Edinburgh
One of Europe's great walking cities, and the easiest place in Britain to arrive at the wrong time of year.
Scotland · 3 nights
Edinburgh is small, vertical and unusually complete. The Old Town and the New Town sit twenty minutes apart on foot and feel like different centuries, and almost everything a visitor wants is inside that walk.
It is also the one city in Britain where the date you choose changes the trip entirely. In August the Festival takes over the whole place; wonderful if that is why you came, and difficult, expensive and fully booked if it is not.
Good for
- Walking cities and short breaks
- History, and anyone who reads
- A first stop before the Highlands
- Whisky
Suggested stay: 3 nights
Before you book
What people get wrong about Edinburgh.
The practical things that change a trip, rather than a list of sights you can find anywhere.
August is the Festival, and you cannot opt out of it
Accommodation runs at two or three times the usual price and books close to a year ahead. If the Fringe is not the reason for the trip, come in May, June or September instead.
Wear the shoes with grip
It is a city built on a volcanic ridge. The closes and stairs are steep, often wet, and worn smooth.
Three nights is right
Two full days covers the castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood and Arthur's Seat comfortably. A fourth night is better spent starting the Highlands.
Book the castle for first thing
It is the busiest thing in the city by ten in the morning and pleasant at opening.
From the road
Edinburgh, as I found it.
Photographs from my own time in Edinburgh. No stock, no borrowed shots.
What it pairs with
The Highlands, which start an hour away, and London, four and a half hours south by train. Three nights here and four in the Highlands is the classic first Scotland trip.
Questions
Edinburgh, answered.
How many days do you need in Edinburgh?
Three nights. That is two full days, which is enough for the castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood and a walk up Arthur's Seat without rushing any of them.
Is August a bad time to visit Edinburgh?
Only if you are not there for the Festival. During August the city is extraordinary and completely full, at two to three times the usual accommodation price. May, June and September are better in every other respect.
Do you need a car in Edinburgh?
No, and it is a liability. The city is walkable, parking is difficult and expensive, and you can pick up a hire car on the way out to the Highlands instead.
Also worth your nights
Where else to look.
Thinking about Edinburgh?
Tell me what you're picturing. I'll tell you honestly whether it works, and what I'd change.
30-minute consultation, no charge, no obligation.