A cultural guide to Edinburgh
Endless views, imposing Gothic architecture, and cobblestone streets alive with bustling bars and restaurants make the Scottish capital an essential escape
Our essential guide to the best things to see and do in Edinburgh. Find more travel inspiration for more amazing cities here
Grand yet down-to-earth, cosmopolitan yet relaxed, historic yet progressive—the Scottish capital is as beloved for its medieval alleyways and looming Gothic castles as it is for August’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, with some 3,000 shows across 200-plus venues. Edinburgh cavorts across seven hills, with all the confidence of a city with capital status, and several universities, dating back to the 15th century.
For travelers accustomed to traipsing dutifully around big, hectic capitals, Edinburgh is a welcome balm. Visitors tumble out of the train at Waverley Station and are greeted by formidable clifftop castles, Victorian Gothic monuments, and the craggy beauty of Arthur’s Seat, the most hiked of Edinburgh’s hills.
Give Edinburgh a few days and you’ll absorb the spirit of the city almost by osmosis, whiling away the hours in quirky cafés, retreating from the rain in cozy Victorian-era pubs, shopping for antiques and vintage clothing, and absorbing the highbrow treasures of a cluster of world-class museums and galleries.
Art & architecture
Edinburgh’s New Town is characterized by elegant Georgian terraces alongside contemporary architectural masterpieces like the Scottish Parliament Building. Princes Street Gardens run through the city center, offering a leafy alternative to Princes Street itself. More labyrinthine is the Old Town, where you can duck into cobblestoned medieval alleyways off the Royal Mile.
The city is positively crammed with world-class museums and art galleries, the National Gallery and Fruitmarket Gallery chief among them, but it’s well worth a trip out to the unforgettable art and sculpture park Jupiter Artland.
Edinburgh is also blessed with an array of natural scenery, from the fashionable coastal neighborhoods of Portobello and Leith, to Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park, which rises above the city and offers 360-degree views across the rooftops and the Firth of Forth estuary. On the way down, be sure to stop off in Duddingston Village to visit its picturesque 12th-century church set beside a small loch, and the cozy Sheep Heid Inn.
Food & drink
Long gone are the days when travelers bemoaned the stodginess of the local food. New Scottish cuisine adopts some of the seasonal, produce-forward principles of New Nordic, with spectacular locally sourced venison, smoked fish, and fresh langoustines, an abundance of seasonal vegetables, and some of the finest artisan cheeses made in the U.K. Try chef Tom Kitchin’s Michelin-starred fare at The Kitchin, where French-inspired flair meets Scottish produce in a converted whisky distillery in Leith; it’s just a stone’s throw from the similarly starred Restaurant Martin Wishart, and together they form the pillars of the neighborhood’s healthy fine-dining scene.
Ewan McGregor: A brothers’ guide to Scotland
For a more low-key taste of Edinburgh, Paradise Palms opposite Bristo Square is one of the city’s best-loved vegan and vegetarian restaurants, serving pulled-jackfruit tacos, seitan steaks and fried padrón peppers in a kitschy space with DJs and arty pop-ups. And if you’re craving Victorian grandeur with a side-helping of seafood, head to Cafe Royal, Edinburgh’s oldest oyster bar. It has occupied its current site since 1863, and the lofty ceilings, stained-glass windows and colorfully tiled interiors are reason enough to come to this prototype “palace pub.”
Watch before you go
Edinburgh’s grandeur, grit and Gothic splendor has backdropped countless movies over the years, from Danny Boyle’s 1990s cult classics Shallow Grave and Trainspotting—both starring Ewan McGregor—to Chariots of Fire (1981) and Netflix’s recent adaptation of One Day. And in 2018, Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War took over the gothic and dramatic Royal Mile for a fortnight of filming, alongside other locations in the city. Inspired? Find more famous locations beyond the capital, with our guide to set-jetting in Scotland.
The medieval fortress of the Old Town and the Georgian townhouses of the New Town are considered by UNESCO to be one heritage site—and if you want to be right in the middle of the action, this is where to head. Edinburgh Townhouse or Virgin Hotels Edinburgh offer stylish digs just steps from the city’s most famous attractions.
Travel north to the historic port of Leith for pints at Teuchters Landing before bedding down in The Pavilion at Lamb’s House to feel like a true Leith local. If you’re feeling brave, make time for a bracing dip in the sea just down the road at Portobello, a trendy coastal neighborhood that offers a complete change of scene from central Edinburgh.
Make time to explore the elegant Bruntsfield and Marchmont neighborhoods, both of which border The Meadows, Edinburgh’s best-loved public park. Wander around independent shops like The Amnesty Bookstore and visit Summerhall Distillery and MF Coffee at Summerhall, one of the most vibrant arts venues in the city.
Anna Hart is a culture writer specializing in adventure travel and positive-impact tourism. Her work has appeared in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and she is the author of the travel memoir Departures.
