Travel Guide > Europe > United Kingdom > Scotland > Edinburgh
Edinburgh may be dubbed the Athens of the North, but in truth it is an exceptional and unique city.
While it's surpassed in size by Glasgow, Edinburgh is Scotland's most popular attraction as well as its capital. It is home to the Scottish Parliament and features a historic combination of Georgian and Medieval architectural styles. Not surprisingly, its Old Town and New Town have both been named as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Edinburgh's major drawcard each year is the world-famous Edinburgh Festival, which is held in August. This 4-week collection of festivals generally attracts as many visitors as there are permanent residents in the city.
For more information, also see the official Edinburgh Tourism website.
The Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, and Holyrood Palace all reside in Old Town. The area is filled with budget hostels, pubs, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Other places of interest in Old Town include Greyfriar's Kirkyard, St Gile's Cathedral, Mary King's Close, and the Royal Museum of Scotland. The Edinburgh Vaults are also located in Old Town.
Old Town, along with neighboring New Town, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
The New Town, located just north of Princes Street Gardens, is home to many shops, banks, restaurants, and internet cafes. Along with vast amounts of commercialism, New Town has a great view of Edinburgh Castle. The Scott Monument is also located in this district, which gives incredible views of the city.
New Town, along with Old Town, was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
This neighborhood lies just north of New Town and contains the Royal Botanic Garden.
South Queensferry rests at the foot of the Forth Rail Bridge on the banks of the Firth of Forth. There are many quaint restaurants along the shore as well as ferry docks that lead to numerous places around the Firth.
Edinburgh Castle is a must for anyone visiting Edinburgh City, sitting atop a massive rock overlooking all of Edinburgh and offering the best views of the city, particularly on a clear day. See the Scottish Crown Jewels when you are here. Save money on the already reasonable entrance fee by booking online.
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival takes place in August every year, and is the largest arts festival in the world.There are a number of varied performances from classic works, alternative arts and more mainstream fare. The festival takes place in a number of venues (over 250 in 2006) throughout Edinburgh, including a number of street performers on the "Royal Mile" in Edinburgh's old town.
Hogmanay is the Scottish celebration of the last day of the year. On December 31st Edinburgh holds one of the largest Hogmanay Festivals in the world. The city hosts an all night street party and features many popular bands.
Edinburgh has a typical maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. June to September is summer season with temperatures between 16 °C and 18 °C and nights around 11 °C. Winters are still above zero, even at night. The highest and lowest temperatures possible are 28 °C and -9 °C. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with autumn and winter being the wettest time and spring being the driest time. May is the driest and most sunny month of the year.
Edinburgh Airport (IATA: EDI, ICAO: EGPH) is about 13 kilometres from the city centre. Flights to Europe and Canada reach dozens of locations. Shuttle buses connect to the city every 10 minutes at peak times.
Lowcost airlines Ryanair has many flights, including to Alicante, Berlin, Bologna, Bordeaux, Bournemouth, Bratislava, Bremen, Brussels, Cagliari, Dublin, Gdansk, Girona, Frankfurt-Hahn, Haugesund, Krakow, Lanzarote, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Limoges, Málaga, Malta, Marseille, Palma de Mallorca, [[Pisa, Poznan, Oslo, Rome, Shannon, Stockholm, Tenerife-South, Weeze (near Düsseldorf), Wroclaw and Zadar.
National Express Trains from London (King's Cross) take five hours. There are links to Aberdeen, Inverness, Manchester, Newcastle and York.
National Express and Mega Bus link cities in Scotland and England.
From Belgium:
Norfolkline Ferries depart from Zeebrugge for Rosyth, which is about 30 minutes drive to Edinburgh. Ferry sailing time is approximately 18 hours and the fares start at around €170 for a return ticket in high season. A car costs about €240.
Taxis are fairly expensive. The minimum charge is £1.50 (£2.50 at night) for the first 300 metres or so.
Many local trains depart from Waverley Station and run to the outer edges of the city, such as South Queensferry. There is also a two bus companies that provide service to the area, Lothian and First. Buses typically require exact change. Check with the bus company for the current rate.
Edinburgh is a very walkable city. Most of the major tourist attractions are within walking distance of the Royal Mile. The charm and beauty of the city make your feet the perfect mode of transportation.
Maxies Bistro & Wine Bar is a fantastic place to eat when up the Castle end of the Royal Mile, with a great menu and fabulous atmosphere, especially on a sunny day where you can sit out on the terrace. Address: 5b Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2PW
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Flat Apart | 23 Fountainhall Rd | Apartment | 74 |
| Apartments Royal - Playhouse Apartment | 32 Greenside Row | Apartment | 100 |
| ApartmentsApart - Edinburgh | 2 York Place EH1 3EP, Edinburgh | Apartment | 100 |
| Arden Guest House | 126 Old Dalkeith Road | Guesthouse | - |
| Argyle Backpackers | 14 Argyle Place Marchmont | Hostel | 81 |
| Ashdene House | 23 Fountainhall Road | Guesthouse | 87 |
| Aynetree Guest House | 12 Duddingston Crescent (Milton Road) | Guesthouse | 87 |
| Ballantrae at The West End | 6 Grosvenor Crescent West End | Hotel | 90 |
| Ballantrae Hotel | The Ballantrae Hotel/Apartments 8-12 York Place | Hotel | 79 |
| Bank Hotel | 1 South Bridge Royal Mile | Hotel | 80 |
| Belford Hostel | 6/8 Douglas Gardens | Hostel | 70 |
| Ben Craig House | 3 Craigmillar Park Newington | Guesthouse | 67 |
| Blanket Garden Flat | 46c Blacket Place | Guesthouse | 100 |
| Brodies 2 | 93 High St The Royal Mile | Hostel | 75 |
| Budget Backpackers | 37-39 Cowgate Grassmarket | Hostel | 89 |
| Bus Station Backpackers Edinburgh Hostel | 30a Dublin Street | Hostel | 83 |
| Caledonian Backpackers | 3 Queensferry Street Edinburgh EH2 4PA | Hostel | 78 |
| Capital View Apartments | The Mound Apartments 13 North Bank Street, Edinburgh | Apartment | - |
| Carlton House | 15 Mayfield Gardens | Guesthouse | 49 |
| Castle Rock Hostel | 15 Johnston Terrrace | Hostel | 91 |
| City Centre Guest House | 87 Shandwick Place | Guesthouse | 61 |
| City Centre Tourist Hostel | 5 West Register Street | Hostel | 68 |
| Cowgate Tourist Hostel | 96 Cowgate | Hostel | 64 |
| Dalmore Lodge | 14 Downie Terrace Edinburgh | Guesthouse | 88 |
| Drumorne Guest House | 82 Willowbrae Road | Guesthouse | 78 |
| Edinburgh Backpackers | 65 Cockburn St EH1 1BU | Hostel | 73 |
| Edinburgh Central | 9 Haddington Place | Hostel | 80 |
| Edinburgh House | 11 McDonald Road | Guesthouse | 85 |
| Edinburgh Metro | 11/2 Robertsons Close Cowgate | Hostel | 79 |
| Edinburgh Rodney Apartment | 6 Rodney Place | Apartment | 92 |
| Ellersly House Hotel | Ellersly Road | Hotel | 42 |
| Euro Hostel Edinburgh Halls | 4/2 Kincaids Court (cnr Guthrie St) Cowgate | Hostel | 77 |
| Eurolodge gb | 25 Palmerston Place EH12 5AP | Hostel | 59 |
| Glen House Apartments | Glen Street | Apartment | 79 |
| Glenallan Guest House | 19 Mayfield Road | Guesthouse | 57 |
| Glenfiddich Apartment | Annandale Street Leith Walk | Apartment | 88 |
| Granville Guesthouse | Granville Guesthouse 13 Granville Terrace | Guesthouse | 83 |
| Grassmarket Hotel | 94-96 Grassmarket | Hotel | 57 |
| Grosvenor Gardens | 1 Grosvenor Gardens | Hotel | 89 |
| Haymarket hotel | 1 - 3 Coates Gardens | Hotel | 75 |
| High Street Hostel | 8 Blackfriars Street | Hostel | 86 |
| Home from Home Apts | 48 Brunswick Road | Apartment | 83 |
| Inchgrove House | 8 Forres Street Edinburgh | Guesthouse | - |
| James Craig Court | 27-31 James Craig Walk Edinburgh, EH1 3BA | Hostel | - |
| JEVC Halls of Residence | Jewel & Esk College Milton Road East, EH15 2PP | Hostel | - |
| Kaimes Guest House | 12 Granville Terrace | Guesthouse | 79 |
| Lantern Guest House | 3 Windsor Street | Guesthouse | 87 |
| Let's Edinburgh | Dalry Gait | Apartment | 90 |
| Links Hotel | 4-6 Alvanley Terrace Whitehouse Loan | Hotel | 93 |
| Martin's Guest House | 5 Granville Terrace | Guesthouse | 85 |
| McDonald Road | 6 McDonald Road Edinburgh | Hostel | 81 |
| Merith House Hotel | 2-3 Hermitage Place Leith Links | Hotel | 72 |
| Minto Guest House | 23 Minto Street | Guesthouse | 78 |
| Murrayfield Hotel | 18 Corstorphine Road | Hotel | 67 |
| NBs Guesthouse | 14 Granville Terrace Edinburgh | Guesthouse | 67 |
| New Town Backpacker Apartments | 50 Broughton Road | Apartment | 87 |
| Northumberland Hotel | 31-33 Craigmillar Park Newington | Hotel | 82 |
| Park View House Hotel | 14 Hermitage Place Leith Links | Hotel | 68 |
| Portsburgh Court | 56 Lady Lawson Street Edinburgh | Apartment | 83 |
| Princes Street Backpackers East | 5 West Register Street | Hostel | 78 |
| Regent House Hotel | 3-5 Forth Street | Hotel | 89 |
| Royal Ettrick Hotel | 13 Ettrick Road Polwarth | Hotel | 66 |
| Royal Mile Apartment | 126 High Street Edinburgh EH1 1QS | Apartment | - |
| Royal Mile Backpackers | 105 High Street | Hostel | 85 |
| Smart Apart Hostel | 5 South College Street | Hostel | 78 |
| smartcityhostels Edinburgh | 50 Blackfriars Street | Hostel | 83 |
| St Christopher's Edinburgh | Above Belushis Bar 9-13 Market Street | Hostel | 81 |
| Student Residences Queen Margaret University | Musselburgh East Lothian | Hostel | 63 |
| Tailors Hall Hotel | 139 Cowgate | Hotel | 67 |
| The Ben Doran | 11 Mayfield Gardens | Guesthouse | 90 |
| The Castle Backpacker Apartments | 3 James Court 493 Lawnmarket | Apartment | 78 |
| The Globetrotter Inn Edinburgh | 46 Marine Drive Cramond Foreshore | Hostel | 77 |
| The Hudson Hotel | 9-11 Hope Street | Hotel | - |
| The Lairg | 11 Coates Gardens | Guesthouse | 63 |
| The Minto Hotel | 16/18 Minto Street Edinburgh | Hotel | - |
| The Sandaig | 5 East Hermitage Place Edinburgh | Guesthouse | 100 |
| The Thistle House | 1 Kilmaurs Terrace Edinburgh EH16 5BZ | Guesthouse | 72 |
| The Westend Hotel | 35 Palmerston Place as above | Hotel | 85 |
| Ture Bed and Breakfast | 242 Lanark Road | Guesthouse | 81 |
| University of Edinburgh - Edinburgh First | Pollock Halls 18 Holyrood Park Road | Hostel | 82 |
| West End Hostel | 3 Clifton Terrace EH12 5DR | Hostel | 65 |
| Wrights Houses | Blocks 28 and 34 Bruntsfield Edinburgh EH10 4HR | Apartment | - |
The easyInternetcafe at 58 Rose Street in New Town is easy to find with its' bright orange logo. It has good rates, a helpful staff, and an extremely convenient location.
See also: International Telephone Calls
This is version 23. Last edited at 19:21 on Nov 2, 09 by Utrecht (+1076). 42 articles link to this page.

Except where otherwise noted, content of this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License