The back story 1
How to read the Old Town and the New.
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The back story
Edinburgh, a city of two towns
The medieval Old Town on its ridge and the Georgian New Town below it, a World Heritage Site together: how to read Edinburgh.
24 of the best · Edinburgh, Scotland
The Best Things to Do in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile and St Giles’, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the National Museum, the Real Mary King’s Close, Calton Hill, Arthur’s Seat and the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Our 24 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
What's onThis week in Edinburgh
Browse by type
Insiders' picks
Three we return to, chosen by people who know Edinburgh’s closes, crescents and quaysides.
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Historic Environment Scotland
Edinburgh Castle
The castle on its volcanic rock, home of the Honours of Scotland, Mons Meg and the One o’Clock Gun.
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NGExplore View on map
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The King’s official residence in Scotland
Palace of Holyroodhouse
The King’s official residence in Scotland, at the foot of the Royal Mile, with the ruins of Holyrood Abbey.
Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DXExplore View on map
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Chambers Street
National Museum of Scotland
Scotland’s national museum on Chambers Street: natural history, world cultures, science and Scotland’s story, under one roof.
Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JFExplore View on map
The full list: Sights, A–Z
Show 23 of 24 places on a map
Neighbourhood
The Old Town 12
Castle to palace.
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Castlehill
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Five floors of illusions and a rooftop view, beside the castle esplanade.
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NDExplore View on map
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Historic Environment Scotland
Edinburgh Castle
The castle on its volcanic rock, home of the Honours of Scotland, Mons Meg and the One o’Clock Gun.
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NGExplore View on map
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Since 1620
Greyfriars Kirk
The first new church built in Edinburgh after the Reformation, with its kirkyard, by the Grassmarket.
Greyfriars Place, Edinburgh EH1 2QQExplore View on map
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Culture Edinburgh
Museum of Edinburgh
The city’s own museum on the Canongate, in a group of 16th-century houses.
Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DDExplore View on map
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Chambers Street
National Museum of Scotland
Scotland’s national museum on Chambers Street: natural history, world cultures, science and Scotland’s story, under one roof.
Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JFExplore View on map
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The King’s official residence in Scotland
Palace of Holyroodhouse
The King’s official residence in Scotland, at the foot of the Royal Mile, with the ruins of Holyrood Abbey.
Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DXExplore View on map
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On the Royal Mile
St Giles’ Cathedral
The High Kirk of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile, with its crown spire and the Thistle Chapel.
High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1REExplore View on map
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Royal College of Surgeons
Surgeons’ Hall Museums
Historic surgery, pathology and dental collections in one of Scotland’s oldest museums.
Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DWExplore View on map
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A 17th-century street
The Real Mary King’s Close
A guided tour of the 17th-century street preserved beneath the Royal Mile.
Warriston's Close, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1PGExplore View on map
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Castlehill
The Scotch Whisky Experience
Tours and tastings of Scotch whisky at the top of the Royal Mile, with a whisky shop and bar.
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NEExplore View on map
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Tours of the building
The Scottish Parliament building
Enric Miralles’s building opposite Holyroodhouse, open to visitors.
Horse Wynd, Edinburgh EH99 1SPExplore View on map
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Burns, Scott and Stevenson
The Writers’ Museum
Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, in Lady Stair’s House off the Lawnmarket.
Lady Stair's Close, Edinburgh EH1 2PAExplore View on map
The New Town 3
Monuments and Georgian houses.
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The monuments
Calton Hill
The hill of monuments at the east end of Princes Street: the National Monument, the Nelson Monument and the city view.
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National Trust for Scotland
The Georgian House
A New Town house on Charlotte Square, furnished as it was in Georgian times.
Charlotte Square, EdinburghExplore View on map
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Princes Street Gardens
The Scott Monument
The Gothic spire to Sir Walter Scott in Princes Street Gardens; climb its stairs for the view.
East Princes Street Gardens, EdinburghExplore View on map
The hills 3
Holyrood Park and beyond.
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Historic Environment Scotland
Craigmillar Castle
A tower-house castle on the city’s southern edge, with links to Mary Queen of Scots.
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Planetarium
Dynamic Earth
A science centre and planetarium below Salisbury Crags, telling the story of the planet.
Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8ASExplore View on map
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Historic Environment Scotland
Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat
The royal park beside the palace: Salisbury Crags, Duddingston Loch and the climb to Arthur’s Seat.
Leith and further out 2
Britannia and the zoo.
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Corstorphine Hill
Edinburgh Zoo
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s zoo on Corstorphine Hill.
Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 6TSExplore View on map
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At Ocean Terminal
The Royal Yacht Britannia
The last British royal yacht, moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith: five decks and the royal apartments.
Ocean Terminal, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJExplore View on map
Beyond the city 3
Within an hour.
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A 6,500-acre estate
Hopetoun House
A great stately home on the Firth of Forth, west of the city, open in season.
South Queensferry EH30 9SLExplore View on map
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Carved stone
Rosslyn Chapel
The 15th-century chapel of carved stone at Roslin, south of the city.
Chapel Loan, Roslin EH25 9PUExplore View on map
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Opened 1890
The Forth Bridge
The red cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015.
