EDINBURGH

Edinburgh Travel Blog
Edinburgh Travel Blog

Edinburgh Travel Blog: Table of Contents

Where, How?
Edinburgh on C&C
Best Time To Visit Edinburgh
Personal Notes
Where to Sleep
Let’s Eat!
Let’s Go For a Drink
What to See and Do
Tipping in Edinburgh
Common Scams & What to Avoid
C&C’s Google Map of the City

Edinburgh Travel Blog: Where, How? 

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, Northwestern Europe, Europe

Population: 495, 360 (2011)

Currency: GPB Pound (£)

Airport(s)

Edinburgh International Airport (EDI)

Airport Notes: Edinburgh International Airport has 1 terminal and is Scotland’s largest airport serving about 12 million passengers per year.  It is served by many different airlines including Scot Airways, British Airways, EasyJet, BMI, Continental Airlines, Air France, and Lufthansa.

Transportation to-and-from the airport:  Edinburgh Trams link the airport to Edinburgh city centre every 8-10 minutes. There is also plenty of taxis available outside of the airport terminal. Airport bus services are available for city transfers, Airlink 100 and SkyLink 200 at www.flybybus.com. Service 100, runs from outside the airport terminal building to Edinburgh city centre (Waverley Bridge) at least every 10 minutes.  Service 200 runs from the airport terminal building to Ocean Terminal shopping center in Leith, taking a route along the North section of the city.

Intra-City Transportation

If you need to get around Edinburgh, there are a number of ways to do so; Buses – try either Lothian Buses or First and you can track Lothian buses movements in real time with Bus Tracker. Edinburgh Coach Lines, by train, by car, by tram or by taxi.

A Note on Taxis:

Black cabs are the cabs on the street and there are minicabs that can be prebooked.

Just like anywhere, Uber is cheaper and safer. If you don’t already have an account, use this link and get 15 dollars off your first ride!

Neighborhoods

Edinburgh is a rather “compact and hilly” city; Old Town and New Town are minutes apart from each other, you might want to take a ride or walk (prepare to sweat) up The Mound along to Edinburgh Castle, the view is amazing and will be worth it. If you are energetic, venturing out to Holyrood Park will award you with “sweeping” breathtaking views of Edinburgh surrounding areas.

Navigation tips: How to know where you are. (Is there a way at all?) Are streets built on a 90-degree angle? Exceptions? Is there a river, or mountain, to help know where you are?

Best Time To Visit Edinburgh

Average Monthly Minimum And Maximum Temperatures

Average min and max temperatures in Edinburgh, Scotland
Average min and max temperatures in Edinburgh, Scotland

Average Monthly Hours Of Sunshine

Average monthly sunhours in Edinburgh, Scotland

Average Monthly Rainfall Or Snowfall

Average precipitation (rain/snow) in Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh Travel Blog: Personal Notes

What’s This Place About?

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and it has a lot of history, beautiful and unique architecture, and a great place in the history of literature.

What’s Great and Fun?

The city itself is all about the landmarks like the Edinburgh Castle and many other historical sites that showcase the history of the city and Scotland as a whole.

It is also all about Scotch whiskey, which is the pride of Scotland and Edinburgh.

Personal Anecdotes

It was cold and miserable when I visited, so I spent most of my time reading, drinking cask ales, and trying different scotches in pubs. It was odd, but somewhat comforting, that most of the pubs that I visited were not playing music. This is not something that is common anywhere else in the world.

Edinburgh Travel Blog: Where to Sleep

In case you’re on a budget, CODE – POD Hostel EdinburghThe Baxter Hostel and Castle Rock Hostel (Adult Only) are all comfortable, clean and cheap.

As for mid-range hotels, Apex Waterloo Place HotelHotel Indigo and The Scotsman Hotel are my choice. They are also all four star hotels.

Of course, the major chain hotels can be found in Edinburgh: Courtyard by Marriott EdinburghPremier Inn Edinburgh East and Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre.

Just like everywhere, Airbnb is a very interesting option. If you’re not already a  member, you can use this Airbnb link to get $40 off your first reservation.



Booking.com

Edinburgh Travel Blog: Let’s Eat!

Famous Foods and Specialties

  • Haggis – made with meat combined with oatmeal, onions, salt and spices (national dish of Scotland).
  • Cock a leekie soup – made with leeks, peppered chicken stock, rice or barley is sometimes added to thicken the soup.
  • Scottish smoked salmon

The Best Drunk Food

  • “Munchy Box” – a pizza box filled with fries, and other greasy food such as fried chicken, onion rings, kebab meat and garlic bread.
  • Fish & chips
  • Anything deep-fried – including the famous Mars bars

Our Suggestions – Dishes And Restaurants

Here are a few quick suggestions. There’s plenty more to be had in the city, of course, but that’s all you need for a 4- or 5-day stay in the city!

The Kitchin is considered the best restaurant in the city.

L’Alba D’Oro in Stockbridge isn’t just a chip shop. It’s somewhat of a mandatory stop for fried foods.

Dogs is cool spot with a good bang for your buck.

Unfortunately, this restaurant has since closed its doors.

Purslane is a tiny restaurant, which means that you’ll be taken care of by the chef directly.

The Wee Restaurant is great for lunch!

Edinburgh Travel Blog: Let’s Go For a Drink

What Do the Locals Drink?

Whiskey, (real) ales or Irn-Bru (non-alcoholic soft drink/soda).

Drinking in Public

Drinking in public is allowed in Edinburgh, however, you might be asked by the police to stop drinking in any public space protected by the Public Space Protection Order at any time – you also have to be over the age of 18 to consume alcohol.

Our Suggestions – Bars and Pubs

Looking for someplace to hang out and have a drink? There are thousands upon thousands of great pubs in the Scottish capital!

Bramble Bar – this bar holds the honor of the first Scottish bar to be named in Bartender Magazine Top 20. So if you crave something more than beer, be sure to visit them on 16A Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 1JE, UK.

The Royal Oak – this bar is located not too far from the Museum of Scotland if you are looking for a place to hear local music this is your place of choice. P.S. A ghost might whisper in your ears – the cellars are said to be haunted!

Cumberland Bar , switch it up a bit and hit this bar located at 1-3 Cumberland St, Edinburgh EH3 6RT, UK in the New Town District. It is a beer garden and if you are looking for some quiet time and do not mind the journey, go for it!

And, of course, Scotland is the land of scotch. Here are four gin & scotch whisky distilleries near Edinburgh, a blog post by Savoredsips.com!

As regular readers of this column know, I don’t know anything about clubs. Sorry!

Edinburgh Travel Blog: What to See and Do

Edinburgh is a close, compact city, this means, everything is close together and getting from one place to another is relatively easy. However, it is “hilly”, so if you are not fond of walking around feel free to take a taxi, bus, train, car, or coach line. Be warned though, it might take some time to get from one place to another as driving through the city can be notoriously slow. Get to Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park for amazing views of the city and surrounding areas.

The Old Town district of Edinburgh is home to some amazing places to see; The Scott Monument is for architectural at heart. Before you leave the old for the new, that is, the old town district for the new town district; pay a visit to Usher Hall on the outskirts of town and be inspired by one of their outstanding performances. The Edinburgh Castle is not only a historic fortress but also showcase spectacular views of Edinburgh and is worth the trip.

The New Town district boasts some treasures of its own; the Scottish National Gallery is one such treasure which can make you feel as though you were part of history.  Just in case you want to get back to present day, take to ride over to the Edinburgh Zoo to witness the amazing world famous Penguin Parade.

Tipping in Edinburgh

Just like in most of Europe, no tip is expected but it is a nice gesture. Sometimes a service charge might be added to your bill and if that is the case then you don’t have to tip. Otherwise, a tip of 7-10% of the total amount of the bill is normal.

Edinburgh Travel Blog: Common Scams & What to Avoid

Honestly, if you simply avoid the fact that Scottish people have a tendency to be as sad as the weather there, you’ll be safe.

How to Stay Safe: Tips and Tricks

READ MORE: Travel Canada Advisory for Scottland

Edinburgh Travel Blog: C&C’s Map