🏴 24 hours in Edinburgh: the perfect itinerary
Edinburgh is gaining more and more popularity among tourists from Europe and for good reason! The capital of unicorns has everything: the sea, mountains, medieval Gothic, the best universities in the world, friendly residents, delicious food, kilts, bagpipes and whiskey – where would you be without it! On average, Edinburgh should be spent 3 to 5 days. If you're pressed for time, this small guide will help you create a first impression of the city and inspire you to come here again. Well, put on comfortable shoes, pack an umbrella and sunscreen, because the weather here really changes every 5 minutes, and let's go!
Transfer
When leaving the airport, I advise you to take a double-decker bus, which will take you to the city center. This is the cheapest type of transfer (£4.5 per person), but it is not inferior in speed or comfort, and it also has free Wi-Fi. However, its biggest advantage is that the route runs through the picturesque streets of the capital. So for a small fee you will not only get to the center, but also take an unofficial sightseeing tour. Already along the way you will have the desire to grab the camera and start shooting!
Monument to Sir Walter Scott
Approaching the center, it will be quite difficult not to notice the monument in the Victorian Gothic style – this is a memorial to the historian and poet, as well as the main image maker of Scotland, Sir Walter Scott. To this day, this monument remains the most impressive of all that I have seen.
Royal Mile
Waverly Bridge is the heart of the city and your stop. From here we will head to the Royal Mile – the most famous street in the city. It is named so because it connects two royal residences: Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. And, naturally, it stretched for about one mile. Along the way you will come across many coffee shops and cafes.
In one of them, namely in the cafe “The Elephant House”, JK Rowling wrote the first book about Harry Potter. I advise you to follow the example and have breakfast in one of these places. An inspiring look guaranteed! By the way, the Scots prefer to eat oatmeal for breakfast, so don’t expect any culture shock here. I especially recommend trying shortbread – traditional cookies – with tea, black, of course, and milk.
The University of Edinburgh is five minutes from the Royal Mile. The photo below shows the Faculty of Law.
Edinburgh is usually pretty quiet except for August. It is during this month that the capital hosts more than 20 different festivals. Probably the most famous of them is the Fringe arts festival (for example, we got “Mr. Bean” thanks to him). Many exhibitions, performances, concerts, dances, and sports performances are held completely free of charge and at a very high level. However, if you would not like to begin your acquaintance with the city by getting into the very whirlpool of events, then it is better to save these impressions for later.
Edinburgh castle
After walking the seemingly endless hills of the Royal Mile, we arrived at Edinburgh Castle. There is an entrance fee to the castle. Ticket prices for adults are £15.50 – 19.50, but it's really worth it! The castle grounds are vast, with many viewing platforms and interesting historical exhibitions. There was enough information on the signs not to take an audio guide, but if there is such an opportunity, then why not?
I was especially impressed by the former prison rooms of 1781 – the Prisons of War 1781 exhibition. Once upon a time, prisoners from France, the Netherlands, Spain and the USA were kept here. Probably the most fascinating thing for me was deciphering the prison “graffiti” of the 18th century. And the Great War Memorial had an indelible effect. The exhibits make you think about the horrors of colonial (and other) wars and at the same time amaze with their artistic performance.
Beneath each war memorial is a book listing the names of all Scots who died while serving. In total, you can count more than 200 thousand such names. As we exit the hall, we are greeted by the Reveille statue, symbolizing peace. The location of the sculpture was not chosen by chance; the idea is to lead the visitor out of the long corridor of difficult memories into a new day full of hope.
I advise fans of heavy artillery to get to the castle before one o'clock in the afternoon. It is at this time that the “Clock Gun” or One O'Clock Gun fires every day. The tradition dates back to 1861 and its main purpose was to help sailors returning from a mission to synchronize their watches.
National Museum
Traveling on a budget? It's OK! Save the castle for later and instead head to any national museum that interests you. An incredible advantage of Scotland, as well as the whole of Britain, is that state museums here are free. But in terms of quality it is very difficult for them to find competitors.
My choice fell on the National Museum of Scotland and, if it were up to me, I would spend all my 24 hours here! In this place, history, fashion, art, zoology, technology, natural sciences and other topics are intertwined, which are already revealed by temporary exhibitions. Personally, I'm stuck in the halls of Scottish history with typewriters.
Meadows
It would be nice to have some food after the museum! For lunch, I suggest taking something hot with you from local eateries and going on a picnic. Based on a local recommendation, I headed to Bonnie Burrito. There I decided to try a burrito with haggis, a national meat dish made from lamb offal.
In fact, haggis tasted very much like pate. Unfortunately, I can’t call this dish my favorite. However, if the opportunity arises to try it again next time, I will not refuse.
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But I found my drink – “Lida kvass” quite by accident in one of the many Polish stores.
I think the Meadows is an ideal place for a picnic – this is one of the largest parks in the city. In the warm season, there are always a lot of groups here having lunch or playing football, doing yoga or dancing. You can immediately see how much the locals value every sunny day.
Ding Village
The next point of the walk is Dean Village. This location is one of the quietest, greenest and most fabulous in the capital. The village began to develop in the 12th century thanks to large-scale flour production. The village is considered the hidden gem of the city. Not all tourists have discovered this place. I advise you to take advantage of the situation and take a break from the hustle and bustle, wander through the ancient streets to the sound of the river flowing there.
Arthur's throne
Having gained strength, you can safely go to conquer new heights – literally. It is simply impossible to walk around Edinburgh without noticing the towering hill – Arthur's Seat. The place got its name thanks to the legendary King Arthur. According to one version, Camelot Castle was located here, where Arthur gathered the knights of the round table. The height is relatively small – 251 meters, but the view is incredible, especially at sunset!
Calton Hill
By the way, the sunset is also celebrated on Calton Hill, which is part of UNESCO. Being here, you can understand why Edinburgh is often called the Athens of the north. After all, from here you can clearly see the buildings of the 19th century, built on the wave of universal inspiration from ancient Greece.
Even on the hill itself there is a monument very similar to the Parthenon. This is a national monument in Scotland dedicated to those who died in the Napoleonic battles. They began to build it in the 19th century in the image of the Athens Parthenon, but they could not finish it – to this day there is not enough funding. This fiasco has led some to call the property “Scotland’s pride and misery.”
Evening
Pubs, jazz clubs, restaurants, discos – Edinburgh doesn't sleep at night! There is evening entertainment for every taste. Personally, I decided to end my day in the pub at The Scotsman Hotel.
I wish you a great trip, and most importantly, fully enjoy the atmosphere of a fairy tale!