Edinburgh
Edinburgh is Scotland's capital with a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town, strewn with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Towering over the hill-filled city is the 12th century Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in coronations. Arthur’s Seat is an imposing peak in Holyrood Park with sweeping views, and Calton Hill is topped with monuments and memorials. Edinburgh also plays host to the annual Fringe Festival— the world’s largest arts festival. Here is our city guide to Edinburgh, Scotland.
STAY
PRESTONFIELD HOUSE Originally built in 1687 as a grand baroque home, this converted hotel is surrounded by gardens and the prestigious James Braid-designed Prestonfield Golf Club, near Holyrood Park and Edinburgh Castle. There are several cocktail bars, a teahouse, as well as an art-filled drawing room with a roaring fireplace on the property. Rhubarb restaurant serves locally sourced delicacies.
THE ROYAL SCOTS CLUB Housed in a Georgian building overlooking Queen Street Gardens, this private members club also has hotel guestrooms available to the public.
THE SCOTSMAN Set in the former Scotsman Newspaper building, this 1905 landmark hotel on the historic North Bridge also includes an oak-paneled brasserie, ornate bar, and the Picturehouse— an intimate movie theatre with plush red velvet seats, showing a mixture of classic masterpieces, modern cult favorites, and curated cultural content.
THE DUNSTANE HOUSES An independent, family-run, boutique hotel spread over 2 Victorian townhouses.
THE BALMORAL Enter through the gold-trimmed revolving door at 1 Princes Street, and into old-world luxury. Spend the afternoon under the cathedral-ceilinged Palm Court tea room having tea, and dine at Brasserie Prince or the Michelin-starred Number One. Finish with a nightcap at Scotch Bar, which boasts over 500 whiskies.
THE WALDORF ASTORIA- THE CALEDONIAN Set in a Victorian former railway station near Edinburgh Castle with a lobby lounge, restaurant, and Guerlain Spa.
CHESTER RESIDENCE A host of well-appointed suites within five beautiful Georgian townhouses spanning Rothesay Place and Chester Street. The main building also houses a cocktail lounge.
DINE | DRINK
TIMBERYARD A family-run restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh. Set in an authentic warehouse dating back to the 19th century when it was built as a costume store.
DISHOOM An outpost of the popular London chain of Indian restaurants modeled after the Irani cafes of Bombay. Order a biryani, mango lassi, and a sausage naan roll.
THE LITTLE CHARTROOM A husband and wife team serves exquisitely presented dishes at this tiny Leith restaurant.
FHIOR Seasonal Scottish ingredients, including heritage vegetables from the restaurant’s own garden, are served here.
ELLIOTT'S The perfect, charming neighborhood café.
HOLYROOD 9A Order a local ale and Scottish beef burger at this pub.
THE VOYAGE OF BUCK A gastropub named after the 19th-century philanthropist, polo player, and travel companion of Prince Albert Victor, the grandson of Queen Victoria.
BRAMBLE BAR Popular with local bartenders, a telltale sign this acclaimed cocktail bar is worth visiting.
ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES
EDINBURGH CASTLE J.K. Rowling was inspired to write Harry Potter overlooking Edinburgh Castle from The Elephant House cafe across the street. Visit the historic rooms and enjoy the panoramic view of the city from the grounds.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY A fine collection of art with galleries filled by Botticellis, Turners, Monets, and Van Gogh’s.
PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE The Queen’s official Edinburgh residence, which sits at the bottom of the Royal Mile. Don’t leave without visiting the gift shop, which is filled with porcelain tea sets. The Cafe of the Palace of Holyroodhouse offers a lovely afternoon tea with traditional finger sandwiches, pastries, and scones with berry preserve and Scottish clotted cream. The Signet Library also offers afternoon tea.
CALTON HILL Also known as “Edinburgh’s Acropolis”— the National Monument sits atop and was inspired by the Parthenon in Athens, commemorating the Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars; however, it was never completed, and only twelve columns stand today. The nearby Nelson Monument commemorates the death of Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and includes a clock at the top to enable ships moored in the Firth of Forth to set their time-pieces accurately. In fact, the Time Ball still drops at one o’clock six days a week.
WRITER'S MUSEUM A museum dedicated to three legendary Scottish writers: Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART Home to Scotland’s collection of modern and contemporary art with a sculpture garden and pop-up cafe.
JUPITER ARTLAND A sculpture garden with works by Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor dotted across more than 100 acres of lush grounds.
GARDEN OF COSMIC SPECULATION Open to the public just one day a year (and entirely worth planning your visit around) to see this surreal 30-acre sculpture garden by landscape architect and theorist Charles Jencks at his home, Portrack House, in Dumfriesshire.
FRUITMARKET GALLERY Artists from Phyllida Barlow to Louise Bourgeois have shown at this contemporary art gallery. It also gave the then little-known Jean-Michel Basquiat his first-ever exhibition in 1984.
HOPETOUN HOUSE A stately country house near South Queensferry, available to tour.
DOVECOT STUDIOS A legendary tapestry studio and arts venue established by the 4th Marquess of Bute in 1912, recruiting weavers from William Morris' workshops at Merton Abbey in London.
GLENOGLE SWIM CENTRE A beautiful Victorian swimming pool in the heart of Stockbridge.
ARTHUR'S SEAT Hike to the top, which affords the best views of both Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park.
DUNBARS CLOSE A tiny, secret garden designed by 17th-century fabled city planner Patrick Geddes.
EDINBURGH GIN DISTILLERY A small-batch distillery offering tours and tastings.
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a scientific center for the study of plants, their diversity, and conservation. Founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies four sites across Scotland—Edinburgh, Dawyck, Logan, and Benmore—each with its own specialist collection.
SHOP
THE TARTAN BLANKET CO Sustainable, recycled wool throws come in tartan as well as herringbone and gingham prints.
COCO CHOCOLATIER Artisanal chocolates made with Colombian cacao and wrapped in packaging designed by local artists.
GRAINNE MORTON One-of-a-kind, cult ephemera-inspired pieces featuring antique cameos, vintage beads, and sea glass.
DICK'S The best place to stock up on Harley of Scotland’s knitwear.
EPITOME A concept shop with has a well-curated edit of everything from fragrances to shoes.
MARCHBRAE The Royal Mile Store stocks the best of Scottish & British brands, including Barbour, John Laing, Peregrine and Joules.
JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN Scottish cashmere purveyors since 1797. We especially love their cable knit socks. Hawico and Dunedin are other cashmere options.
VINTAGE Edinburgh is filled with vintage stores. Some favorites including Shelter, a treasure trove in Stockbridge filled with vintage finds, records, books, paintings, and homewares. Mary's Living & Giving Shop, which is chock-full of color-coded designer vintage goods with proceeds donated to Save the Children UK. In addition to books, Oxfam Bookshop also sells records, maps, and antiques.
DAY & WEEKEND TRIPS
BRAEMAR Braemar Gathering is the premier setting to partake in the annual Scottish Highland games in September. The games go back 900 years to King Malcolm III, and became associated with the royal family when Queen Victoria bought the nearby Balmoral Castle—Queen Elizabeth attends every year. While visiting, stay at the newly opened Fife Arms Hotel, a 19th-century Victorian inn restored by Iwan and Manuela Wirth of the famed, Hauser & Wirth art gallery. The property is filled with incredible pieces of art ranging from Picasso and Lucien Freud in the lobby, to Dutch Masters in the dining room, to a bar with photos by Elsa Sciaparelli (by Man Ray and Cecil Beaton). A giant Louise Bourgeois spider sits in the courtyard, and the hallway is lined with watercolors by Prince Charles himself. Just a mile away from Balmoral sits the Royal Lochnagar Distillery, which happens to produce Prince Charles' favorite single malt. Visit for a tour and taste for yourself.
GLENEAGLES An iconic country estate set beneath the beautiful Ochil Hills, located just an hour from Glasgow or Edinburgh airport. In addition to three championship golf courses, the 850-acre estate also offers falconry, an equestrian center, tennis, hunting, and fishing. After enjoying the great outdoors, enjoy Michelin-starred dining or relax at the award-winning spa on the property.
BALMORAL The Scottish holiday home of the Royal Family also offers holiday cottages, fly fishing, golf, and safari tours.
GLASGOW About an hour from Edinburgh, Glasgow is home to the famed Glasgow School of Art by architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, considered his masterpiece. Visit the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Hunterian Art Gallery, The Burrell Collection, and The Lighthouse Centre for Design and Architecture. Shop for vintage wares at Glad Rags Glasgow, a not-for-profit thrift shop or Shelter—you might even find the occasional piece donated by BBC Scotland’s costume department.
ST. ANDREWS GOLF COURSE The Old Course at St Andrews is considered by many to be the "home of golf" because the sport was first played on the Links at St Andrews in the early 15th century. There are 7 legendary courses, a clubhouse, hotel, restaurant, and bar on the grounds. Book a tee time early!
Text: Veronica H. Speck