Staycation Mini Series: Edinburgh

Edinburgh's going to eventually get its own series, there's so many things to do, and as a local I've got sooo many recommendations. Having lived in the city for 3 years I still don't feel like I've seen and done everything... But you can get a feel for the city and see most of the must-sees in a weekend and I wanted to create an Edinburgh guide for anyone planning a short trip so these are my favourite places:

Edinburgh Castle - it goes without saying that a trip to Edinburgh requires a visit to the castle. It's quite pricey to get into, but you can see it from pretty much anywhere in the city centre. You can have a walk up the Royal Mile and stand on the Castle Esplanade without paying a penny and it still makes for a great picture! The views from the top are incredible and if you visit in the summer (except 2020...) you can see the seating set-up for the Military Tattoo! If you do decide to pay entry, it is worth it! There's loads to see, from Crown Jewels, Prisons of War, the National War Memorial and the Great Hall is pretty stunning! They fire a canon every day at 1pm which is very fun to watch up close, but you can of course hear it from pretty much anywhere in the city centre. Listen out for it!

Greyfriars Bobby - this is definitely a tourist thing as opposed to a locals thing but I absolutely love the story behind it. Greyfriars Bobby is a statue just off the Royal Mile dedicated to a loyal Skye Terrier who guarded his owner's grave for 14 years! How cute! You can visit the statue and take a photo, legend has it that rubbing it's nose can bring you luck so make sure you pack some hand sanitiser...

Hollyrood Park, Palace and Arthur's Seat - If you're lucky enough to get a nice weather day, Hollyrood Park is a great place for a picnic. It's just a short walk out of the city and feels like being in the countryside! Arthur's Seat is definitely a couple of hours walk but again the views from the top are worth it! Pro tip: time your climb with sunset for the most incredible views! The palace is really beautiful from the outside, though pretty much gated up so you can't really get a photo unless you pay to go inside (which I've never done...)

Calton Hill - This is one of my favourite places in Edinburgh. Unlike Arthur's Seat it's not a long hike to the top. Just a few steps and probably 20 minutes but the views from the top are incredible. Looking out one side you can see the Old Town and Castle and the other side you can see Leith and the Firth of Forth! There's lots of monuments up there and they've just recently opened a restaurant (that I am yet to try) and observatory. I absolutely love the view from the top, getting to see the whole city from above.

If you're a Harry Potter fan, there's so many (alleged?) connections to HP in Edinburgh. For starters there's the Elephant Cafe, which is said to be the 'birthplace of Harry Potter' as this is where JK Rowling sat a wrote the first book. You can visit Tom Riddle's grave at the Greyfriars Kirkyard and see Victoria Street which is said to have inspire some of Diagon Alley. You can also see JK Rowling's handprints at the City Chambers and there's of course so many HP merch. shops around the city! If you really want the Harry Potter experience you can stay in the JK Rowling suite at the Balmoral! It'll cost you a decent sum and you need to book quite far in advance but it's of course a once in a lifetime experience! There's also The Couldron bar where you can brew some of your own magical potion cocktails and they have a themed Escape Room experience too (I've been and can confirm it's pretty cool)!

Museums

As with most capital cities there's no shortage of museums in Edinburgh. The National Museum of Scotland is free to enter and a great rainy day thing to do, it's really interactive too so great for Kids. Both Dynamic Earth and the Camera Obscurer: World of Illusions are supposed to be really fun and both are on my to-visit list, I just haven't quite made it there yet! There's also Royal Yacht Britannia which is really cool to visit, though a bit further out of the city centre. If you are looking to visit the Castle, Hollyrood Palace and Royal Yacht Britannia they sell a ticket that covers all of those and includes the buses in between.

Public Transport in the city is amazing and it's one of the things that attracted me to living in the city in the first place. A day ticket on the bus is just £4 for an adult and you can use it on most routes. If you're planning to use the buses make sure you have the exact change and the bus drivers can't give change. They also take contactless though, or you can download the M-tickets app and buy and store your tickets on your phone.

Ok I'm going to wrap this post up there. Like I said at the beginning there is sooo much to do in Edinburgh and I genuinely love this city so much so could happily write tips for days but this is hopefully a quick little summary. I'm hoping to write up a food and drink guide very soon so make sure you stay tuned for that. Follow my social medias for updates on when that goes live and as always if you're planning a trip and want some more information, have questions or want some help looking for an amazing deal, drop me a message or email clairemordue.travel@gmail.com

If you're planning a visit at Christmas you can read my Edinburgh Christmas guide here - note that for 2020 the Christmas markets are going ahead (as of 20/09/2020) but will look very different...more info on that to follow!