Edinburgh Attractions

Location: Scotland

Languages: Scottish Gaelic and Scots

Best Time to Visit: Throughout the Year

Time Zone: UTC+1

Driving Side: Left Side

Main Attractions: The Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street Gardens, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Edinburgh Zoo, The Museum of Scotland and the Royal Museum

Edinburgh is the capital as well as the second largest city of Scotland. It is also the seat of Scottish Parliament. It is often considered as one of the most picturesque cities in entire Europe, owing to its vast collection of Medieval and Georgian architecture, along with numerous stone tenements. Edinburgh is also known as the Athens of the North, as it was the key center of Enlightenment. The city is known for its annual Edinburgh Festival, which is a collection of various independent festivals. In effect, it is one of the major tourist attractions in Europe and offers a variety of tourist attractions. To know more about the places to see and things to do in Edinburgh, read on.

There are a number of places to see in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle is located on the crag and is a magnificent building to be visited. Princes Street Gardens is a public garden, in the center of the city. It is flanked by a number of beautiful and artistic monuments. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the Queen. The Edinburgh Zoo is yet another fascinating place to visit. The main attractions here are penguins and wolves. The Museum of Scotland and the Royal Museum are together known as the National Museum of Scotland. It tells one about the history, culture and people of Scotland.

Edinburgh has a thriving nightlife, as it houses a large number of pubs, clubs and restaurants. After an eventful day, you can very well enjoy at the pubs here. You can even shake a leg at the popular music played at these locations. The prominent places in Edinburgh to enjoy good music are George Street and New Town. Besides, Berlin, Cabaret Voltaire, City, Ego, Studio 24, The Hive and The Liquid Room are the main nightclub venues in the city. For grabbing the latest in the field of entertainment, you can refer to ‘The List’, which contains listings of all Nightclubs, as well as music, theatrical and other events.

Edinburgh has wide variety of shopping areas to venture in, for the shopping lovers. You can visit both up-market department stores and an array of charity shops. If you are looking for high quality products, from national-level chain stores such as Boots and New Look, then you should visit the ‘uptown’ district of Princes Street. Multrees Walk constitutes the class shopping district in Edinburgh, with Harvey Nichols anchoring the development. Here, you will find all the international brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Emporio Armani, Mulberry and Calvin Klein. For discount clothing, home ware and books, visit the street leading to the St. James' Centre.

Edinburgh also provides ample opportunities to enjoy sports activities. There are two football clubs in the city, locally known as Hibs and Hearts. Rugby is another game, which is played with much ardor here. The Scottish cricket team represents Scotland at cricket internationally. Edinburgh also has a baseball club, named Diamond Devils. The city has hosted various national and international sports events, including the World Student Games, the 1970 British Commonwealth Games, the 1986 Commonwealth Games and the inaugural 2000 Commonwealth Youth Games. The Edinburgh Marathon has been taking place in the city since 1999.