If you were in Edinburgh for three days in the summer....

[RGRatSea]

greetings to you in Hawick, and all the others on this page.

2010 found us on an extended visit to the UK and a London moment when we found our selves in the Tower, in what was purported to be Longshank's bedchamber. I was moved to song, singing "Oh Flower of Scotland" into the light echoes. Oh, and I was wearing my Stewart Hunting kilt.

Moving on throughout the months we spent almost a week in Stirling, so to my first expansion of the day trip concept. If one has the time Stirling alone is worth 3 to 5 days. The castle is being restored and is worth at least a full day, particularly if you also tour Argyll house. The Church of the Holy Rood is just down the hill and should also has a separate day, perhaps shared with a walk to the Wallace Monument, crossing the bridge located in the area of the original Stirling Bridge, battle of the same name.

We return to Stirling for the Bannockburn re-enactment, staying three weeks to be present for the Gathering. Your astute observation that Edinburgh is "touristy" means that our planned day trips from our base in Stirling may by-pass Edinburgh in favor of other area within the greater area. I must mention, our approach is to avoid the obviously tourist areas in favor of moving amongst the locals, listening to their stories and sharing a pint or two.

This year I wear my Fraser kilt, 16 oz., 8 (+/-) yards, hand sewn in Inverness. My wife is quite taken with the way it moves.

Thank you for your insights, we hope to see you this year in Stirling, perhaps we'll have a pint at the Portcullis,

Ryc

[denmcdough]

I was, actually, in Edinburgh this summer, and for exactly three days. I was there July 7-9. We walked many, many miles...all over the city, just not the tourist areas. I covered the Royal Mole, obviously, the whole way to Holyrood. Then we walked up the entire way of Holyrood Park, to Arthur's Seat. What a view of the city; the best!!!

We took a one day excursion on the train to Dunfermline, and toured the entire city. Got to see Andrew Carnegie's birthplace (being from the Pittsburgh area, this was awesome to see). I especially loved the Abbey and the gardens across the street, where Carnegie use to play as a child. The temperature that day was over 80* (F). Yikes! But I loved it, even if the natives were dying. Actually, we had no rain in Scotland the whole, week, and temps in the 70's-80's ...very atypical.

All in all, I had a fantastic time in Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland. I need to return, somehow, someway!???

[Phil]

Reading the replies it does come across quite strongly that there is more to Scotland than just Edinburgh just as there is more to England than just London. The fact remains, however, that the OP asked specifically about Edinburgh. It is, of course, the capital city and, as such, has many important buildings - the castle, Holyrood palace, the Parliament etc. if that is your thing. If you prefer entertainment then the month of August hosts the festival with more shows than you can shake a stick at and ad hoc entertainment on the street of the Royal Mile. If culture is your thing the National museum is here as is the museum of childhood along with the national art galleries as well as a number of theatres and concert halls. Others have mentioned things like the Royal Yacht and Dynamic Earth is a good family thing as is the camera obscura near the castle. Restaurants of all persuasions abound and hotels are plentiful so you can see why Edinburgh might be the tourists first choice of destination.
This is not to say there is no merit in other parts of Scotland but in 3 days even Edinburgh can only be sampled not explored!

[OC Richard]

Yes Edinburgh during the festival is very different! Scaffolding up, Tattoo every night, the town packed with Italians and Spaniards and Americans and what not, an amazing crazy vibrant place with far too much to do to ever do a tenth of it. Shakespeare, Bach, jazz, new plays, anything you can think of is going on somewhere.

I'm lucky enough to have spent a few days there during festival time, and also a few days there during 'offpeak' season, early summer when there's not so many tourists.

As regards what to see and do I will defer to the locals, but I will say that I enjoyed touring the castle, hitting numerous pubs on Rose Street, visiting the National Portrait Gallery (now the National Museums Scotland) and dining in two different Mexican restaurants along the Royal Mile which were surprisingly good! (We live on Mexican food here, often three meals a day.)

The shops with genuine Highland Dress are a bit hard to spot amongst the rows of tat shops.

My wife and I are very lucky, and were able to visit Inverness, Loch Ness, Eileann Donan, Skye (including driving to the west side, Borreraig), Oban, Fort William, Kintyre, Arran (where one branch of my family is from), Glasgow, Loch Lomond, Pitlochry, Stirling, the Borders... yes we did a load of driving (on the 'wrong' side of the road, with a manual transmission) but it was very much worth it.

With the pipe band I stayed in Glasgow two weeks and that was amazing in itself... what a lovely city! Did take the train to Edinburgh on my one free day.

[JohntheBiker]

If you want to do a bit a bit of family research, you could try the ScotlandsPeople Centre on Princes St.

Definitely recommend a lot of walking and the paths in Holyrood Park are a treat. Great views of the city!

[walkerk]

Royal Botanic Garden http://www.rbge.org.uk/

Get to the castle before 1:00 p.m. so you can watch them fire the gun.

[Alan H]

As Phil pointed out, I really was looking for things to do IN Edinburgh. The rest of the trip is planned to the hilt, pretty much....a couple of days in the Borders where my Hall ancestors are from...... several days reserved for hillwalking to keep Joan happy.....competing at three Highland Games.... spending days in MacNaughton clan country around Loch Awe and Loch Fyne.... visiting a number of tartan manufacturers, and two of my favorite distilleries, having a go at the Inver Stone, and so on. I'd have a go at the Dinnie Stones if they were going to be available, but alas, no such luck.

We start the trip with whatever's left of Day One after we get off of the airplane, and then two more days IN EDINBURGH....which was why I was asking specifically about Edinburgh, or maybe anything within 3-4 miles of the city center.

[bdkilted]

I was there for 3 days in 2009. We just did the tourist these along the mile for those three days, then spent another week exploring. We hope to get back in the next year or two without the kids so we can spend more time. I am really looking forward to getting back to Stone Haven. I just hope I can get the B&B right on the beach again.

[OC Richard]

Are you going to be there during the Festival? That changes things... it's so different.

My highlights were walking around the Royal Mile, Princes Street, and Rose Street. The Castle of course. The Palace. The (hideous) Parliament. Kilt shops!

On my first visit there was The National Portrait Gallery, which is amazing because you can see in person so many of the early portraits which appear over and over in books on Highland Dress.

I haven't seen the collection since it became part of National Museums Scotland.

I'd like to see a Hibs or Hearts match but I've not been there at the right time.

During the Festival it's overload time, with far more things to do than anyone could manage. But the Tattoo of course is a must if you haven't seen it.

Sorry but I've only done superficial 'tourist' stuff. Let the locals suggest all the cool stuff we Americans don't know about!

[JonathanB]

I'm an Englishman (with a French surname) living in London and I've only been to Edinburgh a few times.

What I find breathtaking (and I don't think anyone has mentioned) is what the Michelin guides would call the "site" of Edinburgh.

It is the only major city I know in the UK where you can see sea and mountains from the City Centre. (I suppose technically the Forth of Firth isn't sea, but it sure looks like it to me.)

The National Gallery of Scotland is a nice collections of old masters, although very little Scottish. It is a much more managable size than the National Gallery in London. And it has an oil painting of a Dandie Dinmont terrier which was on display because some important paintings were bequeathed by the dog's owner, on condition his pooch would be permanently on display.

And the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is interesting as well.