Tourist Information will provide advice on things to see and do in Scotland, as well as information on travel and accommodation. Address: 3 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2QP Phone: 0131 473 3868 Website: www.visitscotland.com
Landmark Press will provide free guides (with city maps) to Edinburgh in different languages. Website: www.landmark-press.com
Edinburgh Pass The Edinburgh Pass is a sightseeing card that can be used at over 30 attractions. Buy the Edinburgh Pass for 1, 2 or 3 days and get unlimited free access to museums, historic houses and gardens. It can also be used on the Airlink to and from the airport. Adult: 1 day pass = £29.00/ 2 day pass = £39.00/ 3 day pass = £49.00 Child: 1 day pass = £18.00/ 2 day pass = £24.00/ 3 day pass = £30.00 Website: www.edinburghpass.com
Lothian Buses are a local bus company providing a service to Edinburgh and the Lothians. Customer Services: 0131 554 4494 Bus Times & Information: 0131 555 6363 Website: www.lothianbuses.com
First Buses is a bus company also providing a service to Edinburgh and the Lothians. Phone: 01324 602200 Website: www.firstgroup.com
Waverley Train Station is the main station for trains to local and national destinations. Address: Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1BB General Station Enquiries: 08457 11 41 41 National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50 Website: www.networkrail.co.uk Website: www.nationalrail.co.uk
City of Edinburgh Sightseeing Bus Tours
The main starting point for the bus tours is on Waverley Bridge opposite Waverley Train Station. All buses have informative commentaries, ‘hop on and off’ the bus to visit Edinburgh’s attractions and regular departures.
City Sightseeing Edinburgh has a multi-language commentary tours and covers the main city centre highlights, including the New Town, the Old Town, the Grassmarket, Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland, Holyrood, Our Dynamic Earth and the Burns Monument. Phone: 0131 220 0770 Website: www.edinburghtour.com
Majestic Tour has multi-language commentary tour and travels further afield to Royal Botanic Gardens, the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Phone: 0131 220 0770 Website: www.edinburghtour.com
Edinburgh Tour offers English commentary only. The bus visits the New Town, the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland, North Bridge, Burns Monument, Holyrood, Our Dynamic Earth. Phone: 0131 220 0770 Website: www.edinburghtour.com City of Edinburgh Walking Tours
The Edinburgh Book Lover’s Tour is a guided walk visiting the sites and haunts of famous Edinburgh writers including Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, J.M. Barrie, Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin and J.K. Rowling. Address: Tours depart from outside The Writers’ Museum, Lady Stair’s Close, Lawnmarket (just off the Royal Mile) Phone: 01573 223888/ 07989 546791 Website: www.edinburghforgroups.com
The Cadies and Witchery Tours is a light-hearted look at Edinburgh’s darker side of witchcraft, murder and plague. Address: Tours depart outside the Witchery Restaurant, 352 Castlehill, Edinburgh Phone: 0131 225 6745 Website: www.witcherytours.com
City of the Dead Tour consists of underground city walks and haunted graveyard walks. Address: Tours depart outside St. Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile, Edinburgh Phone: 0131 225 9044 Website: www.blackhart.uk.com
Mercat Tours offer history and ghost tours of the Old Town and the New Town. Phone: 0131 225 5445 Website: www.mercattours.com
Tours beyond Edinburgh and the Lothians
Most of the these Tour Operators offer trips to other parts of Scotland such as the Scottish Borders, St. Andrews and the Kingdom of Fife, Perthshire, the Northern and Southern Highlands, Loch Ness, Loch Lomond and the Isle of Skye.
Haggis Adventures Highland Day Trips Phone: 08452 578 345 Website: www.haggisadventure.com
Gray Line Highland Tours Phone: 0131 555 5558 Website: www.graylinesscotland.com
Highland Explorer Tours Phone: 0131 558 3738 Website: www.highlandexplorertours.com
Heart of Scotland Minicoach Tours of Scotland Phone: 01828 627799 Website: www.heartofscotlandtours.co.uk
Real Scottish Journeys Phone: 01764 682767 Website: www.realscottishjourneys.com
Highland Experience Tours Phone: 0131 226 1414 Website: www.highlandexperience.com
Rabbies Small Group Tours Phone: 0131 226 3133 Website: www.rabbies.com
City of Edinburgh Attractions
Edinburgh Castle is the capital’s most famous sight and contains the Stone of Destiny, the Scottish Crown Jewels, the One O’clock Gun, the National War Museum and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum. Address: Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NG Phone: 0131 225 9846 Website: www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk
Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the Her Majesty the Queen in Scotland. It is situated at the foot of Arthur’s Seat and surrounded by Holyrood Park. Attractions include visiting 14 State rooms, the Queen’s Gallery and also the ruins of Holyrood Abbey which dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Address: Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8DX Phone: 0131 556 5100 Website: www.royal.gov.uk/thepalaceofholyroodhouse
The Scottish Parliament is in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. Tourists are welcome to explore the art and architecture of the building as well as go on free tours to see how the parliament works. Address: Canongate, Edinburgh EH99 1SP Phone: 0131 348 5200 Website: www.scottish.parliament.uk
National Museum of Scotland has a large number of galleries including Scotland’s Story, National World, Science and Technology, Art and Design, World Cultures, Windows on the World. Address: Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Phone: 0300 123 6789 Website: www.nms.ac.uk/scotland
National Gallery of Modern Art is home to Scotland’s national collection of modern and contemporary art. Address: Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR Phone: 0131 624 6200 Website: www.nationalgalleries.org
National Portrait Gallery depicts the people from the past and the present who have helped shape the nation’s identity. Address: Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JD Phone: 0131 624 6200 Website: www.nationalgalleries.org
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions has a 150 year old camera, a magic gallery of optical illusions with holograms, rooftop views of Edinburgh and live city view cams. Address: The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2ND Phone: 0131 226 3709 Website: www.camera-obscura.co.uk
Our Dynamic Earth museum shows the history of our planet such as the Big Bang, the formation of the earth, volcanoes, earthquakes, glaciers and polar ice using the latest technology. Address: Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS Phone: 0131 550 7800 Website: www.dynamicearth.co.uk
The Scottish Whisky Experience has the world’s largest collection of Scotch whisky. Learn about the success of whisky from its beginnings to today. Address: 354 Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 2NE Phone: 0131 220 0441 Website: www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk
Gladstone’s Land is a six storey tenement building in the Old Town dating from the 17th century. It has furnished rooms typical of the era. Address: 477B Lawnmarket, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2NT Phone: 0844 493 2120 Website: www.nts.org.co.uk
The Georgian House is based in the New Town and dates from the 18th century. This Edinburgh townhouse shows what life was like for high society people as well as life of the household staff ‘below stairs’. Address: 7 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4DR Phone: 0844 493 2118 Website: www.nts.org.uk
The Museum of Childhood takes you down memory lane to discover the toys and games of the past. Address: 42 High Street, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1TG Phone: 0131 529 4142 Website: www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk
The People’s Story Museum shows the lives of ordinary people in Edinburgh from the late 18th century to today. There is a former jail which is an original part of the building. Address: Canongate Tolbooth, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH8 8BN Phone: 0131 529 4057 Website: www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk
The Real Mary King’s Close is a warren of underground streets and houses underneath the Royal Mile. The tour shows you how people lived, worked and died there. Address: 2 Warristons Close, High Street, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1PG Phone: 0131 225 0670 Website: www.realmarykingsclose.com
Greyfriars Bobby is a bronze statue of a Skye terrier who reputedly sat by his master’s grave in Greyfriars Kirk churchyard for 14 years until its own death in 1872. Address: Greyfriars Place off George IV Bridge, Edinburgh
Edinburgh Zoo has over 1000 mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians housed in about 80 acres of parkland. The zoo is about 3 miles west of Edinburgh City Centre. Address: 134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS Phone: 0131 334 9171 Website: www.edinburghzoo.co.uk
The Royal Yacht Britannia is the former yacht of Her Majesty the Queen used for over forty years and travelled over a million miles. It is now berthed at Leith. The audio tour takes you around five magnificent decks so that you can discover what life was like for the Royal Family and the crew on board. Address: Ocean Terminal, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6JJ Phone: 0131 555 5566 Website: www.royalyachtbrittania.co.uk
City of Edinburgh Parks and Green Spaces
Arthur’s Seat and Holyrood Park is based in central Edinburgh about a mile east of Edinburgh Castle and adjacent to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Scottish Parliament and Dynamic Earth. Holyrood Park is a large Royal Park which is open to the public and consists of parkland, lochs, hills and crags. Arthur’s Seat is the main peak in the hills of the park and it is also the highest point in Edinburgh so has some fine views.
Carlton View is a hill with numerous monuments and buildings which is a popular walking point in Edinburgh. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has some great views of the city and surrounding area. Entrance is from Waterloo Place.
Scott Monument is a 200ft monument which was erected between 1840 and 1846 in memory of the Writer Sir Walter Scott. Visitors are able to climb the 287 steps to the top and see some panoramic views over Edinburgh. Entrance is the east end of Princes Street.
Royal Botanic Gardens were established in 1670. There are over 70 acres of breathtaking gardens of plants from around the world, including glasshouses, a rock garden, a Chinese garden and herbaceous borders. Great views of the city skyline. Only one mile from the city centre. Lothian buses No.8, No.23 or No.27 go to the East Gate on Inverleith Row. Address: Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR Phone: 0131 552 7171 Website: www.rbge.org.uk
Princes Street Gardens is a public park in the centre of Edinburgh along side the south side of Princes Street and divided by The Mound. The gardens were created in the 18th and 19th century by the slow draining of a large loch, Nor Loch. Address: Princes Street, Edinburgh
The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links are areas of open parkland to the south of the city and bordered by University of Edinburgh’s George Square to the North and Marchmount to the South. As well as grassland and tree lined paths, there is a children’s playground, tennis courts, cricket pitches and a croquet club.
Attractions outside Edinburgh
Rosslyn Chapel is located in the village of Roslin, about 7 miles south of Edinburgh. It is a 15th Century medieval chapel, properly named the Collegiate of St. Matthew, and was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen. Address: Chapel Loan, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PU Phone: 0131 440 2159 Website: www.rosslynchapel.org.uk
Linlithgow Palace was built in the 15th century and it has many connections with royalty – many of the Scottish monarchs lived here in the 15th and 16th century. The magnificent ruins of Linlithgow Palace are set in Parkland by Linlithgow Loch in West Lothian about 15 miles west of Edinburgh. Address: Kirkgate, Linlithgow, West Lothian, EH49 7AL Phone: 01506 842896 Website: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
Hopetoun House is situated in extensive parkland by the Firth of Forth with views of the two bridges and the Fife coast. It is the home of the Marquis of Linlithgow and its contents include fine furniture, paintings, tapestries and ceramics. Address: South Queensferry, Edinburgh, EH30 9SL Phone: 0131 331 2451 Website: www.hopetoun.co.uk House of the Binns is situated in beautifully landscaped parkland overlooking the River Forth. This 17th century house has been the home of the Dalyell family for nearly 400 years. Address: The Binns, Linlithgow, Edinburgh & The Lothians, EH49 7NA Phone: 01506 834225 Website: www.nts.org/Property/House-of-the-Binns
Glenkinchie Distillery is a working distillery that features an exhibition, a guided tour and tastings. Address: Pencaitland, Tranent, East Lothian, EH34 5ET Phone: 01875 342004 Website: www.scotlandwhisky.com/distilleries/lowlands/Glenkinchie