Edinburgh

Edinburgh has been the capitol city of Scotland 1437 and it is the second largest city in Scotland.  The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and it is second only to London for popularity in the UK.

 

 

Attractions

In Edinburgh there are plenty of attractions within the city centre but one of the main attractions is simply to walk around the New and Old Town areas of the city.  Here you can enjoy the many historic buildings and the wonderful architecture that is all over the.

 

Edinburgh’s most popular attraction is Edinburgh Castle, this icon of Edinburgh overlooking the city centre on the elevated site of Castle Rock.  There is a rich history that accompanies the castle and this starts in 1093 and it has seen its share of violence and political intrigue.  Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie have all played parts in making the castes interesting history.

 

Within the city centre you can enjoy some excellent free attractions, two of the most popular are The Museum of Scotland and Botanical.  Both are within a few minutes walk of the city centre and are ideal for people visiting Edinburgh on a budget or looking for a family event.

 

Places to stay

 

Edinburgh offers some of the highest quality accommodation in Scotland with a large selection of luxury hotels available.  Two of the most famous hotels in Edinburgh are The Balmoral Hotel and the Scotsman both of which are situated in the city centre and offer high quality five star accommodation.

 

If you don’t have a £100 to spend for a nights accommodation then don’t worry because ther is also some excellent budget hostel accommodation available.  These start from only £8 per night per person for a bed in a dorm room.  One of the most popular is Smart City which has a city centre location and some excellent facilities.

 

Events

 

The summer is when Edinburgh comes alive with festivals and events taking place during July and August. The two best known and most popular are the Military tattoo at Edinburgh Castle and The International Fringe Festival.

 

The Tattoo runs for three weeks through August and takes place in Edinburgh Castle, it is very popular and often fully booked well in advance of the performances.  It is therefore a good idea to always try and book tickets quite far in advance. 

 

The fringe festival boats the title of being the world largest arts festival, with hundred of acts of varying quality participating every year.  There is a good selection of both paid and free shows that take place and it can be a great place for new performers to break through as it is open to everybody.

 

Transport

 

Edinburgh is service by a very good international Airport which is only a few miles outside the city centre.  From here you can get flights to over 40 European cities and also top international destinations such as New York and Atlanta.  A regular bus service runs to and from the city centre to the airport and it costs around £5.

 

There are two train stations in Edinburgh, Haymarket is a couple of miles outside the city centre and is close to Murrayfield rugby stadium.  Waverley is in the city centre and only a couple of minutes walk away from Princes Street.  You can get trains from here to all the major cities in Scotland and also a direct train from to London which takes around 4hrs 30min.

 

There is a very efficient bus service that runs in the city centre of Edinburgh with most leaving around every 5-10mins to all the main areas of the city and surrounding regions such as Leith and Corstrorphine.  Fares start from only £1 for a single journey and only £2.50 for a day ticket.  You can also get city connection buses to Dundee, Glasgow and Perth with CityLink or Megabus with special fares starting at only £1.

The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh is the country’s second largest city after Glasgow. Located in the south-east of the country, Edinburgh owes its rugged setting to many Medieval and Georgian style architecture and is often considered one of the most picturesque cities in Europe.

Edinburgh replaced Scone as the capital of Scotland in 1437 and altogether has around 4,500 listed buildings in the city. A census taken in 2001 noted the population as 448,625. It’s one of Europe’s major tourist attractions bringing nearly 1 million visitors a year and is the second most visited destinations in the UK after the city of London.

Due to the city’s vast amount of historic buildings and monuments, Edinburgh is often given the nick name ‘Athens of the North’.

There are many attractions for tourists in Edinburgh and it is notably famous for its festivals. The most well known of these is the Edinburgh Festival, which is a collection of both official and independent festivals that are held every year over a space of four weeks in August. The most popular events in the Edinburgh festival include the Edinburgh Fringe which is the largest performing arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Comedy Festival which is the largest comedy festival in the world, and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. At the time of these festivals the cities are usually full with tourists and any accommodation should be booked way in advanced. However, finding a hotel or Bed and Breakfast in the city shouldn’t be too hard.

Other notable tourist attractions in the city are Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Zoo and some of the many museums including the Museum of Scotland and the Royal Museum.

Getting around in the city is very easy with so much public transport available. Many residents of the city choose to use the public transport available for every day life including the many busses, trains, trams and taxis on offer. Cycling is also big in the city but due to the city’s landscape it can sometimes seem like a mountain bike ride.

With so many great attractions to visit in Edinburgh I recommend booking into a B&B . Bed and Breakfasts

can be booked easily online but even if you just turn up you won’t be stuck to find some B&B’s

The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh is the country’s second largest city after Glasgow. Located in the south-east of the country, Edinburgh owes its rugged setting to many Medieval and Georgian style architecture and is often considered one of the most picturesque cities in Europe.

Edinburgh replaced Scone as the capital of Scotland in 1437 and altogether has around 4,500 listed buildings in the city. A census taken in 2001 noted the population as 448,625. It’s one of Europe’s major tourist attractions bringing nearly 1 million visitors a year and is the second most visited destinations in the UK after the city of London.

Due to the city’s vast amount of historic buildings and monuments, Edinburgh is often given the nick name ‘Athens of the North’.

There are many attractions for tourists in Edinburgh and it is notably famous for its festivals. The most well known of these is the Edinburgh Festival, which is a collection of both official and independent festivals that are held every year over a space of four weeks in August. The most popular events in the Edinburgh festival include the Edinburgh Fringe which is the largest performing arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Comedy Festival which is the largest comedy festival in the world, and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. At the time of these festivals the cities are usually full with tourists and any accommodation should be booked way in advanced. However, finding a hotel or Bed and Breakfast in the city shouldn’t be too hard.

Other notable tourist attractions in the city are Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Zoo and some of the many museums including the Museum of Scotland and the Royal Museum.

Getting around in the city is very easy with so much public transport available. Many residents of the city choose to use the public transport available for every day life including the many busses, trains, trams and taxis on offer. Cycling is also big in the city but due to the city’s landscape it can sometimes seem like a mountain bike ride.

With so many great attractions to visit in Edinburgh I recommend booking into a B&B . Bed and Breakfasts

can be booked easily online but even if you just turn up you won’t be stuck to find some B&B’s