A great view of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. As for the rest of the city, here’s my top ten.
1. Scottish Parliament – back in the late 1990s Scotland finally got their own parliament and while the 2014 referendum was a chance for Scots to get complete freedom, most of the country are happy with the own parliament, banknotes, country and legislation.
You can go inside the Scottish Parliament for free, get a tour, meet MPs etc. It’s a fantastic building and given the recent referendum vote on independence, there’s already a lot of history.
2. Edinburgh Museum – this is a free museum with a load of cool relics and memorabilia down the years on everything related to the city itself. Edinburgh Museum makes an easy stop off museum on route to the Parliament while walking the Royal Mile.
The Edinburgh Museum.
3. The People’s Museum – opposite the Edinburgh Museum is the People’s Museum.
The People’s Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland.
4. National Gallery – this Art Gallery is also free and it has a massive range of modern and old school art.
The National Gallery.
5. Edinburgh Castle – this is a masterpiece and needs no introduction – tourists all over the world flock here to explore the famous Edinburgh Castle. Inside there are museums, displays, memorials as well as great views of the city.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.
6. Easter Road Stadium – Easter Road is the home of Hibernian FC – Hibs. They are one of the biggest two clubs in the city and their green and white Easter Road stadium is worth a trip.
Hibernian 2-0 Alloa.
7. Tynecastle Stadium – it only felt right for me to visit both of the big football clubs in the city. While I went to watch Hibernian, I also went to visit Tynecastle Stadium, home of their city rivals, Heart of Midlothian, most commonly known as Hearts.
Tynecastle Stadium, home of Hearts.
As a secret bonus – head to the Dicken’s Pub and ask for Callum – he will take you to a secret Hearts Museum for a full tour.
Tour of the Secret Hearts Museum with Callum.
8. Royal Mile – Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is a hive of activity. From the many diverse bars, cafes and restaurants to the bagpipers, the Scottish shops and the Churches. Take a leisurely stroll and enjoy this famous street.
Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
9. Haggis, Tatties and Neeps – No visit to Edinburgh should be complete without trying the national dish of Scotland – haggis. Ask for Haggis, Tatties and Neeps with a whiskey cream sauce and you can’t go wrong.
Food of Scotland – Haggis, Tatties and Neeps!
10. Scottish Music — You’ll hear bagpipes wherever you go, it’s one of my favourite types of music.
Scottish Bagpipes.
Edinburgh is well connected by train to other parts of Scotland and England and by air to many international destinations.
Jonny Blair is a self confessed traveling nomad who founded and blogs at Don’t Stop Living. He sees every day as an adventure. Since leaving behind his home town of Bangor in Northern Ireland ten years ago he has traveled to all seven continents, working his way through various jobs and funding it all with hard work and an appetite for travel. Don’t Stop Living, a lifestyle of travel’ contains over 1,000 stories and tips from his journeys round the globe. He wants to show others how easy it is to travel the world, give them some ideas and encourage them to do the same but most of all he aims to constantly live a lifestyle of travel. He is currently based in Hong Kong and on Twitter @jonnyblair.
