This is the part II of this post, if you missed the first part “Amazing Things to do in Edinburgh This Season” then take a look quickly.
Part I discusses many fun things about Edinburgh like the transport system, Edinburgh Castle, shopping experience and the Royal Mile. In this post, we will continue discussing the amazing things to do in Edinburgh.
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3. Check out the Victoria street
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Do you like Harry Potter(HP) series? Even if you don’t, this inspiration for Diagon Alley(a street name from the Harry Potter series) will make you fall in love with it. It is so colorful and full of life – Victoria Street offers so many things to do.
There are a variety of shops, cafes and HP fans are in for a treat as they can visit this huge multi-floor shop dedicated to HP merchandise and accessories.
There is one more similar shop in front of this shop that means you have a lot of variety to pick from. In one of the two shops, there is a photo booth on the 4th floor for you to get a feel of the HP films.
At the foot of this street, you will find some good cafes to satisfy your hunger. I really liked the ambiance, one can see the back of the Castle from here.
I choose Fiddlers Arms to have my meal and I was so glad that I did. I had one of the best Pesto and Basil Pasta here.
4. Edinburgh Tours
-Highland Tours
I had less time in Edinburgh so I could not opt for a 12 hours Highland tour but this is on the top of my to-do list if I visit Scotland again. I heard a couple of travellers talking about the tours and all of them really liked it. There are a lot of tours to choose from, you can check the options here.
-The Potter Trail
Do you want to see where who cannot be named (Lord Voldemort) is buried? Join the FREE walking tour. It is an amazing tour, full of fun. You will be visiting many places that inspired the story characters and the look of the sets. The tour takes approx 1hour and 30 mins and it
starts at the statue of Greyfriars Bobby(Candlemaker Row).
Did You Know: “Greyfriars Bobby was a pet dog who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died himself.”
It ends at Victoria Terrace. You do not need any booking for the tour, just reach the spot in time. Do not miss it!
-Ghost Tours
If you like listening to horror stories then this will be really exciting for you. There are a lot of free as well as paid Ghost Tours available for you to enjoy. You will be visiting the Graveyards and haunted vaults. Check out more about the tour here.
5. Calton Hill
Take a bus from Princess Street to St Andrew’s House and walk the way up to the Calton Hill. This Hill is home to a few famous Scotland monuments and offers a magnificent view of the city. This is the place I was referring to in my 1st part of this post. If you haven’t seen it yet then take a glimpse quickly -“Amazing things to do in Edinburgh this season“
This image does not do justice to the beauty of the city but just to give you an idea of what awaits you. You can watch the entire city and to give you an idea of which place you are looking at, there is a descriptive image at the viewpoint.
Firth of Forth
It is the area where the Scottish rivers(including River Forth) flow into the sea. The Forth Bridge is pretty and considered to be the symbol of Scotland. It is also the UNESCO world heritage site.
The National Monument
This is the National Memorial Monument of Scotland dedicated to the Scottish soldiers and sailors who died during Napoleonic War. If you go at the back of this monument you can clearly see Arthur’s Seat, another fun thing to do in Edinburgh. I will come back to this later in this post.
The Nelson Monument
Not satisfied with the city view still? though it is less likely, you can climb the Nelson Monument made in honor of Vice Nelson.
Just next to this monument is the observatory house which was earlier supposed to be an observatory for astronomers but due to lack of funds, it was demolished and the following building was established – the city observatory.
The Dugald Monument
This is the Dugald Monument dedicated to Dugald Stewart, who was a Philosopher and a Mathematician. There is some much to this place. Definitely spare some time to spend here.
This is the map of the hill, it is near the above monument. The board has a lot of information related to the hill apart from this map.
6. Holyrood Park and Arthur’s seat
You can reach Holyrood Park by bus or on foot, it is at the end of the Royal Mile. Read more about Royal Mile in this part I – Amazing Things to do in Edinburgh This Season. The Arthur’s seat is an extinct volcano and is situated in the Park. The entry is free and you need 3 – 4hours to complete the tour. It is quite windy at the top so carry a jacket with you. The view from the top is beautiful. Do carry some water and food along with you.
Where to stay in Edinburgh?
You must stay in Old Town, it is the best part of the city. By the time I booked my flights, all the hotels were almost full and the ones left had become really expensive. The best tip for you would be to book the hotel as soon as possible and well in advance if you are visiting in the peak tourist season.
So, my next choice was Haymarket, it is the next stop after Princess street, really close to the Edinburgh Railway station called the Haymarket station. I picked up a serviced apartment known as “Citylivein”.
Before I describe the room, I must show it to you
This is the entrance to the room, the kitchen is just next to the entrance door. It has all the utensils that might be required during your stay like a microwave, a fridge and more.
The bathroom size is small especially the bath compartment. I found bathing really difficult here.
There are facilities like the press, the press stand, and a heater in the room. If you need anything extra like sheets, pillows or fans you can ask at the reception. The staff does take care of your needs.
The view was fine but the bed was queen sized, it was a bit uncomfortable for 2 people as I just can’t sleep straight. I know some people who are absolutely fine with the queen sized beds so the judgment is on you.
To sum up, everything was fine, the staff catered to all the requests. The location was nearby a tram station, a railway station, supermarket, and some good cafes. The room rates were also very economical. It is a good option if you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel.
More about Edinburgh
I definitely try Indian food atleast once on my trip because I start craving for it in a few days, I picked Mumbai Mansion at Haymarket this time. The food was good and did taste like Indian food. I say this because many times the served dishes don’t have authentic tastes. If you look for Indian taste in Edinburgh then you can definitely try this restaurant.
The restaurant was about to shift to a new location when I visited here.
New address: 43 Assembly Street, EH6 7BQ.
In London and Edinburgh, you will find a Chocolate brand, called Hotel Chocolate, in many parts of the city. I tried quite a few products and I liked the Milk Chocolate shortbread. Do give it a shot.
The Balmoral Hotel, this is the hotel where J.K.Rowling wrote the final chapter of the HP series.
This was my tips and list of things to do in Edinburgh for you. There is so much more to discover in Edinburgh that I definitely need another trip. Hope you are as excited about the city as I am. Any queries or comments are welcome.
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Beautifully captured in pictures and words!
Thank you, dear.
Will do the potter trail for sure, thanks for sharing
You will definitely enjoy it. You are welcome.
Very nice post along with images , your special look is very nice.
Thank you, Pranita. I hope I inspired the traveller in you. 🙂