Scotland is like that guy you meet in the bar who you bond with immediately. It welcomes you with open arms with its kindness, its candor, and its pure excitement to show you what it’s all about. And there’s no better way to know Scotland than to know it’s heart, Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is a city of contrast. During the winter, it’s a bleak, grey and brown space. But during the other seasons, it’s a ethereal, lush setting of an old fairytale. It’s posh, yet it still carries the trademark Scottish grit. It’s a capital city of over 500,000 people, yet it feels like a large village. These contradictions make for a lot of ambiguous feelings about Edinburgh, but most of these are good feelings.

Named the greenest city in the UK with the 2nd highest quality of life in the world, it’s easy to see why Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-bruh, not Edin-burgh or Edin-borrow) is such a desirable place to be. If you ever get to experience this magical place, this quick guide to Edinburgh will be enough to captivate you.

Getting There

If you’re already in the UK, take the train and arrive at Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. This will place you smack in the middle of the city along the main shopping street, Princes Street. By plane, you’ll arrive at Edinburgh Turnhouse Airport. You can take an AirLink bus to the Waverley Station for £4.50, or a one-way tram for £5.50. A taxi/Uber will cost you roughly £16-20. However, the cheapest way is to take the 35 Bus from Port F and it’ll take you straight into central Old Town for £1.60.

Where To Stay

• Old Town – The historic centre of Edinburgh, this is home to the Royal Mile, St Giles Cathedral, the Edinburgh Castle, etc. It’s the most traditional Edinburgh experience you can get.
• New Town – The posher part of the city, if you’re looking for shopping, fine dining, and beautiful architecture, this is it.
• Stockbridge – 20 minutes north of the central Princes Street by foot, this is my favourite neighbourhood. Full of cheap eats, markets vintage shops, and unique bars, it’s best enjoyed on the weekends with the Stockbridge Market is open.
• West End – The prettiest part of Edinburgh to me, this part looks distinctly European with it’s ornate architecture. It’s minutes walking from Princes Street, so you have everything you’ll need on your doorstep.

Transportation

As I said above, the city is very walkable but if Edinburgh’s hills prove to be too exhausting, there’s a bus system for £1.70 a ticket. We have a tram system, but it’s…ineffective, to say the least, outside of getting to the airport. Ubers are also quite cheap; the most I’ve ever spent on an Uber is £7.

Things to See

• Royal Mile – Our 1.1-mile main street, it’s filled with traditional Scottish shops, churches (including the famous St. Giles Cathedral), and bagpipe performers. On one end is the Edinburgh Castle, and the other end is Holyrood Palace, or the Queen’s Scottish home.
• Victoria Street – A super colourful street that goes down to Grassmarket
• Calton Hill – A 10-minute hike will give the iconic panoramic views of Edinburgh
• New College – One of the most striking buildings in Edinburgh, this is the University of Edinburgh’s school of divinity
• Holyrood Park – Our biggest park, it’s the home to Edinburgh’s extinct volcano, Arthur’s Seat, which you can climb with a 30-minute hike. It has lakes, fields, and because it’s Scotland, church ruins dating back to at least the 1300’s.
• Princes Street Gardens – Smack in the centre, this massive park extends from each end of our main street. Whether you want to admire the Edinburgh Castle or take a nice walk from Princes Street to Old Town, it’s a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle.
• The Meadows – Directly south of the University of Edinburgh, it’s a popular spot for the students to hang out the three days a year when it’s actually warm. For three weeks in Spring, the park explodes into beautiful shades of pink!
• Dean Village – Originally a graining mill for 800 years, this isolated yet tranquil spot makes for fantastic photo opportunities with it’s German-style architecture and flowing river.
• University of Edinburgh – Recently ranked #18 in the world (the one thing I’ll brag about), walk in the steps of famous alumni including Charles Darwin, J.K. Rowling, three signees of the Declaration of Independence, and countless others.

Princes Street Gardens, October 2017 Spring bloom in The Meadows On the way to Arthur’s Seat

Things to Do

• Arthur’s Seat – the defining feature of Holyrood Park, this extinct volcano now serves as our 823-foot/251m hill for hiking to see all of Edinburgh and miles out.
• Edinburgh Castle – Edinburgh’s most famous attraction. Admittedly, the £15 fee is a bit steep and may not be worth it, but if not, it makes for an amazing subject for photos!
• Princes and George Street – Our main street our fancy shopping street, these back-to-back streets offer everything you’ll ever need. If it’s not sold here, it doesn’t exist.
• Scott Monument – The tallest monument dedicated to an author (Walter Scott), you can climb the “gothic rocket” for…you guessed it! More panoramic views! Thinking I should make a Photography Guide to Edinburgh next.
• Scottish National Gallery – All museums in the UK are free, so stop in and check out Scotland’s finest neoclassical art.
• Camera Obscura – Dedicated to optical illusions, you can climb to the top to capture amazing aerial shots of the city centre.
• Royal Botanic Gardens – A greenhouse filled with palm trees, a Chinese garden, and more await you, 30 minutes walking of Princes Street.
• National Museum of Scotland – Everything you need to know about Scotland is in this building

Victoria Street, next to the Royal Mile Scottish National Gallery Scottish National Gallery

Descending into Stockbridge

Things to Eat

• Ting Thai – budget Thai restaurant, popular with students
• Yamato – pricy, yet incredible sushi, perfect for the last night
• Kim’s Mini Meals – this Michelin-starred restaurant has the best cheap bibimbap in town
• Contini – their Italian food perfectly accompanies the dazzling interior, reminiscent of a Florentina Palazzo.
• Soderberg – windows as walls, Swedish buns, and great cappuccinos: the Scandinavian experience without the Scandinavian prices.
• Grassmarket/Stockbridge Markets – every weekend, you can indulge in food from around the world. The Colombian arepas and Spanish paella are highlights.
• Mary’s Milk Bar – the best ice cream in the city! Mary, the shop’s owner, makes the flavours from scratch daily.

Things to Drink

• Cult Espresso, Baba Budan, Machina – Cool, sleek coffee joints throughout the city. Popular with students and young adults alike.
• Rosevear – My favourite tea shop in all of Edinburgh, choose from over 50 teas!
• Paradise Palms – Neon lights, pink, palm trees, and cocktails: it’s a millennial’s dream. But really, their cocktails are amazing, and there’s a reason why it’s always packed with people of all ages.
• Hoot the Redeemer – My favourite bar in the city, you can custom-make your drink, from the flavours (out of 25+), to the alcohol, to the sweetness and length of drink. (pro-tip: get a raspberry-coffee daiquiri, it’s so strange but so right)
• Panda and Sons – Deep in New Town, this vintage spot has the most unique cocktails I’ve ever seen. I had one in a Chinese takeout box and it had soy sauce in it! It was much better than I expected.

Within minutes, you’ll meet Scotland, in the form of that person in the bar. And they’ll make you feel at home, like you’re a part of their family. Edinburgh is the home and the host; after meeting Edinburgh, you must meet the other guests of the house via Glasgow and the Highlands. But by staying in the home for a while, you’ll capture the true essence, and the best first impression of Scotland. And I hope my home treats you as well as it has me these past few years.

Cheers – Elijah 

About Elijah:

Hello! I’m Elijah Rodriguez, I’m 20 years old, and I live in Edinburgh, Scotland. I’m a Puerto Rican-American born in Chicago and raised in LA/NY but I decided to take the plunge and go to the University of Edinburgh full-time! Since this, I’ve been travelling once a month while studying full-time, on a tight student budget. From the taboos of Cuba to the elusive Wats of Cambodia, nowhere is off-limits for me. I initially started writing as a way to archive the guides I’d write for friends who would ask me for travel advice, but it’s grown from that to a more personal affair with a slow-but-surely growing community. With 29 countries on my passport, my goals are to visit every country in the world, and inspire people, especially younger people, to travel as much as possible! When I’m not travelling/studying, I like to learn languages, do landscape photography, and do comedy via improv/acting!

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