So sit back and relax while I plan your Edinburgh, Scotland stop for you! Check out my Travel Diary on Scotland if you want to see exactly what we did on our Scotland vacation before you visit Edinburgh!

What to Do in Edinburgh, Scotland:

So, for us, we only had two days in Edinburgh. And one of those days we took a little day trip to Stirling Castle. I wish we had 2 days in the city and 1 one day for a day trip. But, oh well! Check out all my recommendations for my must do’s and must-sees in Edinburgh!

What to See and Do in Edinburgh:

There is quite a bit to do in the city center. Even if it’s just wandering around the streets looking at how cool EVERY building is. I still can’t get over how pretty it is! And the guys are HOT!

• St Giles’ Cathedral – Along the Royal Mile. To be honest, we just peeked inside because we didn’t feel like paying lol. I’ve seen many cathedrals in my day.

• Camera Obscura – A fun optical illusion and interactive experience. If you have extra time or it’s raining, I suggest it.
• Palace of Holyroodhouse – The residence of the Queeeeeeen
• Arthur Seat – If you are in the mood for a liiiilll hike. People suggest going up for sunrise or sunset to see breathtaking views of the city. We didn’t do this because it was rainy/ foggy while we were there.
• Calton Hill – If you are in the mood for another little hike. Short uphill climb with some nice monuments.
• Scott’s Monument – Can’t do anything but look at it lol. HOWEVER, very impressive gothic architecture. You will probably see the monument from afar and constantly ask yourself, “Wait, what’s that?”. It’s the Scott’s monument.

• National Museum of Scotland – A really nice museum if you want to know all about the natural world, world cultures, science and technology, art, design and fashion, and Scottish history.

• Edinburgh Castle – Ok so I am going to be really honest. I would skip this. I know you are reading this like wtf that’s like the main attraction but this castle sucks. It was SO crowded, the walls on the interior were new, painted and not the originals. The coolest part was seeing the room where Mary Queen of Scots was born BUT it was just a tiny room. A lot of the areas I would have liked to see aren’t accessible to visitors. Stirling castle was SOSOSOSOOSOS much better. Edinburgh castle was also expensive, you see like 12% of the castle, it’s crowded and I felt like I was in a herd of cows. PASS.

• Stockbridge Market – A lovely market, every Sunday.
• Gilmerton Cove – Another super interesting activity if you are into archeology. It’s a mysterious labyrinth! No walk-ups must book a tour ahead of time.
• Scotch Whisky Experience – Learn all about how whisky is made and finish it off with a wee tasting.
• Waterstones Booksellers – If you are like me and love a good bookstore. I was told to try the Cream Tea from the lil coffee shop inside!
• Royal Botanic Garden – Pretty self-explanatory. The Palm House in the middle reminds me of the Cristal Palace in Madrid.
• JK Rowling’s Walking Tour – If you are a wee nerd.
• Harry Potter Walking Tour – If you are really, really nerdy. ( I am)

Areas and Streets to Check out in Edinburgh:

• Victoria St – Guys, this street is the coolest street I’ve ever seen. It’s SOOO Harry Potter vibes.

• Cockburn St. – Lovely little side street you could miss if you don’t stray from the Royal Mile. Cute, unique shops.
• Princes Street – in New Town. Shopping street. Near the gardens.
• Royal Mile – The popular lane with tons of shops and things to see. Touristy. But you will see men out playing the bagpipes and that’s entertaining. It runs from Edinburgh Castle down to the Queen’s residence.

• Old Town Edinburgh – Small shops, cute pubs.
• Grassmarket – An area within the Old Town, super cute area with local artists and designers. A lot of amazing restaurants in this area too.
• Dean’s Village – Beneath the city center. It’s so picturesque!

Day Trips from Edinburgh:

You don’t just have to visit Edinburgh, Scotland! There are tons of other great places nearby!

• Stirling Castle – if you are obsessed with Scotlands history and monarchy I highly suggest taking a trip here and wandering around the little town. A quick train ride away.

• Isle of Arran: Little Scotland – Brodick Castle and Goat Fell mountain are the most popular things to see on the island. 
• Glasgow – I recommend not doing Glasgow in a day but it’s close enough to Glasgow where you totally could visit in a day!
• Loch Lomond – Scotland’s largest freshwater lake. Surrounded by beautiful forest. Great for a day out of the city exploring the wilderness!
• Glencoe, Lochness and the Highlands – If you don’t have a car and want to see it all, I recommend THIS tour!
• Outlander tour – An easy way to see more of Scotland! And the filming locations for my beloved show. You visit Doune Castle, Falkland, Culross, Linlithgow Palace, Midhope Castle. We did the tour that departed from Edinburgh but it’s the exact same.

Where to Eat in Edinburgh, Scotland:

Get ready to get your haggis, porridge and black pudding on, y’all. Check out my best places to eat in Edinburgh list below!

Breakfast and Cafes in Edinburgh, Scotland:

• Brochan – Ok, I need you to go here for breakfast. Yes, it’s a little out of the way. BUT DEAR GOD it’s the best porridge I have ever had. Honestly, I might even go as far as to say it was my favorite breakfast of my life. Idk what sort of witchcraft they used but DAMN. Amazing. I hope I didn’t hype this up too much lol. I had the lemon meringue porridge.

• Scotts Kitchen – My SECOND fav breakfast place. If you want to try some really, really good traditional Scottish breakfast foods, come here. The staff was amazing and the food was incredible. Get the award-winning haggis and black pudding in a Fresh Au Gourmand Bap!
• The Edinburgh Coffee Lounge – we stopped in here for a wee afternoon slice of cake, cookie and muffin and coffee while it was raining. Between the three of us, we couldn’t decide which was better because it was so outstanding. It had nice chairs and wifi as well.
• Lovecrumbs – Coffee, cake, coffee cake. Yas.
• Wellington Coffee – Quick coffee
• The Milkman – so cute and tiny but worth the visit.
• Fortuna Coffee Bar – The blackberry and brie toast, yall.
• Fortitude Coffee Merchants – GREAT coffee!

Lunch in Edinburgh, Scotland:

• Wagamama– Asian fusion. If you’ve read any of my other blogs you know I CRAVE this place.

• Civerinos – Pizzaaaa!
• Holy Cow – Great stop for lunch… or dessert
• Casa Angelina – Fantastic afternoon tea
• Halfway House – For a quick bite!
• Bon Tea Room – If you know me, tea for lunch is my favorite. Make a res!
• Graze On Grassmarket – Lot’s of healthy options. If you are, ya know, into that sorta thing.
• Picnic Coffee Shop – another nice stop for a quick lunch.

Dinner in Edinburgh, Scotland:

• Checkpoint – It was so good!

• Harmonium – Great vegan and vegetarian options
• The Kings Wark – Nice Pub food
• The Grain Store – Delish!!
• Greenmantle Bar & Kitchen – Their burgers were all buffalo and they were GREAT!
• Restaurant Martin Wishart – This is a $$$$ Restaurant. Run by Scotland’s most famous chef, Martin Wishart.
• Café St Honoré – a little pricier, but well worth it
• Chaophraya Edinburgh – Yummy Thai, gorg inside
• Timberyard – Really delish, locally grown, sustainable restaurant.
• 83 Hanover Street – Random but, Chilean food… in Scotland!
• The Gardener’s Cottage – Lovely Scottish cuisine.
• Dishoom – yum!!

Dessert in Edinburgh, Scotland:

• Holy Cow – Great stop for lunch… or dessert
• Mary’s Milkbar – Get ready to get fat.
• Cuckoo’s Bakery – WHY is there so much delicious cake in Edinburgh

Bars and Pubs in Edinburgh, Scotland:

• Whistle Binkies – music bar!
• Panda & Sons – Quirky pub
• Tolbooth Tavern – pub
• Bramble – cute!
• Tigerlily – glam cocktails
• Badger & co. – mostly gin
• The Dome – Just look inside!

Where to Stay in Edinburgh, Scotland

We stayed in SUCH a cool Airbnb. If it’s booked or you want to stay in a different area, I have linked some other places to stay when you visit Edinburgh!

• Our Airbnb – Guys, this place is SO cute. The owner, Ross, has clearly taken the time and energy to put together SUCH a cute Airbnb. Totally unique. Good location as well.

• Apex Grassmarket Hotel – $$
• Nira Caledonia – $$
• Hotel Indigo Edinburgh – $-$$
• Radisson Blu Hotel – $$
• Fraser Suites – $$
• Hotel du Vin & Bistro – $$
• Point A Hotel Edinburgh Haymarket– $$
• Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa – $$$
• Tigerlily – $$$
• The Balmoral Hotel  – $$$
• The Dunstane House – $$$
• Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel – $$$
• InterContinental Edinburgh The George – $$$

Tips for Edinburgh, Scotland:

A couple of tips for when you visit Edinburgh!

• Currency– Pound
• Transportation – Easy train access. Everything is walkable. There are busses as well.
• Weather – Honestly, I checked the weather app every day and every day it was wrong. We went in May and it was drizzling on and off, a bit misty and super sunny all in one day. I always carried an umbrella or a jacket with a hood, just in case. It can get cold and windy right on the coast.
• Pick Pockets – I felt super safe. But always be aware!
• Days in Edinburgh – We had two days in Edinburgh and I wish we had 3. One of the days we did a day trip so it cut our time in the city in half.
• Glasgow vs Edinburgh – I know a lot of people wonder which city, Glasgow or Edinburgh, is better. And this is just solely my opinion but we all preferred Glasgow.

Alrighty, people. That rounds out my list of what you should eat, see and do when you visit Edinburgh, Scotland. If you enjoyed my blog on what to visit in Edinburgh, I highly recommend checking out my posts on Glasgow and my posts on Ireland: Dublin, Galway, Dingle if you are visiting! I have tons of other recommendation lists for cities all over Europe: Amsterdam, Rome, Athens or for a full list check my Destinations! In the meantime feel free to read my Travel Diary on Scotland.

Byeeeeeeee!