The 10 best things to do in Edinburgh

14.08.2024 - 08:59 / lonelyplanet.com / Royal Mile

Aug 13, 2024 • 10 min read

Edinburgh is the crown jewel of the British Isles. It brings to life the daydreams of anyone seeking the medieval, the regal and the outright fantastic. At its heart is the Royal Mile, a cobblestone artery spanning the centuries, running beneath a rock-topped castle to a baroque palace. Edinburgh is pure Gothic romance meets House of the Dragon — like the dream of a mad God, or at least that's how Scottish poet Hugh MacDiarmid described it.

Yet much is modern about the Scottish capital, and the emotion and vitality of the city can be felt in its annual festivals — particularly during the Edinburgh Fringe and Hogmanay, the three-day party celebrating the New Year. And the city's museums, galleries, restaurants and hotels are every bit as grand as you’d hope for from such a marvelous setting.

From museums to fine dining, you'll never be bored in Edinburgh. To help you plan, here are our top 10 favorite experiences.

For many visitors, this royal bastion mounted with steeples and turrets is Edinburgh. The historic, bejeweled regalia of the Honours of Scotland in the Crown Room, the Romanesque 12th-century chapel and the One O’Clock Gun scaring the bejesus out of unprepared passers-by below the walls are all city landmarks. Come for bloody Jacobite history and tartan glamour but stay for a day steeped in Scottish identity.

On a self-guided tour, you’ll tumble through time, entering via the dry ditch and drawbridge under a gatehouse arch adorned with crow-stepped skews, thistles, roses and stained glass. The portcullis gate leads towards the battery and various military museums, memorials and grand halls, with spine-tingling views of sheer cliffs, the New Town and Leith in the distance. Everywhere, you'll see the signatures of kings, queens and pretenders to the throne.

Local tip: Lunchtime, when the One O’Clock Gun is fired, is the busiest time of day. Visit at 9:30am or after 3pm to dodge the worst of the crowds. Coming in August? Book ahead for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which transforms the Esplanade into a spectacle of massed pipes, drums and dancers lit by fireworks and starlight.

Compact and easily navigable — at least, if you have comfy shoes and an umbrella for those all-too-common stormcloud days — Edinburgh is a joy to explore. But as tempting as it is to watch the world go by from a cafe or pub table, there’s much to discover on the downhill daunder (the Scots word for "stroll") to Holyrood Park along the Royal Mile.

As you wander past a fanfare of stone townhouses, bridges, kirks (churches) and once-fortified gateways, it’s easy to be mesmerized by the ever-changing light. Dark histories linger down the crooked steps of narrow wynds (alleyways) and inside wonky