How we spent three days in Edinburgh
Towards the end of January we planned a weekend in Edinburgh. I’d been before during the Fringe festival, but hadn’t seen everything I’d wanted to see. So we made it our first holiday of the year. And while the forecast was cold, it was sunny and dry. So we packed our thermals and set off.
How to get to Edinburgh
We caught the 10am train from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley station on a Friday morning. This got us into the city centre before 2:30pm. The trains run about twice an hour from London and take around 4.5 hours.
Though not the cheapest option – the tickets cost £95 each with a Two Together railcard – it actually worked out faster (and not that much more expensive) for us to catch the train rather than to fly from Stansted.
So if you're heading to Scotland for a weekend in Edinburgh, consider taking the train instead of flying. The route has great views, too!
Things do in Edinburgh
We stayed in an Airbnb on Blair Street, just off the Royal Mile, for our weekend in Edinburgh. Which meant we were within easy walking distance of most of the main attractions in Edinburgh. Sadly, Tom fell sick on our first night and didn’t leave until Sunday morning when it was time to catch our train home.
This left me to explore cold-but-sunny Edinburgh alone. Luckily I’m quite happy wandering cities and spending time by myself. And I have friends who live there who I was able to meet up with. But this definitely didn’t shape up to be the trip we’d had planned!
This is how I spent my weekend in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Castle
I spent an hour wandering Edinburgh Castle and paid for an audio guide. Although I didn’t use it that much as the signs and boards around the exhibits were informative. However it would be useful if English isn’t your first language.
There was a lot of interesting history in the castle. But I skipped the war museum and the museum of the royal regiment for Scotland. It was interesting to see the prisons, the Scottish Crown Jewels, and Mons Meg – one of the largest cannons in the world.
However, compared to other castles, this one feels a bit disjointed as you have to cross between a lot of different buildings. So I left feeling like I hadn’t really been ‘in’ Edinburgh Castle, but more around the grounds of it.
Arthur’s Seat and Holyrood Park
After a morning at the castle I wandered to Arthur’s Seat. Walking at a fairly leisurely pace it took 40 minutes to the summit, starting from Tron Kirk on the Royal Mile. It was fairly busy and I spent about 10 minutes at the top before the wind got the better of me and I headed back down.
There are various paths leading up and down Arthur’s Seat. But it was quite icy and I’d seen a few people slip over, so I took an easy route down the north side onto Queen’s Drive next to St Margaret’s Loch. From there, I walked through Holyrood Park along the paths before heading back into town.
In total the walk took me less than 1.5 hours and was easy to do in my Dr Martens. I was glad of my thermal leggings and puffer coat though as it was very cold at the top despite being a bright sunny day.
The Real Mary King’s Close
On Sunday morning I took a tour of The Real Mary King’s Close. I’m not into amateur dramatics so found the guides dressed in 17th century clothing to be a bit overbearing. But it was still very interesting and informative.
It was amazing to see the Close and understand how people would have lived here. And our OTT guide did share a lot of information about the street, the plague, and the history of the city. Including one of the old houses which still has arsenic paint on the walls. The tour took one hour and cost £20, though there are discounts available for residents.
The National Museum of Scotland
One of the great things about exploring the UK is that our museums and galleries are mostly free to enter. And the Museum of Scotland is a great place to spend a few hours exploring the country’s history.
Dolly the cloned sheep is in there, too! I spent a couple of hours here between comedy shows at the Fringe and it has stayed with me as one of the more interesting museums I’ve visited.
Greyfriars Kirkyard
A number of famous stories are attached to this city centre church and graveyard. Including the tale of Greyfriars Bobby the dog, and the naming of some characters in Harry Potter. I’ll leave the history for you to explore yourself. But this is yet another fun and free experience to enjoy in Edinburgh.
Many of the city’s tours, including ghost tours and Harry Potter tours, take you through Greyfriars Kirkyard. But you don’t need to be with one to enter and explore the grounds yourself.
The Palace of Holyrood House
I only walked past and quickly into the grounds of Holyrood Palace on the way back into town from Arthur’s Seat. But if you’re interested in Royal history, this is where Mary Queen of Scots once lived. And today it is the official Scottish residence of King Charles.
Eat and drink!
There are so many places to eat and drink in Edinburgh, from historic pubs to contemporary kitchens. Find out some of my favourites in my blog: Where to eat and drink in Edinburgh.