Hogmanay is over and Scotland’s first city is returned to the locals, but there’s still plenty to do in this magnificent city.
Edinburgh is one of those cities which is blessed with both natural beauty, historic importance and a sense that there’s always something to do…shopping being quite a major part of that.
Taking the shopping theme for a minute, you might think Oxford Street is the only place to pickup a bargain this January, but Princess Street in Edinburgh is longer and has more fashionable shops than anywhere in London. Put another way, if Sex & the City was based in Britain rather than New York, the four girls would spend their entire lives on Princess Street.
If shopping isn’t your thing, or you’ve simply bought the entire street, then there are plenty of less expensive places to visit.
Edinburgh Castle has to be one of the main attractions in the city, being situated on a rocky outcrop above the city guarding over it for centuries.
It can be quite a walk up there, but the higher you go, the better the views and there are plenty of things to see when you get there including the Scottish Crown Jewels in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle. If you’re around the castle at 1pm, you’ll also see the ceremony of the firing of the 1 o’clock gun which takes place every day of the year (and yes, it is quite loud!)
The Royal Mile takes you down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse through some of Edinburgh’s Old Town. The palace is the official residence in Scotland of Her Majesty The Queen and stands with a magnificant backdrop of King Arthur’s Seat behind it.
Arthur’s Seat is an extinct volcano rising up behind the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Many claim this gives the best view possible of Edinburgh and the Fife region of Central Scotland, although the walk is quite steep to the top.
St James Shopping Centre car park might not have quite the romance of Arthur’s Seat, but it is a good alternative for those wanting great views of the area without having to walk up to the top of Arthur’s Seat.
Mary King’s Close is a hidden world of 17th Century streets below the current city. During building works in the 17th to 19th Centuries, the streets below were often just covered over and became a hidden and closed off world.
They were finally reopened in 2003 to the public who can now take tours and hear tales of those who once lived here. Stories are told by a variety of characters including Mary King’s Daughter, a merchant, a poet and even “The Fowl Clenger” who cleaned up houses of Plague victims (and was considered one of the best-avoided people in the close).
There are of course plenty of stories of ghosts with many sightings each year, and other unexplained phenomena. One such case was a friend who went on the tour a few years ago and came out to find she was covered in scratch marks even though she didn’t feel a thing.
As a side note, if you visit Edinburgh in May, the people behind Mary King’s Close organise the 10 day Mary King’s Ghost Fest which attracts visitors from all around the world.
More Edinburgh Links:
Tourist attractions in Edinburgh
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Self-catering accommodation in Edinburgh
