The city of Edinburgh has so much to offer for travelers and visitors. There are shops, pubs, and museums a plenty to discover when wandering the lovely cobbled streets. Edinburgh offers rugged Scottish charm while featuring architectural marvels. Discover Edinburgh by exploring the Royal mile, seeing beautiful aerial views, and visiting Harry Potter sites.
Since Edinburgh is a city I love to spend time in, this article was extremely hard to write as I had so much I wanted to include. I decided to keep it to what a first time visitor to Edinburgh should check out.
The Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is the path that leads from the Edinburgh Castle down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Along the way you will see pubs, shops, and some museums and historical sites. I would recommend starting your exploration of the royal mile at the Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh is a very tall city meaning the old town is basically a huge hill with it’s highest point being the castle.
The climb up to the castle can be very steep if you decide to take a close (a narrow passage way). If you aren’t excited about taking a bunch or stairs I would recommend checking the bus route and finding a bus stop close to the castle. By starting at the castle you will be meandering down hill instead of uphill.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a picturesque glory standing tall in the center of the Edinburgh old town. The pictures featured show some view points of the castle. When I was living in Aberdeen, I used to catch the train down to Edinburgh and arriving in the Edinburgh Waverley train station was one of my favorite parts of the journey. As the train approaches the station you get a wonderful view of the castle high on the cliff.
During my first visit as a student in Scotland, I decided not to visit the castle so I could see more of the city. I also wanted to save some money as I had a whole year abroad and wanted to spend my funds wisely. After having seen the castle, when my mom came to visit me, I realized the castle was definitely worth the visit.
Edinburgh castle offers amazing views of the city below. It also houses many artifacts of Scottish history. Audio tours are available for purchase to guide you through the castle. On the castle grounds, you can see the dungeons, the national war museum, St. Margaret’s Chapel, and the great hall. One of my favorite parts of the castle, besides the astounding views of the city, was seeing the crown jewels.
The Scotland Explorer Pass
For my mom’s visit, we bought the Scotland explorer pass as we knew we would be visiting multiple sites. I would recommend the pass as a student, planning to see at least 3 or 4 of the sites listed. When purchasing the pass student discounts are available so be sure to bring a student ID if you are a current student. I have included the link below if you would like to check out the sites included in the pass. The explorer pass can also be purchased for specific regions that are shown on the map below.
Click here to see Scotland Explorer Pass details!
St. Giles Cathedral
As you begin your decent from the castle, you will find many souvenir shops and pubs, but you will also come across St. Giles Cathedral. The entrance of the cathedral opens to a cobble stoned public square. The cathedral was founded in 1124 by King David I. The Cathedral predates most of the historic structures in Edinburgh and helped the formation of the royal mile. To learn more about the history of the Cathedral click here.
To learn about visiting St. Giles Cathedral click here!
The St. Giles Cathedral has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and hasn’t been allowed to welcome visitors. As most of their operating funds come from visitor donations, they have been struggling. If you are looking for entities to support during the pandemic, consider donating to this historic site that holds so much Scottish History. They are currently accepting donations on their website (linked above).
Shopping Along the Mile
Wool Shops
As you wander down the royal mile there are many shops to discover in Edinburgh that have any souvenirs you may desire from your trip to Scotland. Some shops I would highly recommend visiting are the wool shops. They can be on the pricey side if you are traveling on a budget but even if you don’t plan on purchasing anything these shops are wonderful to see. The wool shops sell scarves, sweaters, mittens, blankets, and more!
These wool shops are also a great place to find tartan patterned scarves. These were among my favorite purchases while living in Scotland. Before I came home for Christmas, I found a scarf for each of my sisters. These tartan scarves can be bought in Scottish clan patterns as well. If your family is of Scottish heritage, you might be able to find your family’s clan tartan.
Whiskey Shops
Another type of shop to check out are the whiskey shops. These shops sometimes offer samples and have extensive collections of whiskey. If you like to enjoy a glass of whiskey, this is definitely a stop you should make. If you are worried about transporting bottles home, they often have small bottles you can purchase as well. Not only will you get your whiskey home but you can go back with a variety of whiskey. If you’re not a big whiskey drinker you could get the world’s smallest bottle of whiskey as a souvenir to bring back home instead like I did.
The Boy Wizard
If you are a Harry Potter fan, I would recommend checking out The Boy Wizard. This is a shop that is dedicated to the world of wizarding and all things Harry Potter. Both of the times I have been in the shop it was extremely busy, so be prepared for a crowd. I still recommend checking it out as is such a cool shop! My favorite things in this store are the stripped scarves, of Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and the chocolate frogs. Check out other Harry Potter themed sites at the end of this article!
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is a very modern building and is the center of the Scottish government. The parliament has not always been in Scotland and was previously located in London. The current Scottish Parliament building, located at Holyrood, opened in 2004.
I was able to visit the Scottish Parliament during my mom’s visit. Getting into the parliament took a little while because of the extensive security in place. Once we were inside there were displays to check out about the history of the Scottish Parliament. We were even allowed to see the parliament in action as some of the visitors that were leaving offered us their passes.
Read about planning a visit to the Scottish Parliament here.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Right across from the Scottish Parliament is the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This palace marks the end of the Royal Mile. The palace is also where royalty stays when they visit Edinburgh. When royalty is present, you can see that the flags that fly above the palace will feature a yellow flag with a red lion which symbolizes royalty. The palace can be toured and offers student discounts. With admission to the palace, you can also see the ruins of a historical abbey on the grounds.
For a week in July, when the queen is visiting Edinburgh, the palace does not allow admission for tours but a garden party is hosted by the queen. The quest list includes citizens of Scotland so the queen can connect with every day people on her visit. The palace also has a delightful gift shop that sells royalty themed souvenirs. Common things sold include fine china, soaps, and various candies and teas.
To plan your visit to the Palace of Holyroodhouse click here!
Best Aerial Views of Edinburgh
If you are looking to get a great view of the city there are three main viewpoints that are easily accessible. The first is Calton Hill, which is a famous viewpoint for the city. The hill has monuments and an observatory. The climb is a little steep but completely worth the view. Another viewpoint is Arthur’s seat. Arthur’s seat is essentially a huge hill that can be walked for an amazing view. I haven’t personally hiked this but it is on my list to do next time I’m in Edinburgh. If you plan on visiting the Edinburgh castle, the view is extraordinary. You will have to pay to get the view from within the castle but you can also get a pretty good view from right before the gates if you are budgeting.
For Harry Potter Fans:
Above, I mentioned visiting The Boy wizard, a Harry Potter themed shop. If you are a Harry Potter fan, there are so many gems to discover in Edinburgh! One of the most famous stops is the Elephant House. The Elephant House is the cafe where J.K. Rowling began writing the famous Harry Potter series.
The Elephant House
This cute little cafe is elephant themed but when you step inside and look around, you can see it is also the birthplace of Harry Potter. There is a wall a little ways past the coffee bar on the right hand side that features drawings and notes about Harry Potter. If you need to use the restroom, you should check out the walls of the restroom. They are covered entirely in writings and quotes from fans that are showing love for Harry Potter.
Greyfriar’s Kirkyard
Around the corner from the Elephant Cafe, you will see Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, which is a cemetery where J.K. Rowling found inspiration for some of the character’s names in Harry Potter. I won’t write them out because I think the fun part is looking around to find the character names while walking through the cemetery. I will give a hint that Voldemort’s real name came from a grave in this cemetery.
George Heriot’s School
After you are done wondering about looking for character names, look for a black iron gate at the back of the cemetery, opposite of where you entered. This gate that leads to the courtyard of a primary school in Edinburgh, which was the inspiration for Hogwarts. The primary’s real life name is George Heriot’s School.
Diagon Alley or Victoria Street
While in Edinburgh, another Harry Potter themed stop includes Victoria Street. This street was the real life inspiration for Diagon Alley. The street is full of colorful shops and winds downhill. It’s a cute little street to explore and is home to the second location of The Boy Wizard shop.
More from Creative and Ambitious. . .
I hope you enjoyed my article on Edinburgh. If you enjoyed this article you may enjoy my article on Where I Have Traveled So Far. You may also enjoy my creative writing work: A Walk Through Budapest.
Check out the Creative and Ambitious Blog on Pinterest:
