Attractions & Tours
Touring Edinburgh One of the best ways to get the feel of a new city quickly is to let a knowledgeable local show you around and Edinburgh is very well served by a range of organised tours that do just that, often in a very entertaining manner.
Bus Tours Open-top bus tours offer fantastic views of the city and are the perfect introduction to the history, architecture and culture of Edinburgh. Tour with live guides or commentary, including multi-language option. There are frequent departures from Waverley Bridge, just off Princes Street. Tickets are valid for 24 hours so you can hop on and off at stops along the routes.
Walking Tours Several companies along the Royal Mile offer walking tours of the street, including Auld Reekie Tours and Mercat Tours. These two companies also offer night-time ghost tours around the Old Town, as does the entertaining Witchery Tour. For further information on these tours please contact the tourist information office below.
Something Different Other specialist outings include the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour mixing a pub crawl with extracts from local authors acted out along the way; Geowalks (t: 0131- 555 5488), who offer guided walks up Arthur's Seat in the company of a qualified geologist; and Rebustours (t: 0131-557 6464), tracing the footsteps of Inspector Rebus, hero of Ian Rankin's bestselling detective novels.
Tron Old Town Information Centre 122 High Street, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, EH1 1RU Tel: 0131 225 8408 Email: [email protected]
Edinburgh Attractions Edinburgh regularly features in surveys of the top cities to visit in Europe and one of the main reasons why it is such an appealing destination is the quality and diversity of its attractions.
Whatever your particular interest, from art and architecture to wildlife and whisky Edinburgh promises an unrivalled selection of galleries, museums, castles, cathedrals, zoos, gardens and interpretation centres that are guaranteed to entertain and inspire, inform and enthuse.
• Edinburgh Castle • Edinburgh Dungeon • Palace of Holyrood • The 3D Loch Ness Experience • The Real Mary King’s close • Scott Monument • The Scottish Parliament • National Galleries of Scotland • Camera Obscura and World of Illusions • Greyfriars Bobby • St Giles’ Cathedral • Museum on the Mound • Our Dynamic Earth • Museum of Scotland • Edinburgh Zoo
If you would like further information on any of the attractions listed above or would like to hear about alternative attractions in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas please contact the Tourist information Office below.
Edinburgh and Scotland Information Centre 3 Princes St, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, EH2 2QP Tel: 0845 22 55 121 Fax: 01506 832 222 Email: [email protected]
Shopping in Edinburgh
Despite the spread of the big chains, it's still possible to track down some characterful and unusual shops in central Edinburgh.
High-street Shopping Princes Street, one of Britain's most famous shopping streets, is all-but dominated by standard chain outlets, though no serious shopper should miss out on a visit to Edinburgh's venerable department store, Jenners, at 48 Princes Street, opposite the Scott Monument. More fashionable upmarket shops and boutiques are to be found on parallel George Street, while Rose Street, the lane between Princes and George streets, has a collection of rather more independent, interesting shops. Central Edinburgh's two big shopping malls, Princes Mall and the St James Centre, are dominated by the big names.
Speciality Shopping For more original outlets, head for Cockburn Street, a hub for trendy clothes and record shops, while on Victoria Street and in and around the Grassmarket you'll find an eclectic range of antique and arts and crafts shops plus some antiquarian booksellers. Along and around the Royal Mile there are several distinctly offbeat places among the usual souvenir sellers. For antique shops, the two best areas are St Stephen Street in Stockbridge and Causewayside in Southside.