Edinburgh
Travel and Tourist Information
ABOVE: A University of Edinburgh student
enjoys the view from
Arthur's Seat.
Practical information
Edinburgh
Airport Transportation
Here's how to reach the city center (or Edinburgh International Airport) by
express bus or taxi.
Edinburgh Walking
Tours
Meet ghosts, explore underground vaults, learn about graverobbers and murderers,
or tipple in literary pubs as you explore medieval and Georgian Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Bus Tours
Four "hop on, hop off" sightseeing tours offer different views of the city from
open-top buses. Our article helps you pick the right itinerary.
Places to stay
Ibis Hotel Edinburgh Centre
Believe it or not, you can find a clean, comfortable, and attractive hotel at a
reasonable price on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. (But watch out for the Ibis chain's
"dynamic currency exchange" scam.)
Things to see and do
Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh
The world's "second-richest collection of plant species" is a splendid 67-acre park just
north of Edinburgh's New Town.
The Real Mary King's Close
Beneath Edinburgh's Royal Mile lies a cluster of underground streets where costumed
guides show how citizens of 'Auld Reekie' lived in the 1600s.
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament building may have cost £431 million, but you can visit
it for free.
Scott Monument
You needn't be a fan of Waverley
or Rob Roy to enjoy the views from Sir Walter Scott's 200-foot Gothic
spire in the Princes Street Gardens.
The Scotch Whisky
Experience
Sample malt whiskies, take a barrel ride through 300 years of Scotch
whisky history, and learn whisky lore in eight languages.
Arthur's Seat and
the Salisbury Crags
Rugged scenery and mountaintop views
are on Edinburgh's doorstep, within walking distance of the Royal Mile.
Royal Yacht Britannia
Queen Elizabeth II's private ocean liner, now decommissioned, is permanently moored in
Edinburgh's port of Leith. Visitors can tour the royal quarters and the
crew areas belowdecks.
North Berwick
Take a 35-minute train ride to the Scottish Seabird Centre, golf courses,
beaches, and offshore islands of this 14th Century burgh on the Firth of Forth.
Stirling
An imposing castle, dramatic views from the medieval town wall, and the National
Wallace Monument are just a few of the reasons to visit Scotland's former
capital (which is only an hour from Edinburgh by train).
Other articles about Scotland
Irn-Bru
"Scotland's other national drink" is a fizzy soda that has been the
Hibernian teetotalers' tipple of choice since 1901.
Scotland's Whisky
Distilleries
More than 40 makers of Scotch whisky open their
doors to tourists and tipplers.
Highland Park
Whisky
After you've had a wee dram of a Highland Park single-malt Scotch at home, visit
Orkney for a tour of the world's northernmost whisky distillery.
Bagpipes of Scotland
If
you aren't ready to buy pipes as a souvenir, enjoy one of Scotland's many
piob-mhor competitions.
Island Ferries: Ireland and
Scotland
Take a boat to the Aran Islands, Arran, Orkney, Hebrides, and Shetlands.
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