As the title suggests, the focus of this portion of our web guide is on things to do and places to go in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Given the history, size, and prominence of the city, it should come as no surprise that there are a lot of attractions and events in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh museums, historical places, museums, art galleries, libraries, theaters, and sports and entertainment venues are appropriate for this category, whether operated by the city or another governmental entity, a school district or university, a community service organisation, or a private, for-profit business.
Botanical gardens, zoos, parks, and other attractions in the city are suitable for this category, as are sports and recreation programs, festivals, concerts, and other events
Formed in 2006 with the merger of the Museum of Scotland and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum, the National Museum of Scotland, the two buildings have retained their distinctive features. The Museum of Scotland is a modern structure, built in 1998, while the former Royal Museum was built between 1861 and 1866, and has a Victorian Venetian Renaissance facade, and a grand central hall made of cast iron that rises to the height of the building. Its wide range of galleries is such that visitors could easily spend a couple of days in this museum alone.
Formerly known as the Scottish National Gallery, the National is situated on the Mound in central Edinburgh, near Princes Street. The gallery is home to an impressive collection of fine Scottish and international art from Renaissance times to the early 20th century. Visitors can tour the gallery on their own or participate in a year-round schedule of activities, including a guided tour.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a scientific centre for the study of plants, plant diversity, and conservation measures. With a collection of more than a hundred thousand plants and seventy acres of green space, the Botanics, as it is commonly known, is one of Edinburgh's more popular destinations.
Situated on Castle Rock, which has been occupied since the Iron Age, there has been a castle on the rock since the reign of King David I in the 12th century, or earlier, and it was a royal residence until 1633. Restored over the past century, the castle is Scotland's most-visited paid tourist attraction.
Nearby, the Scotch Whisky Experience highlight's Scotland's national drink. The technique of blending whisky is displayed in the sample chamber of its 1870s blender, while its vault displays some of the best collections of Scotch whisky.
Berthed on the sands of Leith, the Royal Yacht Britannia was Queen Elizabeth II's floating castle for nearly forty years. Visitors can tour both the upper and lower decks.
The Edinburgh Dungeon is an underground attraction in the city centre of Edinburgh, on East Market Street. Lasting just over an hour, tours use live actor shows and interactive rides to illustrate historical events from Scottish history.
With a reputation for hauntings, Mary King's Close is a historic maze of subterranean streets where people lived and worked between the 17th and 19th centuries. It may be visited through a character-guided tour.
Offering a range of historic and ghost tours, Mercat Tours includes access to the Blair Street Subterranean Vaults, another close beneath the streets of Edinburgh.
Formerly known as the Scottish National Zoological Park, the Edinburgh Zoo is an 820acre non-profit zoological park in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh. It houses more than a thousand species of animals from around the world, and it also has an impressive collection of trees.
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is an Edinburgh tourist attraction situated in Outlook Tower on the Castlehill section of the Royal Mile, near Edinburgh Castle. First opened in 1835, it currently houses several interactive exhibits designed to trick the mind, including the original Camera Obscura.
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is an art museum on Queen Street. It is home to the national collections of portraits, as well as the Scottish National Photography Collection. Housing collections of modern and contemporary art, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art includes two separate buildings, Modern One and Modern Two, which face one another on Belford Road, west of the city centre.
The Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh is the first in the world dedicated to the history of children. Ranging from the 18th to the 21st century, it houses a variety of childhood toys and other relics, and also features a number of interactive spaces.
These are a few of the better-known examples of things to do and places to go in Edinburgh, but there are many others, large and small.
Recommended Resources
The contemporary art centre in Edinburgh, Scotland is located on Calton Hill, in the former City Observatory and the City Dome site. Included are exhibitions, guided walking tours, audio walking tours, and other events. The site's history, ptogrammes, and other events are set forth, and its staff and trustees are introduced. Its policies on photography, group tours, private hires, and other access matters are discussed. Also included is an on-site and online store.
https://www.collective-edinburgh.art/
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Taking place over the last three weeks of August each year in Charlotte Square in the city centre of Edinburgh, Scotland, the EIBF is the largest festival of its kind in the world. Besides its concentration on books, writing workshops, panel discussions, and talks and performances by international authors, poets, playwrights, and others, the even generally includes cultural and political talks and debates. Schedules and videos are presented.
https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/
Edinburgh International Festival
The annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland is spread over the final three weeks in August. Begun in 1947, the festival has a broadly based programme that may differ from year to year but is likely to include orchestral, choral, and chamber music, Lieder and song, opera, ballet, drama, film, and Scottish piping and dancing. Membership supports the Festival and brings access to member-only events, insider updates, and priority booking. Photos and videos are included.
https://www.eif.co.uk/
In this context, the term "tattoo" refers to a 17th-century phrase (doe den tap toe), which meant "turn off the tap," a signal to tavern owners each night, played by a regiment's Corps of Drums, to turn off the taps of their ale kegs so that soldiers would retire at a reasonable hour. The first public military tattoo in Edinburgh took place in 1949, and today the performance draws in a nightly audience of thousands of people and takes place every weekday evening and twice on Saturdays in August.
https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/
With more than three thousand seats, Edinburgh Playhouse is the largest theatre in Scotland and the second largest in the United Kingdom. Currently owned by Ambassador Theatre Group, the theatre opened in 1929 as a super-cinema. Closed in the early 1970s, a public campaign led to its conversion into a theatre between 1978 and 1980, and has had a few owners since. It is now a Category A historic building. Upcoming shows, venues, educational programmes, and memberships are outlined.
https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse/
Founded in 1989, the Edinburgh Science Foundation operates the Edinburgh Science's education and festival programmes, including its annual Edinburgh Science Festival, and its science education programmes, Generation Science and Careers Hive. Edinburgh Science also operates large-scale international programmes under its Worldwide arm. The upcoming festival is highlighted, with schedules, online registration, contact data, and an online enquiry form.
https://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/
Previously known as the Scottish National Zoological Park, the Edinburgh Zoo Is an 82-acre non-profit zoological park. Established in 1913, and owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the zoo receives more than sixty thousand visitors each year, and is also involved in several scientific pursuits, such as captive breeding of endangered animals, research into animal behavious, and participation in various conservation programmes around the world. Its location and hours are posted.
https://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/
Also known as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the event spans several days (25 in 2019), and features thousands of performance art shows in hundreds of venues. It got its name because it was established in 1947 as an alternative to, and on the fringe of, the Edinburgh International Festival. Schedules and programmes for the upcoming events are posted, along with information on taking part, as well as school participation.
https://www.edfringe.com/
Housing a collection of children's toys and playthings, the Museum of Childhood is situated on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland. Heralding itself as the first museum in the world to specialise in the history of childhood, the collection was originally the work of Patrick Murray, an Edinburgh councillor and collector of toys and childhood memorabilia, it first opened to the public in 1955, and has expanded since. Owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, admission is free.
https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/museum-childhood
Originally the National Galleries of Scotland, the executive non-departmental public body controls the three national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries, forming one of the National Collections of Scotland. Headquartered in Edinburgh, it is charged with managing the National Galleries of Scotland, caring for, preserving, and adding to the objects in its collections, exhibiting artworks to the public, and promoting education and enjoyment of the fine arts.
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/
Headquartered in Edinburgh, the NLS is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. It features a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, as well as reading rooms where visitors can access its collections. The NLS is the legal deposit library of Scotland and a member of Research Libraries UK and the Consortium of European Research Libraries. Catalogues, databases, and digital collections may be searched through its website, and contacts are provided.
https://www.nls.uk/
NMS is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish government, headquartered in Edinburgh. It includes two linked museums (the Museum of Scotland and the Royal Museum), both in the Old Town of Edinburgh, the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian, the National Museum of Rural Life in South Lanarkshire, and the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle, each of which can be found on its website, along with exhibitions and events, collections, and contacts.
https://www.nms.ac.uk/
Established in 1982, the Open Eye Gallery is one of Scotland's leading contemporary private art galleries. Situated in a former Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh's New Town, it features a large collection and exhibition programme of Scottish contemporary painting, printmaking, and applied arts. The gallery works with private individual collectors, as well as corporate clients, advising them on their collections. Its locations, hours, and contact information are posted.
https://www.openeyegallery.co.uk/
Billed as Scotland's largest annual agricultural show, the Royal Highland Show is organised by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. Held annually in Ingliston, in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland, the events features more than a thousand exhibitors, more than four thousand head of livestock, and nearly two hundred thousand visitors. The first show was in 1822, although it moved around to various towns and cities until 1959 when Ingliston became its permanent home.
https://www.royalhighlandshow.org/
Named after the Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House, the Royal Lyceum Theatre is a 658-seat theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, designed in 1883 by architect C.J. Phipps. With four minor refurbishments, the Lyceum is one of the most original and unaltered of the architect's works. In 1965, the building was acquired by the Edinburgh Corporation to house The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company. Upcoming performances are announced on its site, which includes ticket information and contacts.
https://lyceum.org.uk/
Located on Dundas Street, the Scottish Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, and there is no need to book. Those wanting to view an artwork not on display, or to collect a purchase, should contact the gallery in advance. Its opening times, closures, address, telephone number, and email address are posted on the site. Established in 1842, featured artists and their works are highlighted on the site, and currently showing and forthcoming exhibitions are announced. Various publications are featured.
https://scottish-gallery.co.uk/
Founded as the Traverse Theatre Club in 1962, the Traverse Theatre Company commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary playwrights and presents productions from visiting companies. The Traverse is also used as a venue for Edinburgh Fringe shows in August and the Edinburgh International Children's Festival. Its location, box office contacts, and announcements of upcoming and current running shows are posted, along with volunteer opportunities.
https://www.traverse.co.uk/
