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National Museum of Scotland

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9 Things To Do During Your Edinburgh Visit

What I really enjoyed about visiting Edinburgh, Scotland was how charming the city was in just about everywhere we went. We would walk down any street or around every corner and we would find something interesting, whether it was the architecture, Scottish shops, small restaurants/cafes, whisky bars, or a unique attraction. With so many things to do and see, it’s easy to get lost and fall in love with the city.

Unfortunately for us, we were only able to spend two days in Edinburgh and probably left with many things unseen. But even for such a short time, we still had an amazing visit and felt like we saw a lot and got to do a lot. So, we’ve listed out 9 things that you should definitely do during your visit to Edinburgh:

1. Climb to Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park

At 251 meters, Arthur’s Seat is the highest point in Edinburgh. It’s about a 30-45 minute hike to the top depending on your speed but is totally worth it for the amazing breathtaking views of the city. You can also explore the rest of the park, including St. Anthony’s Chapel and Salisbury Crags, massive cliffs that oversee the city. Click here to see more of the views.

2. Edinburgh Castle

The Edinburgh Castle is an obvious choice, as it is the nationally recognized symbol of Scotland and one of the top attractions in the country. The castle sits atop Castle Rock and offers vast views of the city. See more of the castle here.

3. Scotch Whisky Experience

Scotch whisky is the pride and soul of the country so if you want to understand what goes into this craft or simply love whisky, then you have to do the Scotch Whisky Experience. There is an interactive ride, you’ll get to do some tasting, and see the largest scotch whisky collection in the world. For more of this tour, you can read here.

Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland

 

4. The National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland is actually the most visited attraction in the whole country and the best part is that it’s completely free to visit. Not only can you admire the architecture but the museum houses a number of really cool exhibits from biology, technology, fashion, Scottish history, astrology and much more. To see more of the other exhibits, you can find more photos here.

5. Stroll down George Street for some shopping

George Street is well-known for being the best place in the city to do some serious shopping. We weren’t planning to do much shopping when we started walking but there were some many interesting shops that we ended up buying quite a bit of stuff. If you are able to resist the temptation to shop, the street does offer some beautiful sites and architecture that you can enjoy.

Statue of William Pitt, George Street, Edinburgh

6. Eat at ANY restaurant/cafe

Many times when we go out to eat, we tend to use an app like Yelp or Tripadvisor to find the best spots. In Edinburgh, you really don’t have to worry about that (unless you’re looking for something specifically). Just about any restaurant or cafe you pass by is probably a great place to eat. We just walked around and picked places near our hotel and each of those places just had amazing food, such as the Magnum Restaurant & Bar, which is where I had the best burger that I’ve ever had (or at least it was really darn good). We also loved The Square, where they had delicious breakfast items and sandwiches.

Maybe the best burger I’ve ever had at the Magnum Restaurant and Bar

7. See the Colorful Buildings on Victoria Street

Located in Old Town, Edinburgh and close to the Edinburgh Castle is Victoria Street, where you can find some very colorful buildings mixed with the old architecture. Within this street are many small stores, cafes, bars and restaurants, a perfect little place for your shopping, eating, and drinking needs.

8. For Harry Potter Fans, Visit the Elephant House

From the outside, the Elephant House looks like an ordinary coffee house. But if you look at the signs carefully, you’ll see it says “The Birthplace of Harry Potter.” This coffee house is where JK Rowling would be writing “Harry Potter” on their napkins in the back room with views of the Edinburgh Castle. Just don’t expect anything wizarding decor or magical themes; it still looks and operates as an ordinary coffee house serving ordinary (but good) coffee and food. There’s also a Harry Potter “grave” nearby, where you can visit the graves of all of the deceased characters.

9. Celebrate the Holidays in Edinburgh

Obviously, this depends on when you decide to visit Edinburgh, but if you happen to be visiting around November or December, you can delve into the festivities the city has to offer. There are many holiday-themed events and shows throughout Edinburgh, as well as various Christmas markets where you can spend plenty of time shopping, eating, and enjoying a family outing.

Here are also a few things didn’t do but you can add to your list:

  1. Holyrood Palace

  2. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

  3. Calton Hill
  4. Climb to the top of Scott Monument

What other activities would you recommend in Edinburgh? Let us know in the comments and if you like this post, give us a pin below!

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Night at the Museum: The National Museum of Scotland

Scotland is best known for many things, such as beautiful landscapes, castles, and producing the finest scotch whisky. But if you had to guess what was Scotland’s most visited attraction, what would you guess? Maybe the country’s stunning landscapes? Perhaps one of the country’s spectacular castles? Or possibly Loch Ness where “Nessie,” the infamous Loch Ness Monster, was allegedly sighted? Actually, it’s none of those answers; many would be surprised that the most visited attraction in Scotland is really the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

There are several reasons why the museum is the most visited attraction. For one thing (and maybe the biggest thing) is the museum is completely free! Yes, you read that right, FREE!! It’s funded through the lottery and donations, thus no charge is required. Any free activity is a good activity in my book!

Be sure to check out the second most visited attraction in Scotland: The Edinburgh Castle

Aside from being free of charge for admission, the National Museum of Scotland also houses an impressive collection of exhibits of numerous major subject matters, including biology, geology, astrology, fashion, technology, architecture, aviation, world history, arts, Scottish history, and much more! Even the museum itself has architectural and historical significance being over 230 years old! For all the museums I’ve visited, I don’t remember any of them covering such a broad range of topics so I am amazed at content the museum provides.

We visited the museum during the late afternoon, which was already getting dark by then, and the first exhibit we went into was the animal world exhibit, which was easily my favorite since I love animals. If anyone has seen the movie series, “Night at the Museum,” you may remember that there’s a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, named “Rexy,” that comes to life and acts like a dog. Well, when we walked into the exhibit, the first thing we came upon was a huge T-Rex skeleton. And for a moment I was hoping it’d come to life so I could play fetch with it (though there was that possibility of a not-so-fuzzy outcome either with a giant dinosaur skeleton with sharp teeth and claws).

Beyond the T-Rex were other dinosaur skeletons before it moves onto animals in more modern times. The exhibit covers many animals groups, from mammals to reptiles, herbivores to carnivores, land animals to marine animals, and just about everything in between. You can also find the famous sheep, “Dolly,” which was the first ever cloned mammal (though in another exhibit). If you like animals, this is the place to check out!

Like many large museums, you would need several visits to adequately go through all of the different exhibits. Unfortunately, we didn’t have that kind of time so we only spent a little over two hours until closing time. We mostly just walked through the museum to see what other exhibits had but didn’t stay too long in each one.

The only other exhibits we spent a bit more time were the technology and the Scotland history exhibits. The technology exhibit is really fun with many interactive pieces and displays ranging from planes, automobiles, locomotives, computers/phones, and other technological advances. I also liked the Scotland exhibits which go through the country’s history and has many historical artifacts on display, such as giant ceremonial swords and the “Maiden,” which is a guillotine used during executions.

So, if you’re looking for a fun and free activity to do in Scotland, be sure to make a visit to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Just don’t expect things to come to life like in the movies! Let us know what exhibit you would be excited to check out in the museum and be sure to visit their website for more information: http://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland/

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National Museum of Scotland

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