Edinburgh is a truly magical place, and one that was at the top of our bucket list for a long time. My wife, being of Scottish ancestry, had always wished to go back and visit the land where her bloodline originated, what brought us to the United States over 300 years ago.
Edinburgh isn’t like anywhere else. It’s somehow older than the years seem possible, and somehow contains all the history of Europe within what is a relatively small city. Charming, romantic, exciting, and breath-takingly beautiful, Edinburgh is a place you should absolutely visit – and can do so on the cheap despite it being a city that’s on the “pound”.
Picnic on Calton Hill
The panoramic views from Calton Hill have astonished and inspired visitors for centuries. Major landmarks can be seen from a bird’s eye view: Arthur’s Seat with the Crags behind Holyrood Palace and the Parliament, Leith and the Firth of Forth, Princes Street in its New Town grid and the Royal Mile climbing up towards the Castle.
Calton Hill is also famous for its collection of historic monuments, which form some of the most important landmarks of the city. One of the most striking is the National Monument, inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. Intended to commemorate the Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars, it was never completed leaving just the twelve columns you see today.
Also look out for the Nelson Monument, shaped like an up-turned telescope. Completed in 1816 the monument commemorates the death of Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. However in 1852 a time ball was added to the top to enable ships moored in the Firth of Forth to set their time-pieces accurately. The Nelson Monument is open to the public, and the Time Ball still drops at one o’clock six days a week.
Visit St. Giles Cathedral
More properly termed the High Kirk of Edinburgh, St Giles’ is the Church of Scotland’s principal place of worship in Edinburgh and has been one of the city’s religious focal points for some 900 years. It’s a great spot to stop by for a lunchtime piano or organ recital, as well as choral and instrumental concerts.
Entry to St. Giles is completely free (though they’re going to charge you a minimal fee if you would like to require photographs). the gorgeous interior is crammed with lovely glass , banners, flags, and may be a must-see for any lover of history. This cathedral is the mother church for the church of Scotland, and was once separated into 4 different entities, only to be recently joined in the 19th century. They added a new plaster roof, as well as the Thistle chapel. This is the chapel for the order of the Thistle, a Scottish knight order similar to the one in Henry VII Lady Chapel in Westminster.
Climb Arthur’s Seat
Outside of Old Town, and just to the east, you’ll find the trail to Arthur’s Seat. This is a medium sized hill formed by an extinct volcano approximately 350 million years ago, and today provides one of the most breathtaking views of the city that’s available anywhere in the region. It’s a challenging climb, and can take a an hour or so to go up (much shorter coming down)
If the weather is just right, you’ll have a wonderfully scenic panorama of Edinburgh, and really begin to understand the breadth of the city, and how it’s grown over time.
The Beginning of Harry Potter
Start your journey where it all began for one of the most successful writers of the last 100 years – J.K. Rowling. Inside the Elephant House on George IV Bridge, she famously protected herself from the elements by pounding away the notes that would eventually become the Harry Potter book series. While not the only place she wrote (in fact, many cafes were her muse), The Elephant House is among the most notable.
Be warned, however, because it’s insanely busy to visit especially this location – let along any of the others on this J.K. Rowling “trail”. Dedicated fans of the series, however, absolutely must visit the location and see where the series got its start!
Learn
Just up the road from The Elephant House stands the National Museum of Scotland, which is a stunning work that represents Scottish national pride and history. It’s free, like most of the museums in Edinburgh, and it’s utterly fascinating on the inside. Additionally, there are different sub-areas to see in the National Museum of Scotland, such as sections on Scottish History, Science & Technology, native Scottish wildlife, and even Dolly the sheep – the first animal ever cloned. . Like most museums and galleries within the UK, entry to the National Museum of Scotland is completely free!
Before you leave, make sure to check out the city from the rooftop! It’s one of the best views of the city – Arthur’s Seat included!
Explore Ancient Graveyards
One of the neat, if not macabre, things about Scotland is its age. With age comes… well, a lot of history, and with history comes – you named it. Dead people.
Within Edinburgh are numerous burial grounds that arer really historic, from the Greyfriar’s Kirkyard located near the National Museum, to others that house famous writers and philosophers like David Hume.
There are several quality ghost tours available throughout the year, and Scotland is a city with an interesting enough supernatural past that activities like this should be on your radar. These generally cost around 10-15 USD, so if your interest lies with the paranormal inspect Auld Reekie Tours.
Enjoy Being a Tourist
We like to avoid being overly tourist-like when we travel, and try instead to get into the bones of the cities we visit a bit more, but Edinburgh is like most of Europe’s big cities in that there are certain things where everyone should visit. With that in mind, you really should go full-fledged “tourist” while in Edinburgh, otherwise you might run the risk of missing out on these types of things.
Buy a kilt, drink too much on the Royal Mile, see Edinburgh Castle, quote Braveheart… whatever you have to do. Just have a blast.
Edinburgh is so enchanting that even the most savvy and experienced traveler feels like it’s a place they’ve never been.
Check Out Free Museums
Along the Royal Mile, you’ll find a bunch of totally free museums that are able to welcome you. (Donations are accepted, too, to assist keep these museums running.)
Flex your literary muscles with a stroll through the Writer’s Museum, located during a close just off the Royal Mile. Despite it’s proximity to the crowds of tourists, the Writer’s Museum is during a quiet and really attractive court. The pavement is crammed with inscriptions of literary quotes engraved into the stone and therefore the whole place seems stuck in time.
The museum and its artifacts celebrate three of Scotland’s most famous literary figures: Sir Scott , Robert Louis Stevenson, and Burns .
The other museums that are great free things to try to to in Edinburgh include The Museum of Childhood and therefore the People’s Story Museum, both set directly on the Royal Mile.
The Museum of Childhood is fun for teenagers and adults alike, showcasing toys and games through the ages.
The People’s Story, set within the old Canongate tollbooth, will offer you a glimpse into the lives of Edinburgh’s residents from the 18th century to today.
The first time we published this post, we didn’t include the Water of Leith Walk, but it had been suggested to us by a reader, and that we followed through! The walk follows the river, stretching around 12 miles from Balerno to Leith, but you’ll stroll as little or the maximum amount as you would like .
This is a stunning thanks to find a touch of nature tucked right into the town . The walk takes you across many nice viewpoints, including the picturesque Dean Village as seen above. And better of all, it’s another free Edinburgh activity!
Scottish Pubs
So, it isn’t free to drink there obviously, but even if you aren’t a drinker and don’t find yourself particularly hungry, you really should stop into a proper Scottish pub. The design of the buildings, the historical feel of the wood grain and the way the friendly locals mix with the touristic crowd really gives you a unique feeling of what makes Scotland what it is, and makes Edinburgh truly unique.
