I was thinking about visiting this place already for years. Although the weather forecast always kept me in doubt. Eventually I realised that the weather in Scotland is unpredictable in any season. So why wouldn’t I just give it a try? The beautiful scenery of the Highlands, the enchanting streets of Edinburgh and typical celtic music, which I’ve always loved. And even more since I fel in love with the Outlander series. My first thought, what to do in Edinburgh?

Because I was travelling by myself and preferred a low budget trip I booked myself a hostel. This hostel is located at the centre of the old town of Edinburgh, which was just perfect. You’ll find lots of pubs, restaurants with glutenfree options and must-see tourists spots just around the corner. This hostel offered also privacy because of it’s so called ‘pods’.

So what to do in Edinburg? Check out these 5 tips:

  

1. Wandering around the oldtown

To be honest, what I loved most about Edinburgh was being able to walk around the city so easily. When crossing some of Edinburg’s typical small alleys, you’ll just always end up coming back to the main streets, the Highstreet or Royal Mile. So it is quite nice to get lost overhere. Especially because these streets and buildings make you feel like you’re walking around an ancient movie scene. When I got out from the bus and saw Edinburgh castle on the hill, rising above all these other georgian architecture, i felt a bit like I had actually travelled through time.

2. What to do in Edinburghs Grassmarket

Just a short distance from the mainstreets of the old city you’ll find the Grassmarket. This area is filled with pubs and clubs. Because it just includes a few streets, it is really fun to hop around and experience different pubs. I especially liked the Irish pubs that offered daily live music. There’s always just a great atmosphere and the fun starts pretty early (compared to Dutch clubbing). So you can get out at night AND do some exploring the next day. Pubcrawls are a great way to meet some fellow travellers, at least I did. You can find one here.

P.S Be prepared for lots of beers and very less wine options, but also for great conversations. I experienced Scottish people to be very friendly and chatty!

3. Whiskey or beer tasting

Doesn’t need much explanation right? One thing typical for Scotland is ofcourse its whiskey. Almost every hostal offers it’s own whiskey and beer tasting nights. Besides that, you’ll also find gin tasting’s around Edinburgh. One of my fellow travellers really liked the Gin tasting at the Lost Close. So if your stil thinking, what to do in Edinburgh and you fancy learning a bit more about Scottish whiskey check out the tour here.

4. Explore the Scottish Highlands

When you’re staying in Edinburgh for three days or more, you will have enough time to also visit the incredible surroundings of Edinburgh.  If you ask me what to do in Edinburgh, I would recommend a tour outside from the city!
Do keep in mind that most of the tours take about 8 – 12 hours and you will be spending a lot of time at the bus. Ofcourse there are stops in between to take pictures and the Scottish tourguides wil make sure you have a great day, by telling you all of their historical tales. Ofcourse I had to take the Outlander tour. I was very glad about choosing Rabies tours, cause they offer small bus tours which make it more personal. It was low season so  I shared the bus with two other travellers, but the tour guides definitely made my day!

5. Underground vaults tour

Personally I really loved this tour. Simply because Scottish people are in general, great storytellers. And the accent to me was defenitely the cherry on the cake.  During this tour you’re learning more about Edinburghs history. How the vaults were created, what it was used for and ofcourse there are plenty of spooky stories, concerning the people that lived in the vaults in earlier days. You can book it here.

If you’re doing a round trip around the UK or just like to visit enchanting places, then Canterburry is worth a visit! Especially when visiting Canterbury during christmas. Read more about it by clicking the link.

I hope, by reading this blog you now know what to do in Edinburgh. Did you already visit this magical place? Then I would love to hear which activity or tour was your favorite!