Edinburgh

The Balmoral

Princes Street / Waverley

Edinburgh's grand railway hotel at No. 1 Princes Street — the clock tower set three minutes fast, castle-view rooms, Number One for fine dining, a whisky bar with hundreds of malts, harp-accompanied afternoon tea and a pool spa, with Waverley at the door.

The Witchery by the Castle

Castlehill / Old Town

Nine theatrical, candlelit suites in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century buildings at the castle gates — antiques, velvet, four-posters and roll-top baths, champagne on arrival, and two of Edinburgh's most romantic dining rooms downstairs.

Gleneagles Townhouse

St Andrew Square / New Town

The famous Perthshire resort's city outpost in a grand former bank on St Andrew Square — 33 bedrooms, a soaring all-day restaurant in the old banking hall, a rooftop bar with views to the castle and Forth, and members' spaces open to guests.

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

Victoria Street / Old Town

A playful, design-led hotel in the Old Town on Victoria Street and the Cowgate — Chambers with clever layouts, the Commons Club for Scottish cooking, Eve for Italian-style plates, and the Oculus Lounge under a historic cupola. Steps from the Grassmarket.

Kimpton Charlotte Square

Charlotte Square / West End

Georgian townhouse luxury on the New Town's finest square — a pool and spa, BABA's Levantine sharing plates, a daily social hour, and the west end of Princes Street, Dean Village and the airport tram all within a short walk.

Hotel du Vin Edinburgh

Southside / Old Town

A 1743 building that has been a poorhouse, an asylum and a science lab, now 47 characterful rooms by Greyfriars — a French bistro, a fireside Whisky Snug, a cellar of hundreds of wines and a courtyard for summer dining.

Motel One Edinburgh-Royal

Market Street / Waverley

Smart-value design between Waverley and the Royal Mile — compact, well-equipped rooms in a historic Market Street building, Highland-inspired interiors, a lounge bar lit by fifty whisky decanters, and children up to 12 free in their parents' room.

Radisson Blu Hotel Edinburgh City Centre

Old Town / Royal Mile

A four-star right on the Royal Mile, halfway between the castle and Holyrood, with an indoor heated pool, spa and gym, genuine family rooms and a bar-kitchen with a summer terrace. The most practical Old Town base for families who want a pool.

Novotel Edinburgh Centre

Old Town / Lauriston Place

A family-friendly four-star on Lauriston Place, a two-minute walk from the Grassmarket and five from the castle — heated pool and spa, family rooms sleeping four, on-site parking and a relaxed bar-kitchen. Strong value in the Old Town.

Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre Princes Street

New Town / Princes Street

Britain's dependable budget brand on Princes Street itself, facing the castle — book a view room and you wake to the most famous skyline in Scotland. Family rooms, a buffet breakfast where children eat free, and no-frills reliability.

hub by Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre Rose Street

New Town / Rose Street

Smart, compact rooms just off Princes Street on pub-lined Rose Street — touchscreen controls, air conditioning, a big TV and a powerful shower in a clever small footprint. The best-located budget bed in the New Town for solo travellers and couples.

Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh Royal Mile

Old Town / Cowgate

A budget Old Town base on the historic Cowgate, a few minutes below the Royal Mile, with breakfast included in every stay, sofa-bed rooms for small families, a round-the-clock bar menu and pets welcome. Simple, central and good value.

Hotel Indigo Edinburgh Princes Street

New Town / East End

A stylish boutique four-star behind a Victorian facade at the east end of Princes Street, by Waverley — city-view rooms, a Josper-grill restaurant, the Juniper cocktail bar and a library, with dogs welcome. Mid-range polish in a prime spot.

Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh

East End / Top of Leith Walk

A reliable mid-range four-star at the top of Leith Walk, opposite the Edinburgh Playhouse and beside the St James Quarter — the 1802 Lounge Grill, Marriott Bonvoy points and a tram stop at the door. Ideal for theatre nights and Leith dinners.

ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge Royal Mile

Old Town / South Bridge

A no-nonsense budget three-star on South Bridge, a moment from the Royal Mile and six minutes' walk from Waverley — simple rooms for two, a diner-style restaurant, a bar stocked with Scottish beers and a courtyard. Pets welcome, cashless.

Edinburgh Castle

The fortress on the volcano that defines Edinburgh — the Honours of Scotland, the Royal Palace, tiny St Margaret's Chapel, Mons Meg, the One O'Clock Gun and the best battlement views in the city. Tickets often sell out; book online and go at opening.

The Royal Yacht Britannia

The late Queen's floating palace, berthed for good in Leith — five decks of state rooms, royal bedrooms, the engine room and crew quarters, explored with an audio guide, plus tea and scones in the Royal Deck Tea Room. Easy by tram.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

The King's official residence in Scotland, at the foot of the Royal Mile — State Apartments, Mary, Queen of Scots' chambers and the scene of Rizzio's murder, the roofless Holyrood Abbey and the palace garden. Check open days before you go.

The Real Mary King's Close

Edinburgh's only preserved seventeenth-century underground street, sealed beneath the City Chambers — an hour-long guided tour by costumed characters through cramped homes, plague-era stories and the real lives of the Old Town. Not for under-fives.

The Scotch Whisky Experience

A guided introduction to Scotch at the top of the Royal Mile — how whisky is made, the five regions, a nosing and tasting lesson with a dram, and the astonishing Diageo Claive Vidiz collection of more than three thousand bottles. Over-18s.

Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

Edinburgh's oldest purpose-built visitor attraction — a Victorian rooftop camera obscura projecting the live city onto a table, five floors of hands-on illusions below, and a rooftop terrace with castle and city views. Open late.

Loch Ness, Glencoe and Highlands Day Trip

The classic long day out from Edinburgh — Stirling and the Trossachs, across Rannoch Moor into Glencoe, past Ben Nevis to Fort Augustus and a cruise on Loch Ness, then home over the Drumochter Pass. About thirteen hours, all on a guided coach.

The Royal Mile

The medieval spine of the Old Town, running downhill from the castle to Holyroodhouse — Castlehill, the Lawnmarket, the High Street and the Canongate, with hidden closes, free museums, cathedral spires and street life every step. Free to walk.

Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park

An ancient volcano in the middle of the city — a free climb through Holyrood Park to a summit with views over the Old Town, the Forth and the Pentlands, past crags, lochs and a ruined chapel. Wear proper shoes and watch the wind.

National Museum of Scotland

Scotland's great free museum on Chambers Street — the soaring Victorian Grand Gallery, Dolly the sheep, Lewis chessmen, the Millennium Clock, Scottish history from the rocks up, and a rooftop terrace facing the castle. Free; open daily.

St Giles' Cathedral

The High Kirk of Edinburgh and the crown spire of the Royal Mile — John Knox's church, Victorian stained glass, the carved Thistle Chapel and centuries of Scottish history. Now a paid visit for non-residents, with guided tours included.

Calton Hill

The quick climb at the east end of Princes Street with Edinburgh's most famous postcard view — the unfinished National Monument, the telescope-shaped Nelson Monument, the City Observatory and Dugald Stewart's temple framing the castle and Old Town. Free.

Dean Village and the Water of Leith

A hidden mill village in a wooded gorge ten minutes from Princes Street, and the riverside walkway that links it to Stockbridge, the modern art galleries and Leith — Edinburgh's quiet, green side. Free and walkable year-round.

Rosslyn Chapel

The most richly carved medieval church in Scotland, founded in 1446 in the village of Roslin just south of the city — the Apprentice Pillar, hundreds of green men, and the mysteries that drew The Da Vinci Code here. An easy half-day by bus.

The Edinburgh Dungeon

Edinburgh's darkest history, played for laughs and screams by live actors — body snatchers, plague, witch trials and cannibal legends, in a run of theatrical sets beside Waverley Station. Silly, loud and very good fun with teenagers.

Holyrood Distillery

A working single malt and gin distillery in the city centre, opened in 2019 in an old railway building below Salisbury Crags. Guided tours end in a tasting, and the flavour-led approach makes it the best whisky visit in Edinburgh itself.

John Knox House

One of the oldest houses on the Royal Mile, a fifteenth-century timber-galleried tenement linked to the fiery reformer John Knox and to Mary Queen of Scots' goldsmith. Painted ceilings, creaking floors and an hour of the Reformation, beside the Storytelling Centre.

Dynamic Earth

Edinburgh's science centre and planetarium under the tented roof beside the Scottish Parliament — a walk-through journey from the Big Bang to today, a real iceberg to touch, an earthquake to feel and a full-dome show. The city's best rainy day with children.

Edinburgh Zoo

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's hillside zoo on Corstorphine Road — penguins, koalas, Sumatran tigers, chimpanzees in the Budongo Trail and sweeping views from the top. A full family day, and cheaper when booked online.

The Great Tapestry of Scotland

Scotland's whole story, stitched by volunteers into one of the longest tapestries in the world — about 160 panels in a purpose-built gallery in Galashiels, reached by the scenic Borders Railway from Waverley. An easy, rewarding day out.

Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and the Kelpies Day Trip

A nine-hour guided coach day from the Royal Mile to the shores of Loch Lomond, the royal castle at Stirling and the giant steel Kelpies — the classic shorter alternative to a Highlands marathon. Castle admission is an optional extra.

Scottish National Gallery

Scotland's great free art collection in a temple on the Mound — Vermeer, Titian, Velazquez and Rembrandt, Raeburn's skating minister, Impressionists, and new Scottish galleries opening onto Princes Street Gardens. The best free hour in the city.

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Seventy-odd acres of world-class gardens at Inverleith, free to enter — the rock garden, the Chinese hillside, giant redwoods, skyline views over the city, and the restored Victorian Palm Houses, now reopened with a ticket.

Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument

The green valley below the castle, laid out where a loch once lay — the floral clock, the Ross Fountain and the Gothic spire of the Scott Monument, whose 287 steps lead to the best close-up view of the Old Town. Gardens free; the climb costs a small fee.

Victoria Street and the Grassmarket

The curving, rainbow-painted street that drops from the Royal Mile into the old market square below the castle — independent shops, Harry Potter fans, historic pubs, the gallows memorial and the Vennel steps with the best castle view in the Old Town. Free.

Greyfriars Kirk and Kirkyard

Edinburgh's most atmospheric graveyard, where the National Covenant was signed and loyal Greyfriars Bobby kept watch — mortsafes, grand tombs, the locked Covenanters' Prison and castle views. The kirk is free to visit, and so is the kirkyard.

Leith and the Shore

Edinburgh's old port, now its best eating neighbourhood — waterfront restaurants and pubs along the Shore, Michelin-level cooking, the Royal Yacht Britannia, Newhaven harbour and a tram that runs straight from the city centre. Free to wander.

Stockbridge

Edinburgh's village within the city — Georgian terraces, the cobbled mews of Circus Lane, independent shops on St Stephen Street, the Sunday market and brunch by the Water of Leith, fifteen minutes downhill from Princes Street. Free.