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Me and my Fiancee are going on Monday.
Never been to Scotland and i'd like to avoid the places i'm used to seeing in Cardiff.
Walk up Arthurs seat and around Hollyrood park then up the Royal Mile and at Deacon Brodie's pub turn left . Rub Greyfriars Bobbie's nose and go into the Grave yard and fanny about looking at the graves. Head over the road to the Scottish/ National museum. Exit right then at Richer sounds turn left , head towards the Tron then up the mile and again turn left at Deacon Brodies then right down Victoria Street to the Grassmarket.
Thats a good Start , Embra is in my mind one of Europe's fines cities...
Enjoy.
Do you have any more time? If so, get further north, where the proper hills start...
Go down to Cramond and have a walk along the seafront.
Mary kings close! might be worth booking first though.
personally I wouldn't bother with the castle.
Arthur's seat for the views if the weather/visibility is good.
bus tour is quite good.
Read the book "the town below the ground" by Jan-Andrew Henderson, then go and do all the things like Mary Kings Close, when you go to greyfriars, find the black mausoleum and see how long you can stare inside it, do the same with the covenanters prison. Poo-tastic!
Go to the surgeons Hall museum. The significance will only be there if you read that book. The Dr knox exhibition is the creepiest thing ever, never mind the book made out of human skin!
There are loads of things in Edinburgh to see that are not creepy, such as Calton Hill, the royal mile, Princes Street Gardens and the museums/galleries, but it's the creepy side that makes it such as fascinating place, imho.
the really tiny baked potato shop at the top of cockburn street....if it is still there.
sunshine on leith
Up the Royal Mile wondering in and out of the closes and then into Mary King's Close.
Carton Hill for an easier alternative to Authurs Seat.
Chambers Street museum
Botanic gardens
The baked Tattie shop is still there phatstanley, worth a visit 🙂
Definitely Grassmarket, Royal mile hosts the Worlds End pub where the 2 girls were murdered. It is also 1 mile long (amazing init)and goes from Holyrood to the Castle. Greyfriars kirkyard, a walk round Arthurs seat or to the top. Son't go to Saughton you might not get away lol
The A1 back to England!
If the weathers decent, out to South Queensferry and a boat tour to Inchcolm island.
Mary King's Close is a definite.
National Gallery on Princes St, if galleries are your thing.
Wander round the Old Town.
I like the Camera Obscura at the top of the Royal Mile,
Edinburgh castle looks great, especially from Princes St gardens, but it's massively overrated inside. If you want a decent castle, head for Stirling, Stirling Castle is what Edinburgh should be.
The museums on Chambers Street are worth a visit if the weather isn't so good (and even if it is).
If you fancy a wee stroll then head for Fairmilehead and the ski centre, walk up the hill and return via Swanston Village. The golf club there does decent bar meals for lunch.
Leith for 'on trend" bars, cafes and bistros.
The Water of Leith runs through the town and is a pleasant walk, feeling very much away from everything (until the very lowest stretches). Get the No. 44 bus to Balerno and walk back to town. The Blue Goose makes aa good lunch stop. Look for the sites of old mills and other little nooks and crannies as you go. There is an audio tour available via your smartphone.
Oh - Edinburgh has one of the best bus services in the UK for when you want it but the city centre is very compact and is easily covered on foot.
hey heavy, good to know about the tattie shop. ain't been in yonks.
+1 for matt's point about going north if ya have the time. within 2 hours you can be smack dab in the middle of the cairngorms or the west highlands; even less and you could be in the arrochar alps or the killin area. bootyfull spots, to be sure!
alternatively, there are some beautiful beaches on the coast, like tyninghame and belhaven.
pub-wise, there are some nice, chilled "non-corporate vibe"-y ones owned by these folk:
[url= http://www.bodabar.com/ ]swedish owned pubs in reekie[/url]
i'm a fan of the lovely selection of german bottles at both le ventoux:
[url= http://food.list.co.uk/place/44671-the-ventoux/#map ]the ventoux - pub[/url]
and la tourmalet:
[url= http://food.list.co.uk/place/103681-the-tourmalet/#map ]the tourmalet - pub[/url]
they're loosely bike-themed pubs. was at ventoux last night for pre-cinema drinks with mah missus and a game of backgammon. chilled and relaxed while alot of the surrounding bars were heaving and not terribly welcoming...
hope that's of use to ya. 😀
Try portobello for a walk on the beach and the views from the beach hut cafe are amazing. Short bus ride from the city centre too
[url= http://www.thedogsonline.co.uk/ ]The Dogs[/url] is good, been a couple of times. Quirky funky place for dinner, food and service was excellent both times.
[url= http://www.bramblebar.co.uk/ ]Brambles[/url] is great for cocktails, opposite The Dogs too.
The Hanging Bat - great place for a pint. Reasonable food too but it's all about the beer.
The Blue Blazer is a nice little pub, dangerous stairs after a few pints though!