The Guide to Edinburgh

Jun 23
06:38

2008

Niall Buchanan

Niall Buchanan

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A guide for anybody thinking of visiting Edinburgh with information on the local transport available, attractions, events and accommodation in Edinburgh.

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Edinburgh has been the capitol city of Scotland 1437 and it is the second largest city in Scotland.  The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and it is second only to London for popularity in the UK.

AttractionsThere are a large selection of attractions in Edinburgh but the city itself is an attraction as you walk among the many historic buildings in the city centre and the Old Town area,The Guide to Edinburgh Articles having the chance to view some wonderful architecture.

The most popular attraction in Edinburgh is Edinburgh Castle, which sits overlooking the city centre on its elevated site on Castle Rock.  This castle has a rich history dating from 1093 and it has seen its share of violence and political intrigue.  Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie have all played parts in making the castes interesting history.

There are a few excellent free attractions in the city that are well worth visiting, The Museum of Scotland and Botanical Gardens are two of the most popular ones.  These are both only a few minutes walk away from the city centre and are ideal for anyone looking to see Edinburgh on a budget.

Places to stay

There is no shortage of both luxury and budget accommodation in Edinburghavailable for visitors.  If you are looking for luxury accommodation then The Balmoral Hotel and the Scotsman are two of the finest five star hotels in Edinburgh and indeed Scotland.

If you want something at the other end of the price scale then there is a great selection of hostels available with prices from only £8 per night.  Smart City Hostel is one of the most popular and it has an excellent city centre location and great facilities for the price.

Events

During the summer months there are no shortage of events taking place across Edinburgh with the two most popular ones being the Military Tattoo and the Fringe Festival.

The military tattoo runs for three weeks in August and is held at Edinburgh Castle, it is extremely popular and therefore if you want tickets you have to book then well in advance.  The fringe festival is the world largest arts festival and it runs along side the Tattoo.  There are various acts that perform and a selection of paid and free shows take place throughout the city centre.  It is an excellent place to see upcoming acts and performers.

Transport

There is an Airport just outside the city centre and from there you can get flights to over 40 European cities and also top international destinations such as New York and Atlanta.  There is a regular bus service that runs to and from the city centre to the airport for around £5.

Edinburgh has two railway stations, Haymarket is a couple of miles outside the city centre and is close to Murrayfield rugby stadium.  Waverley is in the city centre and only a couple of minutes walk away from Princes Street.  You can get trains from here to all the major cities in Scotland and also a direct train from to London which takes around 4hrs 30min.

The bus service in Edinburgh is pretty good with regular inner citys buses leaving about every 5-10mins to all the areas in the city and surrounding regions.  It costs only £1 for a single journey or you can buy a day ticket for £2.50 which gets you unlimited use of the city buses.  You can also get city connection buses to Dundee, Glasgow and Perth with CityLink or Megabus with special fares starting at only £1.