Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. One of its main advantages is that its small size allows us to visit on a weekend getaway. But surely, the visitor will want to return, dazzled by the charm of the city, where the atmosphere is midway between the medieval and nineteenth-century.

Photography by kyz

To start your visit to Edinburgh, we recommend arriving by bus or walk to Princess Street, and start from there visit the old city center.

Princess Street is one of the main streets of the city, along with its parallel, Queen Street and George Street, home to most of Edinburgh’s finest restaurants, the shops recommended and most atmospheric pubs in the city. From the esplanade of Princes Street is accessible to the National Gallery of Scotland, the Royal Scottish Academy, and Waverley train station. From here you can see Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill, and we’ll take it as a reference because it will surely be the next stop on our tour of Edinburgh.

Photography by landhere

To get to Edinburgh Castle, we recommend climbing the North Bridge, where the attraction of the dungeons of Edinburgh. Then, we propose to continue the tour of the famous Mille Royal Street, one of the most famous streets in the city, very famous literary references in the books of Daniel Defoe. The Royal Mille is a really nice street, pedestrian and where we can find the most souvenir shops in Scotland, however it is advisable to go across the street until you reach its end, where the Scottish Parliament and the Queen Accommodation. This is the palace where the queen stayed during his last visit to Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Castle is one of the most reformed the country, such as Stirling, keeps a history of military use. To access the Royal Castle from the first Mille you can walk along the esplanade, where you can enjoy beautiful views of the city. Enter the castle costs about 12 €, with the option to purchase audio-guides or written guidelines, but we recommend waiting at the next castle esplanade, where there is a small clock, and every hour and a half starts a guided tour of a «guardian «the castle, and it is free!

After visiting Edinburgh Castle, take a walk to the end of the Royal Mille. The first thing you’ll be the Scotch Whisky Heritage Center and the Witches Fountain. You’ll notice the The Hub, a former church converted into a conversion center, museum and theater. Continuing along the pedestrian street, get to see the Cathedral of St Giles High Kirk, behind which is the Parliament House, a 10-minute walk to Holyrood Palace, where the Scottish Parliament, a spectacular modern building built by the Catalan architect Enric Millares. Access to the parliament is free, but you can visit with a guide. In Holyrood Palace also houses the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is used as a royal residence.

Photography by kevgibbo

Behind the Scottish Parliament can see a strange white tent. This is the Our Dynamic Earth, an exhibition that how it formed geologically Scotland. From here, if you want a good view of the city, a good trick is to climb the hill that is in Holyrood Park, where you can see the whole city and enjoy beautiful sunsets. If you have time, another highly recommended visit is the Calton Hill, a hill in front of Edinburgh Castle Hill, at the end of Princess Street. There you can visit the National Monument, the City Observatory and the Nelson Monument, and also continue to enjoy spectacular views of the city.

Edinburgh is a very interesting city because you can combine sightseeing with the simple pleasure of walking through the streets and meet a medieval and historical, not to mention the welcoming character of its inhabitants. It is a very recommendable for a weekend getaway or as a starting point to begin a tour of Scotland.

Have a good trip to Edinburgh!