My Guide to Edinburgh

WE PACKED A WHOLE LOT IN DURING OUR WEEKEND IN EDINBURGH, SO HERE IS MY GUIDE TO THE CITY.

Edinburgh is one of the places I have wanted to visit for such a long time. With only an hour train journey, it was the perfect opportunity to explore what Edinburgh has to offer, from the cobbled streets and beautiful architecture to the delicious food and bagpipes. 

First of all, just immerse yourself in the culture and surroundings. Wherever you look there is a different attraction and sight to explore. Edinburgh is divided into twelve unique neighbourhoods and each with its own special appeal. We didn’t do all twelve areas, however we gave it a good go. Due to Edinburgh’s rich history with France my first impression of the city, was how Parisian a lot of the buildings looked, but then just a few streets over in the ‘New Town’ it was like walking through an area of London with the stunning Georgian architecture. 

I would say the best place to start is the Royal Mile. This is the heart of the old town that leads you from Edinburgh Castle down to the Palace of Holyrood House and the Scottish Parliament. Even if you don’t get to go explore inside the castle, the panoramic views from the top are breath taking. And there is a wide variety of shops, restaurants, bars, and pubs nestled in between hidden trails waiting to be explored. We ate at Nok’s Kitchen on the Castle and it was delicious. 10 out of 10 would recommend. Beautiful Thai food surrounded by beautiful interiors. Just make sure to book as they are very popular.   

Leading on to the New Town which is packed full of shopping and dining options to satisfy any customer. We managed to book into the Scottish National Gallery which was so peaceful, to be able to wander around the exhibit felt like a sense of normality. Also, the National Museum of Scotland was just amazing and probably one of my favourite Museums I have ever been to. From the striking construction of the Grand Gallery to the fascinating displays and artefacts varying from Fashion to Space, with a specific section dedicated to telling Scotland’s story.

We walked down to Dean Village and through the woody path which was so nice to get out of the sun and meander parallel to the river. We and ended up walking through Princes Street Gardens exploring the architecture with an ice cream in hand.

Calton Hill is also a great way to see the city, another viewing point to look over the city. We took some ciders and watched the sunset over where we were joined by clusters of people doing the same thing. At the top are the National Monument, Nelson Monument, and the City Observatory.

Another must do activity is a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens. It was a beautiful way to round off the trip, where we explored the 70 acres of gardens and admired the glasshouses. If you want to taste what the gardens have to offer there are various cafés and stalls dotted around the gardens. For a delicious sweet treat you must from the raspberry and white chocolate traybake, it was so good I forgot to take a photo so I will 100% try an replicate this in the next coming weeks

Overall Edinburgh is well worth a visit, it has such a rich history and even if you don’t go to a gallery, museum, or book into an attraction, walking around will more than fulfil your trip.