Last Updated on April 26, 2024 by Audrey Scott
Traveling to Edinburgh and wondering: “What is the essence of Edinburgh?” We probably need to write a book to answer that in earnest. But if you visit Edinburgh for 3 days or 72 hours (and ideally more), this Edinburgh travel guide shares what you could see, eat, drink and otherwise experience to help you answer that question for yourself.
When I think of Edinburgh, I think moody streets, storied alleys and walls of beautiful stone. Then I pepper in some sights, a dose or two of haggis, whisky, and ale at a couple of pubs. Then I throw in some fish and chips, a few jokes and finish it off by listening to that inimitable accent that leaves one puzzling around the pronunciation of the city's name (it's more like ED-in-bra, ED-in-burrah or Edinb'r'h — not Ed'nBERG).
When I first set foot in Edinburgh, I needed time to “get” it. I gave it that wee bit of time, thankfully. Then I felt it.
Here's why. And how.
Edinburgh Setting and Architecture
Said to be built in and around seven hills, Edinburgh is a city of contours further defined in detail by large blocks of stone cut from the hands of old craftsmen. I don’t mind the new architecture, but it’s this old stuff that I really appreciate. When I’m long gone, storytellers will still be writing books about this old stuff, while the new buildings will sit there, fine enough, wondering when someone will ever weave a tale about them. Cobbles and alleys, carved chunks of medieval and neoclassical Gothic revival — that's Edinburgh's architectural stock in very brief.
It comes as little surprise that J.K. Rowling used the city and its physical surroundings as visual inspiration for the setting of the Harry Potter series. It's an easy look, the sort of place that invites stories and ghosts alike to lurk.
Edinburgh Sites: What to Do and See in Edinburgh
Like any good old city worth its salt, Edinburgh is best consumed by simply setting off on foot and letting your curiosity get the best of you. If you'd like to anchor your visit, here are a handful of worthy usual suspects.
Edinburgh Castle
The castle is the heart (or perhaps the head) of Edinburgh. Everything else developed around it over the last thousand years or more. The courtyard of the castle has some great views of the city, but it’s worth it to venture inside if you have a few hours. It features museums and exhibitions and further views of the city.
Camera Obscura
When I first heard of Camera Obscura, I figured it a cheesy tourist attraction. Instead, it’s a place for you to release your inner child, play with imagery and light installations and get a cool introduction to the city from above via the namesake Camera Obscura tour at the top. And if that doesn’t sell you, the views of the city from the rooftop are hard to beat (see the lead photo of this article), particularly when the weather cooperates. Go when there is good daylight. Details: Royal Mile (just near the Castle), opening times vary during the changing seasons and light, £11.95 for adults.
The Royal Mile
This Royal Mile is the main street that leads you from the castle at the top to Holyrood Park and the Queen’s Palace at the bottom. If the Edinburgh Castle is the head of the Edinburgh old town fish, this is the spine. Yes, there are a lot of souvenir shops on this street, but there are also some great pubs, bits of architecture and photogenic curiosities tucked into various nooks and crannies. Be sure to look up to catch the details.
Closes
As you walk the Royal Mile, you’ll notice signs at archways with the names of “closes”, or traditional alleyways of Edinburgh that led downhill, in the flow of sewage and waste, to the Nor Loch below. People built their homes and shops around closes; they were deep, narrow and often dark. Some were named after the people who lived there while others were named to indicate what sort of goods were sold in the markets inside. For an introduction to the closes and what life was like in Edinburgh hundreds of years ago, check out the Real Mary King’s Close tour.
Random Edinburgh faux-factoid anecdote, the origins of the phrase “sh*t-faced”: During the Middle Ages in Edinburgh, human waste was disposed of twice a day –- 7 AM and 10 PM — by people yelling “Gardy Loo” (perhaps a variation on the French garde à l'eau! or look out for the water!) and dumping buckets of human waste from their windows. Coincidentally, 10 PM also happened to be closing time for pubs. Imagine a poor drunkard hearing someone yell from the window above and looking up, and there you go. How do you like them apples?
National Museums
Do a happy dance. Scotland's national museums in Edinburgh are free to the public. Exhibition spaces are really well done and creative. Be sure to check out the fascinating grasshopper clock in the entryway to the National Museum of Scotland. (By the way, this clock reminds me of the giant talking insect-typewriter in the film Naked Lunch adapted from the William S. Burroughs novel.)
Grass Market
Once the sight of public executions in the 17th century, Grass Market today is home to a string of pubs, restaurants, hotels and shops. Be sure to look up for a great view of Edinburgh Castle above.
Rose Street
This is one of the main streets in Edinburgh’s “New Town” built during the mid 18th – 19th centuries. Rose Street is relatively small, full of pubs and cafes and runs parallel to shop-filled Princes Street. Look up to enjoy the neo-classical stonework.
Edinburgh Whisky Tasting
Whisky novices, it’s worth popping into the Scotch Whisky Experience a few doors down from Edinburgh Castle for a tour and some basic tastings. Be sure to ask the tasting staff any question you can imagine – we found them incredibly knowledgeable and happy to share their whisky wisdom. And if your visit is timed with the semi-annual whisky exhibition, you'll get something closer to an aficionados view of whisky. We tasted eight whiskies at the exhibition and emerged lighter than air in mid-afternoon. It was recommended to us to sample Scottish-style blue cheese with some of the whiskies that are stronger on the palate, like Bowmore. Absolutely beautiful.
Edinburgh Festivals
Hogmanay, Edinburgh’s New Year’s celebration, formed the backdrop for our visit and was a great way to enjoy the city. But Edinburgh hosts twelve major festivals throughout the year, including the famous Festival Fringe each August. Check out the Edinburgh’s festivals calendar to see what might be going on during the time of your visit.
Edinburgh: What to Eat and Where to Eat It
For reasons fried and many, Scotland is not particularly known for its cuisine. Having said that, there are tasty bits and curiosities worth seeking out, trying, and in some cases, absolutely relishing. Note that meal portions in Edinburgh (and Scotland in general) are often quite large. Particularly when a heavy beer or two was involved, we would share one dish or serving between the two of us. This often proved more than enough – better for the gut and better on the wallet, too. If you're still hungry after your plateful of savory, try dessert.
Our first real experience with Edinburgh went to a fish and chips shop. First impression: people are so friendly and helpful. Funny, cheeky, they like to talk, they tell stories, they're gregarious. They exude engaging. I like this.
Fish & Chips:
For perfect batter-fried pieces of haddock the size of an arm and a mountain of freshly fried chips (a.k.a. large-cut French fries), head to Bene Fish & Chips on the Royal Mile. They not only serve up high-quality fish, but they offer one of the best value meals in town: one serving of fish and chips, more than enough for two people, runs £6.50. The family who runs it and the employees? Super sweet.
Details: Bene Fish & Chips, 162 Canongate (on the Royal Mile). This is a take-out place only, but fortunately there are benches across the street near the church (Canongate Kirk) where you can sit and gorge. Wash it all down next door at Tolbooth Tavern.
Fried Mars Bar:
No visit to Scotland is complete without a fried Mars bar. Or two. When we ordered one, we were told: “It will change your life.” A moment or two after my first bite I said, “It still hasn't changed my life.” The response: “Give it time.” Gotta give it the Mars bar frymasters, they've got a sense of humor to go along with that heart attack log. There is something forbidden and evil about it all, like a crack combination of sweet, a bit of salty and fat. You’re in luck in that Bene's above lays claim to having invented the fried Mars bar. An ignominious, if not dubious, distinction.
Haggis Mashed Potato Tower with Whisky Cream Sauce:
An Edinburgh taxi driver steered us in the direction of this haggis refinement. We were sold on the concept and asked just about every local we'd met where we might find the best. Eventually, we hit the jackpot at 1780 Restaurant on Rose Street with their version, the Bard's Haggis. We tried haggis also at Deacon Brodie's, but the 1780 version was our favorite.
Haggis is not something that photographs well. In fact, it photographs as well as it runs off the tongue. Actually, it’s not something that goes down well, either — that is, if you think too much about what it's made of. But, if you just accept haggis in a Zen, at-peace type of way, and ignore that it often looks like poop stuffed innards run through a pencil sharpener, it actually tastes pretty good.
The consistency is that of ground meat. Toss in some herbs and spices and thicken it with something grist-y like ground oats. Together with mashed potatoes, and a creamy whisky sauce, this dish actually turns out to be the ultimate in Scottish pub comfort food. I was happy to have it with a draught Scottish ale (1780 has a decent selection), others drank it with Guinness, and our Scottish go-to gal Kay recommends it with Innis & Gunn bourbon cask-aged blonde. Though the Innis & Gunn rum finish might be a better bet. Gotta go back and get me some more haggis!
Sticky toffee pudding:
The waiter plunked down two plates of this beauty, handed our group six spoons and within about a minute both dishes were stroked clean with an index finger from the mob. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a dessert go this fast. A ball of borderline gooey with a distinct graham cracker flavor, consistency of moist brownie, finished off with a thin caramel toffee sauce and sided with ice cream. It's even better than I've attempted to describe. Where to get whiskey cream haggis and sticky toffee pudding: 1780 Restaurant – 167 Rose Street.
South Asian Curries:
Curry houses have become an Edinburgh (or more like, British) institution.
Zest Restaurant: Unfortunately, Indian restaurants in Europe go too light on the spice thinking that we anglo-euros can't handle it. This is where Zest steps up to the plate and delivers — all the right spices were there, nice Indian flavor separation and proper heat. We highly recommend the North Indian Chilli Garlic Chicken. Address: 15 North St. Andrew Street
Mother India's Cafe: Small plate style eating so you can try multiple tastes in one meal. We recommend the haddock with Punjabi spices and the spicy keema dosa (while not the proper thin dosa consistency, the keema is nicely flavored.) Address: Mother India's Cafe, 3-5 Infirmary Street
Irn Bru
This section was added after commenters pointed out the unfair exclusion of dear ol' Irn Bru.
If our experience is any measure, no Scotland experience is complete without a sip or two of Irn Bru (pronounced “Iron Brew”), Scotland's second national drink (that is, after whisky). Irn Bru is an orangish, rusty-colored cola, once more popular than Coca-Cola. Although it's said that Irn Bru is “Made in Scotland from girders” because of its rust color, some say it tastes citrus-y, others say like ginger. To me, Irn Bru is bubble gum-like, not unlike the Peruvian national soda Inca Kola. Even if soda isn't your thing, have a wee taste of Irn Bru, even if it is only to tell your Scottish friends that, “Yes indeed, I tried Irn Bru.”
Edinburgh Coffee
Flat White (Coffee) Now, we realize coffee may not be considered a meal for some of you but it sometimes is for us, especially when done well. By no means is a flat white, a sort of compromise between a latte and a cappuccino, native to Edinburgh. But there are enough cafes serving it that it seems a fixture of the Edinburgh cafe scene. I should note: Edinburgh was the first time we tried a flat white, a coffee style developed in Australia to be the perfect coffee with just the right combination of espresso and microfoam. Best one we tried (by best, I mean the richest, while being the least bitter) could be found at Urban Angel at 121 Hanover Street (great eggs benedict there, too!). Hat tip to Kirsten Alana for the flat white enlightenment!
Edinburgh Pubs and Beer
The metal tap stem from which Scottish brew pours forth curls up like a punctuation mark. And the sound! Whoosh! Golden. I know Scotland may not be world famous for its beer, but I certainly enjoyed Scottish ales. They are served with a slightly foamy head that doesn't linger quite like a Guinness pour might. An impressive pour, regardless.
Even if you’re not a big drinker, it’s worth visiting a few of Edinburgh’s pubs just to get a feel for the local pub culture. More importantly, they are great places to meet locals — some dressed in kilts, some not — and hear some live music.
Note that there is no table service in a pub; just go up to the bar to order your drinks (and often food, too). On average, a pint of beer will set you back about £3-£4.
Favorite Edinburgh pubs
Tolbooth Tavern: The décor of this place kind of makes you feel like you’re entering the king's drawing room — lavish in a way with chairs whose cushions are luscious red velvet, touched with Scottish accents all around. Come in, get comfortable and stay a while. Tolbooth Tavern offers a nice selection of beers on tap, lots of locals hanging around, and live music some evenings.
If beer is your interest, you are in the right place. Ordering beer was beyond pleasant, friendly. Behind imposing taps, bartenders deliver the goods by pulling foot-tall sticks like a tractor trailer shift. As any good pub in Edinburgh should, they'll allow you to try before you buy. I drank a McEwan's 70 Ale (the locals favorite, they say) and McEwan's 80 ale, both of which I really enjoyed. Scottish ales are slightly foamy off the tap and smooth. These beers are very different from peppier, hoppier Czech and German beers we’re accustomed to.
As heavy as Scottish ales appear to be (they are dark and heady), they go down easy because they're less carbonated. I also noted that McEwan's tasted better at Tolbooth than anywhere else. I attributed this to three factors: my Scottish Ale-in-Edinburgh virgin taste buds, the fact that I needed to wash down my fish and chips from Bene's across the street, and finally to the fact that the folks at Tolbooth keep their taps clean. Try also the Caledonian 80.
Deuchars Scottish IPA: Many pubs, Tolbooth included, carry Deuchars IPA. Not your hipster-neighbor's American-style IPA. Scottish style IPAs are noticeably less hoppy and pronounced. (I don't agree that they are always sweeter, as I've tasted my share of sweet IPAs.) Deuchar's IPA was Audrey's favorite. We both preferred it to others, including the Nicholson IPA.
White Hart: From the moment we stepped into this place on New Year’s Day, we felt welcome. Locals were friendly and very outgoing (some wore kilts, too) as were the bar staff. Good beer, good people. What more can you want? Guinness drinkers: White Hart carries traditional Guinness and also Guinness Extra Cold, if that strikes your fancy. Either way, I found them going down too easily. If forced to choose, I'd choose warmer, particularly on New Year's Day. Address: Grass Market
Stepping back, Edinburgh is a place to wax long and lyrical, stroll slowly, sip slowly. Take it slowly whatever you do, ask questions and allow Edinburgh to reveal itself to you.
@Nick: Glad we could help. When you head out there, let us know!
@Mark: We hope so, too. Enjoy!
I’ve always felt strangely attracted to Scotland and Edinburgh and after reading your post I’m sure I have to visit! Looks good!
@Jim: Thanks. Haste ye to Edinburgh!
That sounds so cool – I hope to visit it someday
cool post, and a town I hope to visit this year – having been to Glasgow quite a bit, I have been captured by Scotland, so Edinburgh is next for me – thanks for sharing!
Oh, stop it , guys, I’m getting sniffly. *blows nose sadly* Wish we were still pootling rounds its streets together.
One thing that really thrills me about Edinburgh is the topography. The old & new towns aren’t just separated by a gulf of time and history – they’re separated by an actual gulf, the long scoop of the West Princes Street Gardens in a bowl under both sides of the city, with the train station plugging into the end of it like a power source – and the castle rearing up, overlooking all, formidable yet weirdly reassuring. And that’s not even mentioning what the land does when you approach Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat. It’s incredible terrain, and they went and built a city on it. I just love that.
It also might be slightly heretical for me to say, but Edinburgh has one of my fave Starbucks joints in the world – it’s up Princes Street and it’s a colossal, well-lit second-floor room filled with sofas and tables and power sockets, big enough to cater for a whole conference of travel bloggers. A really great place to get work done if you’re in need of comfort, caffine and laptop-juice.
Edinburgh is a magical place. You found way better found then me. I didn’t see one mars bar! What a shame. However, I drank a ton of Iron Bru, the sugar overload kept me trucking all day lol.
My favorite pub was Lebowski’s the whole thing was based off the movie The Big Lebowski. All they served was 32 different white Russians. The dude abides.
Stephen has a point – did you try some irn bru?
Will be travelling to Edinburgh in February, so can not wait. Without a doubt, to me this is one of the best looking cities in Europe. Even the photos of the new town look amazing.
@Mikeachim: Pootling, yes. At least we were not French pootling.
Your description of Edinburgh’s topography makes it sound much like a dragon of many humps.
That Edinburgh has one of your favorite Starbucks isn’t so much heretical as it is shocking. Kidding aside, good tip!
@Stephen: Funny, our first night we were seeing Mars bars every other doorway it seemed.
Iron Bru, thanks for the reminder. I couldn’t manage to put back a whole can. A little too sweet for my taste. I added an Irn Bru entry above for those interested.
32 different white Russians? Makes me wonder: is there such a thing as a Scottish coffee, as in coffee with scotch?
@Sher: We did try Irn Bru. I made an addendum above to honor our experience with it 🙂
@John: Definitely a physically — and to Mike’s point above, topographically — beautiful city. Enjoy!
Wow Edinburgh has got so much , Especially the food and the castles. Ohh yes , that camera obscura sounds awesome! Thanks
I’ve wanted to go to Edinburgh ever since my cousin went to school there and made it sound SO good. I love love love the history! It’s so strange to imagine the square that a few hundred years ago was used for public executions and are now busy with commerce, shoppers, tourists, and the like. Must be a lot of ghosts!
@Amy: It is said, but we cannot confirm with our own experience, that ghosts lurk in and around Mary King’s Close. Guess you’ll just have to visit Edinburgh to find out for yourself! Even if you don’t find ghosts, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Lots of rich history and visual goodness, Edinburgh.
Edinburgh has always been right at the top of my list, but I have never had the opportunity to go there. What a magnificent city. Not too sure about the whiskey cream haggis though…
@Willem: True, Edinburgh is a magnificent city, or perhaps town. I say that because there is something oddly intimate about the feel of the place that makes it feel less spread out than it is.
As for the whisky cream haggis, you gotta’ try it. Totally worth it! You’ll be a convert.
Edinburgh looks pretty good, what particularly interests me is the Camera Obscura
I did one of those ‘Haunted Hikes’ years ago in Edinburgh — well worth the money if you ask me. 🙂
Love this city. I had an amazing time here last Spring. Cheers!
@Brandon: Glad to hear it. Would love to know the favorite bit of your Edinburgh experience.
@TW: Which Haunted Hike did you do? Was it The Real Mary King’s Close or something else?
as always, I find the Edinburgh Castle breathe-taking every time I see it.
I loved reading your experience of wonderful Edinburgh. I studied there for 4 years and seeing this has made me really miss the place! Your photos are gorgeous I wish I had captured ones like yours. Also ill have to go back just to try that haggis with whiskey sauce, sounds interesting!
wow have never been there but feels like its a good place to visit at some point just to be out of africa
thanks for such a detailed sharing i honestly want to visit that place
Lovely article and great pictures. Living in London means I have been to many countries in Europe, but I rarely visit places on my door step. You have inspired me to book a flight up to Edinburgh – Thank you 🙂
@Mike: The castle is breathtaking both at night and during the day. And, it’s a great way to orient oneself in the city.
@Liliana: I can imagine that Edinburgh would be a super fun place to study, not just for the social life but because of how friendly people are. Now you have two excuses to return 🙂
@Katushabe: Edinburgh is definitely quite different than Africa, so if you’re looking for a new experience this is it.
@Liz: Isn’t it funny how we often put off visiting places that are near to us? It took us forever to visit Mexico, even though we’re from the States. Enjoy your trip to Edinburgh and be sure to spend some time in the Highlands as well.
What a beautiful city, and the food looks incredible!