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Why choose Edinburgh?
Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city, UNESCO world heritage site and city of literature, is one of the most beautiful and interesting cities of the UK. Located a few kilometres from the sea, or better said the Firth of Forth, its population of 500,000 is spread over its seven hills giving it the name “The Athens of the North |
Video courtesy of Walid Salhab and Queen Margaret University all rights reserved |
A Tale of Two Cities
Along the stretch of the Royal Mile you will find the medieval Old Town. The Royal Mile gets its name due to having Edinburgh Castle at its top and Holyrood House Palace at the bottom. Beside the palace is Holyrood Park, an enormous park in the centre of the city. Here you can find Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano which if you manage the climb to the top has spectacular views of the city.
Crossing the beautiful Princes Street Gardens you arrive at the New Town. Built at the end of the 18th century is one of the best examples of neoclassical architecture in all of Europe.
Crossing the beautiful Princes Street Gardens you arrive at the New Town. Built at the end of the 18th century is one of the best examples of neoclassical architecture in all of Europe.
What to do in Edinburgh
There are many interesting museums to visit in Edinburgh and many of them are free.
The National Gallery of Scotland has a fantastic permanent collection which includes some Spanish paintings along with many other masterpieces from most schools of art. The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art has an important surrealist collection as well as many pieces from the masters of the last century.
The recently renovated Portrait Gallery and the Museum of Scotland are also well worth the visit. If you are a literature fan then don’t miss Lady Stair’s House Museum, a small museum in honour of three of the most important local writers: Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and the national poet Robert Burns.
One of the best things to do in Edinburgh is to go for a stroll in one of the many beautiful parks. Make sure you visit The Royal Botanic Gardens. Founded in 1670 they are one of the first in Britain and wonderful to see at any time of the year.
The National Gallery of Scotland has a fantastic permanent collection which includes some Spanish paintings along with many other masterpieces from most schools of art. The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art has an important surrealist collection as well as many pieces from the masters of the last century.
The recently renovated Portrait Gallery and the Museum of Scotland are also well worth the visit. If you are a literature fan then don’t miss Lady Stair’s House Museum, a small museum in honour of three of the most important local writers: Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and the national poet Robert Burns.
One of the best things to do in Edinburgh is to go for a stroll in one of the many beautiful parks. Make sure you visit The Royal Botanic Gardens. Founded in 1670 they are one of the first in Britain and wonderful to see at any time of the year.
Food and Restaurants
As well as many excellent restaurants where you can try traditional Scottish and British dishes, Edinburgh has a vast selection of international restaurants. Whether you feel like Chinese, Thai, Italian, French, Nepalese or Moroccan for dinner it’s easy to find. Lovers of seafood are in luck! Make sure to go down to the Port of Leith and enjoy some excellent fish and seafood restaurants.
Nightlife and Festivals
From folk music to house music Edinburgh caters for all tastes. There are hundreds of pubs to enjoy a pint in and for the more adventurous plenty of bars and clubs in the centre to dance the night away! Edinburgh has many music festivals throughout the year, such as the International Jazz festival, where you can enjoy all kinds of live music
In the month of August Edinburgh becomes the centre of the creative world when The Edinburgh International Festival and The Fringe Festival arrive.
In the month of August Edinburgh becomes the centre of the creative world when The Edinburgh International Festival and The Fringe Festival arrive.
Day Trips and Weekends Away
There are many enjoyable day trips you can do near Edinburgh, often easy to get to by public transport.
Waverley Station connects you to all of Scotland’s main cities making it easy to visit the rest of the country or why not rent a car and head to the Highlands for the weekend? Being a small country it’s easy to make the most of your time and see a lot of Scotland even during a short stay.
Waverley Station connects you to all of Scotland’s main cities making it easy to visit the rest of the country or why not rent a car and head to the Highlands for the weekend? Being a small country it’s easy to make the most of your time and see a lot of Scotland even during a short stay.
