Edinburgh and Scotland have a special place in my heart as I studied at the University of Edinburgh and spent 3 years living there (I did a 4 year undergrad degree but my third year abroad for my ERASMUS exchange in Copenhagen!).
Although admittedly I spent most of my time encapsuled student bubble of going between the library, lectures, and clubs and bars, I still made my way through the city and got to take advantage of the culture and cuisine Scotland’s capital had to offer!
Sights to See
The best way to see the city is on foot. It’s a quaint small city and extremely walkable.
University of Edinburgh campus: one of the oldest universities in the world and also my alma mater
Some of the uni buildings that are worth checking out:
- Old College – If you query “Edinburgh uni” or “university of Edinburgh” in Google Images, this is the result for the top 12 pictures.
- Teviot – Oldest student union in the world
- New College – School of Divinity
Outdoor Sights
- Walk up Arthur’s Seat – ancient, dormant volcano. Looks are deceiving, some bits of it can be quite strenuous
- Walk up to Calton Hill and admire the view of the city and Arthur’s Seat
City Centre
- Explore Stockbridge and its eateries, unique lifestyle and antique shops, and long stretch of charity shops
- Near Stockbridge is quaint Dean Village and a tranquil path through the Water of Leith
- Explore Old Town, full of boutique shops, souvenir stores, and watering holes
- Elephant House – JK Rowling conceived Harry Potter in here
- Edinburgh Castle – After living in Edinburgh for 3 years, I have actually never actually been inside of the castle. There was an urban myth that if you went into the castle before you graduated, you would fail your degree!
- Take a tour at the Scotch Whisky Experience – Coined as “Malt Disney,” it is indeed very touristy. But a good spot to get a primer on the history and production of whisky through a tour that consists of an amusing barrel ride, a visit to the largest whisky collection in the world, and concluding the tour with a whisky tasting.
- National Museum of Scotland
- Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens – High street stores shopping street. Pretty touristy.
- George Street – More higher-end and premium shopping + hotels + some restaurants
- Royal Mile – The quintessential touristy place in Edinburgh. Swarms of tourists, statues of notable people, souvenir shops and bagpipers)
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
- National Museum of Scotland
- Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens – High street stores shopping street. Pretty touristy.
- George Street – More higher-end and premium shopping + hotels + some restaurants
- Royal Mile – The quintessential touristy place in Edinburgh. Swarms of tourists, statues of notable people, souvenir shops and bagpipers)
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Food
Foods to try in Scotland
- Haggis, neeps and tatties
- Shortbread cookies
- Oysters
Edinburgh Restaurants
Some of my favourite restaurants grouped by area in Edinburgh:
Edinburgh Uni / Old Town
- Aizle – If you cannot make it to one of the Michelin- starred restaurants, this is a great tasting menu option!
- Soderberg – Scandinavian – pizza and brunch are the best
- Paradise Palms – Groovy vegan food and bar
- Teviot for Teviot Nachos – Teviot is Edinburgh Uni’s student union (it’s the oldest student union building in the world) – student fav
- Kanpai – Sushi
- Tower Restaurant in National Museum of Scotland
- Ting Thai Caravan – Thai street food places. Amazing pad thai.
- Kim’s Mini Meals – Insane Korean food. Owned by a family and the mom cooks all the meals. Massive queues and recommend going early
- The Nile Valley Cafe – Always came here for £5 falafel and baba ganoush wraps during my uni days , would put me into a food coma after
- Hula – Healthy food place
- 21212 – Michelin starred, tasting menu. Traditional cooking with a twist.
- Mosque Kitchen – Very good curry for super cheap in the basement of a mosque
- Timberyard – Unpretentious pretentious dining
New Town
- Chez Jules – Best French food I have had outside of France
- The Honours – Martin Wishart’s steak restaurant
- Bread Meats Bread – Cheap and cheerful burgers. I had a burger here where doughnuts were the bun.
- Burr & Co. – Good place for coffee on George Street
- Palm Court at Balmoral – Afternoon tea in an opulent setting
- Number One in Balmoral – Michelin starred, tasting menu. Classic french cooking
- El Cartel – Mexican
- Hendersons – Great vegan spot
- Superico – Cool casual spot with South American influences with small dishes and cocktails
Stockbridge
- Scran and Scallie – Tom Kitchin’s gastropub
- The Pantry – Excellent for brunch. Walk-in’s only. Be prepared to queue.
- Artisan Roast – Hipster coffee shop. There’s no wifi here.
Leith
- The Ship on The Shore
- The Kitchin – Michelin starred – tasting menu
