Edinburgh

A well-reviewed city such as Edinburgh hardly needs additional adverts, so I will primarily add my voice to the general admiration that it produces from everyone who visits. I've been to Edinburgh several times over the last decade, most recently in March 2023, and my affection for it grows with each visit.

Despite its hilly topology, Edinburgh is a very walkable town, and major monuments and points of interest are practically all within walking distance from each other. Soaring monuments and church spires pop up in perspectives every few hundred steps or so. Sweeping panoramas open up from places such as the walls of the Castle, Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat (one single point of interest that requires a true hike to get to), or from rooftop terraces such as the one at the National Museum of Scotland. The numerous closes around the Royal Mile are the opposite of wide-open spaces and quite fun to walk through and linger at - hardly anything else anywhere gives you a similar feeling of seeing the "insides" of the city.

The color palette of Edinburgh's Old Town is rather muted, even on the sunniest of days, despite many architectural standouts throughout the town. Nonetheless, splashes of color are found in many quarters, most notably on Victoria Street or Cockburn Street. The New Town is brighter by design, with plenty of architectural standouts of its own.

Of the main attractions, Holyroodhouse Palace and Edinburgh Castle are each worth a visit. If you …

I visited this WHS in July 2019. Right from the start I must say that Allan did a fantastic job showing us around this beautiful city (as an experience it would definitely merit 5 stars!). Even though I had already visited the Royal Mile closes and alleys, Calton Hill at sunset (photo), St Giles Cathedral, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the old and new towns including Dean Village, Allan's attention to detail and perseverance in typical Scottish (wet) weather, together with the great company of WH travellers, made this WHS truly memorable.

The most popular and in my opinion the best views of Edinburgh are undoubtedly from Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat at sunset. Even though very crowded, I was lucky with the weather upon arrival and the sunset views were so beautiful that there was an awkward silence as tourists gazed at the sun going down almost behind the Forth Bridge in the distance. Formed by violent volcanic activity around 340 million years ago and gouged by glaciers during the Ice Age, Calton Hill has a long and fascinating history. In 1724, the Town Council of Edinburgh purchased Calton Hill, establishing it as one of Britain's first public parks.

My favourite closes and alleys along the Royal Mile were Advocate's Close at night time with a sort of eerie view of Scott Monument, the old fishery close, the bakery close where the World Heritage Trust of Scotland is situated, and Wardrop's Court with its peculiar blue dragons. …

The first discarded leaves of autumn crunched underfoot where they lay scattered amongst the graves of Greyfriars Kirkyard. They served as a thematic link to the tombstones – proper 18th century grave-markers carved with macabre skeletal figures and empty-eyed skulls. Why dress things up? The seasons turn and we age. Change is inevitable. Death is inevitable. The new replaces the old. And nowhere is that truer than in Edinburgh, where the filth and jumble of what we know as the ‘Old Town’ was abandoned for the sterility and order of the New Town across the Nor Loch. These two aspects of Edinburgh were jointly and justifiably inscribed as a single World Heritage Site. This was a fitting tribute to Auld Reekie’s split personality, a city where Deacon Brodie could serve as a respected councillor by day and rob by night, where the professors of medicine could procure fresh corpses for their anatomy classes from body-snatchers, and which influenced native son Robert Louis Stevenson to pen The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

This was probably my tenth visit to Edinburgh, though my first as a pure sight-seer. Previous visits had been for weddings or stag dos, to see friends, to watch or to perform at August’s Fringe Festival or for work. As my wife pointed out, “The rules are different when you’re a tourist. Even more so when you have a child.” And so on this trip we did all the touristy stuff: visiting the castle, …

Despite being a Brit this was my first time visiting Scotland when I travelled with friends in December 2016.

After checking in to our accommodation in the heart of Old Town we first visited the cathedral, named after St Giles. It is smaller than I expected from such an important city, but that probably stems from the fact it was built in an area that was already bustling, in the heart of Auld Reekie (as it was nicknamed for its smell). We stopped off beside a statue of Adam Smith, the father of modern economics and a face you can see on the £20 note (although ironically not on the Scottish version).

Highlights of my time in Edinburgh included a whisky museum, hiking up for the view from Arthur's Seat and enjoying some of the historic pubs in Edinburgh's New Town.

As magnificent as it is, Edinburgh had escaped from my itineraries for a while, perhaps due to its a bit out-of-the-way location; this was only my 3rd visit to Edinburgh.

It's always such a pleasure to stroll here.

One thing to note about the Edinburgh WHS is that the New Town is already 3 centuries old and is noted for the Neoclassical architecture. The New Town also has a lot of explore.

Edinburgh is a special city: grey, Gothic, and Georgian, yet still warm and welcoming. Past meets present in both the Old and New Town. This is no more visible than the two ends of the Old Town's Royal Mile, where visitors can start their day at the imposing Edinburgh Castle, then walk downhill past churches, kiltmakers, and cafes before reaching the very modern Scottish Parliament building. The heights of the Old Town with its winding streets and layered alleys tower above the orderly New Town with its parks and townhouses. Edinburgh is a city of education, with a famous medical school, and a city of literature, with a writer's museum and a monument dedicated solely to Sir Walter Scott. I've been to Edinburgh twice now, most recently last October, and it was as amazing to visit the second time as the first. I can't think of anything more to say that hasn't already been said in other reviews. By all means, if you haven't been, Edinburgh is well worth a visit.

Logistics: Edinburgh is extremely walkable, although there are busses and trams throughout. I highly recommend climbing to the top of Calton Hill or Arthur's Seat for tremendous views of the city.

In determining the Top 200 among WHS, we are constantly reassessing a certain site’s uniqueness on a global scale. The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh became a WHS because of juxtapositional Urban Planning: the organically grown medieval Old Town versus the planned 18th/19th century New Town. “The dramatic topography of the Old Town combined with the planned alignments of key buildings in both the Old and the New Town results in spectacular views and panoramas and an iconic skyline.”

So if the Skyline is what makes it different, Edinburgh should particularly be enjoyed from a high viewpoint. On a crisp Sunday morning in December, I walked the short and easy trail to the top of Calton Hill. This is a setting very typical of Edinburgh: it’s one of several hills surrounding the city center, dotted with monuments and memorials to historic Scotsmen. I wasn’t the only one enjoying the morning here: especially young Asian tourists (or are they students?) know about the place too. This spot allows unobstructed views of both the Old and New Towns. You supposedly can see as far as the Forth Bridge, although I wasn’t able to spot its red arches.

There’s plenty to discover: landmarks such as the Castle and the Hotel Balmoral of course. But also the numerous thin, (neo)gothic spires that stand out like needles piercing the sky. The obelisk of the Political Martyrs' Monument and the Scott Monument are two eye-catching examples of these.

The Edinburgh City Council …

The Old Town is one of the most beautiful areas in one of the most interesting cities in Europe. From Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile leads to the Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament. This is definitely the most touristy part of the Scottish capital which embodies history, history, history... Many attractions, souvenir shops and Kilt Makers make the city of Edinburgh everything you would expect. In the side streets you will find many quaint pubs, night clubs, restaurants and cafes. Even the best museums in the city can be found in the immediate vicinity. The Back Alley opens to a breathtaking view of the opposite New Town.

I've had the great pleasure of spending 6 months in Scotland as a student. During this amazing opportunity I spent countless days exploring every corner and side street of Edinburgh. From Calton Hill, the Scott Monument, the Royal Mile, Hollyrood House, Greyfriar's Church, Edinburgh Castle, the museum and galleries in New Town, the new and old Scottish Parliament, and Arthur's Seat. I even made the long (but enjoyable) urban trek from central Edinburgh to Leith Harbour.

The museums are excellent. The National Museum of Scotland, Scottish Portrait Gallery, Scottish National Gallery, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, and the Writer's Museum are all worth visiting, if you have the time.

One perk of Edinburgh is that the sites are often free or inexpensive! Exception is the overpriced Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh is an exceptional world heritage city, and one of the most enjoyable cities to exlpore on foot or public transportation. I think the map of the inscribed property could even be expanded to include other historic areas of the city. This is however unlikely to happen because of developmental concerns.

To my mind this is Britain’s finest World Heritage Site, both in terms of what there is to see and also the visiting experience.

I knew that Edinburgh was a rather hilly city, but I was still surprised by just how craggy it was. The castle sits atop an extraordinarily high outcrop, especially when viewed from the bottom of Princes Street Gardens, which sit in the ravine that divides the old and new towns. To my surprise Edinburgh also manages to contain a ‘mountain’ in the heart of the city, with the looming presence of Salisbury Crags and Arthurs Seat providing the backdrop for the new Parliament Building and Holyrood Palace.

The World heritage inscription makes a point of this being the Old and New towns of Edinburgh and there is a very big difference between them. The Old town feels very medieval, focused around the touristy Royal Mile. I enjoyed strolling along here, but had more fun ducking off down the side alleys to clamber up and down streets of stairs or fine lovely secluded parks like Dunbar Gardens. The well planned New town reminded me of Dublin and Bath, and I really enjoyed strolling around here and heading down to the Stockbridge area for a leisurely brunch on Saturday morning.

The differences between the Old and New towns were a large inspiration on Jekyll and Hyde, written by Edinburgh native Robert Louis Stevenson. This is just one of the points that illustrates Edinburgh’s huge literary heritage. It ranges …

Edinburgh remains one of my most favorite cities. I love the history and the modern city as well. The Castle has magnificent views and is magnificent itself from the Honors of Scotland to the War Memorial to St. Margaret's Chapel. Holyrood at the other end of the Royal Mile has it's own attractions with a fascinating hall of portraits to the tower where Mary Queen of Scot's secretary was killed. But then there is the Grassmarket as someone else has mentioned and the fantastic Museum of Scotland. You can go to Sandy's Bells and hear music that has been sounding through Scotland for centuries. An then there is New Town and the Georgian House and Thistle and Rose Lanes and food and drink. And then you can take the long walk to Leith and think again about Mary Queen of Scots and her first ride up to Edinburgh from the port. What a wonderful place.

Well... what can I say? Edinburgh just sweeps me out of my feet! New Town is exquisite, elegant and charming, but Old Town is my absolute favourite. I went there on an "exploration" trip because I'm going to live there for at least a year, and as I live in an island(also gorgeous to death - Sao Miguel in the Azores), I had to know how far from the sea I would be... Well, the first thing I herd as I woke up were seagulls..I felt right at home! Edinburgh has the best part of a world capital along with a cosy feeling of a small town. You cn't help but to feel at home!

Everybody should visit Edinburgh at least once in their lives, and if possible go during the summer festival, the Fringe Festival, the Tattoo Festival... all worth seeing, great people and great views. I've visited Edinburgh several times, and it seems I can't get enough of it, its people are really welcoming and charming, and don't worry if you are on your own, get into a pub and most certainly you'll feel at home.

Aye! I'd like to live in that wonderful city!

Cheers!

The old city of Edinburgh is a world heritage site by itself. The attractions include the Castle on the hill overlooking Princes Street (Oxford Street of the Scottish Capital), Palace of Holyroodhouse, The Royal Mile in between, Arthur's Seat (an extinct volcano) in Holyrood Park, St Giles Cathedral (small for a cathedral but containing the chapel of the Knights of the Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle), The Firth of Forth, the University, St. Mary's catholic cathedral, numerous other old churches, the street where Sean Connery was born and was a milkman(he doesn't live there any more). I was there during the Festival in August, which is the largest Art event in the world. The city swells up in population as people from all over the world come to join in the festivities. You will never be bored because of the thrilling sounds of the bagpipes wafting over the hills. Don't miss the Military Tattoo if you can help it. They call it the "Greatest Show in the World", P.T. Barnum notwithstanding. The well-travelled Irish flautist James Galway once said that this city is his favourite city in the world.

Ahhh. Edinburgh...(or as the locals say, "ed-in-bur-ah")

Have you ever had the feeling, say walking in a city, that you have been there before, but in actuality you have never been there before? The city itself is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen, and I can't help getting "that" feeling walking the streets. Small cobblestone walkways that lead to closes, everywhere there is history. Every corner you turn,there is a story to be heard. If you have even a small imagination, you can picture what it was like here in the middle ages. The people are super friendly, the food is wonderful. (yes, and even try the haggis) The grassmarket area is my favourite, where there are a few small pubs and lots of great restaurants. And check out my friends band The Roods who usually play at Finnegan's wake every week for some great celtic rock.

For a party BETTER than Mardi Gras, try Hogmanay or Festival. I have been to both, and wish to be nowhere else on New years eve but here. There is no city in the world, where i would give up my citizenship, to be. As I wipe a tear from my eye! London is great, Paris is greater, but Edinburgh is out of this world!

Much of the architectural style in Edinbugh is consistent which gives a sense of order and identity. Edinburgh is also situated against the North Sea, which provides a sense of openness. The one thing that amazed me when I was there was how the weather varies literally from street to street. You can be walking on one side of the street where the clouds obstruct the sun and it maybe raining and on the opposite side of the street it will be sunny. Wonderful city.

OK, so I did not try the haggis (there have to be limits), but I still enjoyed Edinburgh a lot (maybe because I skipped the haggis?..). The new town from the 17th and 18th centuries is well preserved, but was less interesting to me; the medieval old town, however, is wonderful and a great place to stroll. The castle, especially, is a great place to explore and really a treasure trove of Scottish history. If you get the chance, go see a performance of the Military Tattoo, held every August in front of the castle entrance. Really a great experience, and the bagpipers are definitely great musicians, even if I had had my doubts about this before. Also worth a visit is the suburb of Leith, where the royal yacht Britannia lies at anchor and can be visited. Plus Edinburgh is a good place for visits to other parts of Scotland, after this great city has given you an introduction to this country's peculiar culture, history, and language (you get to used to it..).