United Kingdom
Edinburgh
Give Edinburgh 2 days: the Old Town and castle, then Arthur's Seat and the New Town before the train north. Scotland's capital at its busiest; 3 nights for the Christmas market, the Old Town and Hogmanay. This guide pulls together 6 sights, 2 activities and 2 places to eat from our curated routes.
- Places
- 15
- Curated routes
- 2
- Best season
- May – Sep
- Warmest month
- July
- Coolest month
- January
- Wettest month
- August
6 See · 2 Do · 2 Eat · 2 Drink · 2 Shop · 1 Stay
Scotland’s Highland Rail Line, Edinburgh & the Cairngorms
also Late Nov – early Jan
18°C / 65°F avg high
6°C / 42°F avg high
about 100 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Edinburgh
15 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
The landmarks we would not skip in Edinburgh across Old Town, Holyrood and New Town. 4 of them are free.
Photo: Enric · CC BY-SA 4.0SeeEdinburgh Castle
Clifftop fortress holding the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny.
Tip Book a timed ticket online; the One O'Clock Gun fires daily except Sunday.
Photo: Kim Traynor · CC BY-SA 3.0SeeRoyal Mile
Old Town spine of closes and wynds running from the castle to Holyrood.
Tip Duck into Advocate's Close for a skyline view.
Photo: Carlos Delgado · CC BY-SA 3.0SeeSt Giles' Cathedral
Medieval High Kirk with the ornate Thistle Chapel.
Tip Free entry; small fee to take photos.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Maccoinnich~commonswiki assumed (based on c · CC BY-SA 3.0SeeNational Museum of Scotland
Free museum from Dolly the sheep to Lewis chessmen, with a rooftop terrace.
Tip Go to the roof terrace for castle views.
Photo: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0SeePalace of Holyroodhouse
The monarch's official Scottish residence and ruined abbey.
Tip Closed when royals are in residence; check dates.
Photo: Saffron Blaze · CC BY 3.0SeeCalton Hill
City hill with monuments and the classic view down Princes Street.
Tip Short climb from the east end of Princes Street at sunset.
Do
Hands-on ways to spend time in Edinburgh across Holyrood Park and New Town.
Photo: Kim Traynor · CC BY-SA 3.0DoArthur's Seat
Extinct volcano in Holyrood Park with a 45-minute climb to city-wide views.
Tip Go up via the Radical Road side; windy at the top.
Photo: nikko23_99 · CC BY-SA 3.0DoEdinburgh's Hogmanay
The city's New Year festival; the 31 December street party on Princes Street ends with fireworks over the castle.
Tip Street party entry is by ticket only; buy early and arrive well before 11pm.
Eat
2 places to eat across Old Town and Leith, picked for groups who care about the food.
Photo: Randy Shaw · GoogleEatOink
Hog-roast rolls carved from a whole pig in the window.
Tip Add haggis and apple sauce; cash or card.
Photo: Lokal_Profil · CC BY-SA 3.0EatThe Kitchin
Tom Kitchin's Michelin-starred Leith restaurant cooking seasonal Scottish produce.
Tip Book weeks ahead; lunch menu is better value.
Drink
2 bars & cafés across Old Town and Grassmarket for coffee, a round or a nightcap.
Photo: The Bow Bar · GoogleDrinkThe Bow Bar
Traditional pub on Victoria Street with cask ales and a deep whisky list.
Tip Ask staff for a dram recommendation; small, so go early.
Photo: Mike Shaw · CC BY-SA 4.0DrinkThe White Hart Inn
One of Edinburgh's oldest pubs, on the Grassmarket below the castle, with regular live folk music.
Shop
2 shops across New Town and Old Town for browsing and souvenirs.
Photo: Alasdair · CC BY 2.0ShopEdinburgh's Christmas
The city's Christmas market and fair, with stalls, rides and a big wheel in East Princes Street Gardens below the Scott Monument.
Tip Go on a weekday evening; weekends after dark are very crowded.
Photo: Mike Shaw · CC BY-SA 4.0ShopVictoria Street
Curving street of colourful shopfronts that drops from George IV Bridge to the Grassmarket.
Tip Walk it downhill and continue into the Grassmarket for pubs.
Stay
Places to stay in Edinburgh in New Town.
Photo: Acediscovery · CC BY 4.0StayThe Balmoral
Grand 1902 railway hotel at the east end of Princes Street, known for its clock tower above Waverley Station.
Tip Rooms facing the castle book out first for Hogmanay.
How to fit Edinburgh into a trip
Edinburgh shows up on 2 of our curated routes, so you can work it into more than one kind of trip.
Stop 1 of 3
Scotland’s Highland Rail Line
Castles, lochs & the West Highland Line
- Trip length
- 7 days
- Best season
- May – Sep
- Pace
- easy
- Next: Fort William
Stop 1 of 2
Edinburgh & the Cairngorms
Hogmanay in the Old Town, then Highland snow
- Trip length
- 6 days
- Best season
- Late Nov – early Jan
- Pace
- easy
Getting here and onward
- Edinburgh to Aviemore & the CairngormsAviemore & the Cairngorms is about 143 km / 89 mi away in a straight line
- Edinburgh to Fort WilliamFort William is about 152 km / 95 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Edinburgh month by month
Average daily highs run from 6°C / 42°F in January to 18°C / 65°F in July. August is the wettest month, with about 100 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan6° / 42°F average high, in our recommended season
- Feb6° / 43°F average high
- Mar8° / 46°F average high
- Apr11° / 51°F average high
- May14° / 56°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jun16° / 62°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jul18° / 65°F average high, in our recommended season
- Aug18° / 64°F average high, in our recommended season
- Sep16° / 60°F average high, in our recommended season
- Oct12° / 54°F average high
- Nov9° / 47°F average high, in our recommended season
- Dec6° / 43°F average high, in our recommended season
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Edinburgh weather and the best time to visit →
Near Edinburgh
4 other destinations from our guides within about 400 km (249 mi), measured in a straight line.
Edinburgh questions, answered
How many days do you need in Edinburgh?
Our route notes suggest 2 days or 3 nights in Edinburgh. On our Scotland’s Highland Rail Line route it is stop 1 of 3 in a 7-day trip. The listed visit times for our 15 places add up to roughly 23 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Edinburgh best known for?
Give Edinburgh 2 days: the Old Town and castle, then Arthur's Seat and the New Town before the train north. Standouts on our list: Edinburgh Castle (Clifftop fortress holding the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny); Royal Mile (Old Town spine of closes and wynds running from the castle to Holyrood); St Giles' Cathedral (Medieval High Kirk with the ornate Thistle Chapel).
When is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
Our routes through Edinburgh are best May – Sep or Late Nov – early Jan. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (18°C / 65°F), the coolest in January (6°C / 42°F) and the most rain in August (about 100 mm).
What are the best things to do in Edinburgh?
Start with Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral, National Museum of Scotland and Palace of Holyroodhouse. Our guide lists 15 places in all, from 6 sights, 2 activities, 2 places to eat, 2 bars & cafés, 2 shops and 1 place to stay.
Where should a group eat in Edinburgh?
Our picks: Oink (Old Town); The Kitchin (Leith). Add haggis and apple sauce; cash or card (Oink).
What is near Edinburgh?
The closest destinations in our guides are Aviemore & the Cairngorms (about 143 km / 89 mi), Fort William (about 152 km / 95 mi) and Inverness (about 181 km / 112 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Edinburgh with your crew
Open the Scotland’s Highland Rail Line route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 15 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.
Plan around Edinburgh
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