Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas.
It is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of
506,520 in 2020, making it the second-most-populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most-populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year.
Getting to Edinburgh
- 01Edinburgh Airport
- 02Edinburgh Waverley
The main railway station is always called "Waverley" but National Rail doesn't recognise that name, and calls it "Edinburgh".
- 03Edinburgh Haymarket
The city's second mainline station is a mile west of Waverley.
Worth seeing
Old Town has most major sights: Edinburgh Castle sits on the crag at the top of Old Town. In summer it often sells out, best book online. Royal Mile is the long street descending from castle to palace. The best of it is High Street, the broad upper traffic-free section, with medieval "closes" (alleys) descending steeply on either side. Holyrood Palace is sumptuously furnished and still a royal residence.
Things to do
Edinburgh has an excellent concert and theatre life. The Usher Hall (Lothian Road, Old Town) has weekly orchestral concerts all year round with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. The Queen's Hall (South Clerk Street, South) is home to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. The Lyceum (Lothian Road, Old Town) offers theatre performances. The Festival Theatre (Nicolson Street, Old Town) frequently hosts opera and ballet.
- 01Edinburgh International Festival
Founded in 1947 and still seen as more "high-brow" than any of its offspring.
- 02Edinburgh Military Tattoo
One of the iconic images of Edinburgh for millions worldwide is the yearly Tattoo, kilted pipers skirling below the battlements of Edinburgh Castle.
Where to eat
Edinburgh has a great selection in all price ranges, cosmopolitan cuisines, and caters for diets such as vegan, halal and GF. Good areas for value food are Elm Row at the top of Leith Walk, Rose and Thistle streets flanking George St, along South Bridge including the "Little Cairo" around the Central Mosque, Forrest Rd by Greyfriars Bobby, Tollcross and Lothian Rd, and west end from Queensferry St to Haymarket…
Getting around Edinburgh the local way
- Get inNorth Sea ferries no longer sail to Rosyth, so sailing from the continent means travelling via Newcastle, Hull, Harwich or the Channel ports.
- Get inFerries from Northern Ireland dock at Cairnryan, near Stranraer on the west coast.
- Get aroundIt passes through New Town along Princes Street and Shandwick Place to Haymarket, then takes an off-road track through the western suburbs.
- Go nextHere are some highlights within a day trip.
From Wikivoyage: Edinburgh, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Gary Campbell-Hall from Edinburgh, UK (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.
