[Travel] Edinburgh

[Sussax]

Me and the Mrs are off to Edinburgh for a long weekend next month. We’re planning on doing most of the main stuff (Old Town, The Castle, Arthur’s Seat etc) and maybe see this Giant Panda before it goes.

But does the wisdom of NSC have any other recommendations?

Good Pubs or places for dinner? (Nothing to fancy)

Anywhere to avoid?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Snowflake]

If you like cocktails and Panda’s. Panda and Son’s, speakeasy is fun.

 

[doogie004]

Not long come back
We did tattoo
Tour of city
Britannia yacht tour
Highlands tour all day
Includes Loch Ness glen co stunning scenery best places I’ve ever visited highly recommend
Company were the Hairy coo tour
Good luck great place

 

[Littlemo]

I would go to to the Stockbridge area if I were you. Nice restaurants and pubs and a bit less crowded and touristy than the City Centre. The same goes for the Shore in the Leith area.

Unless you want poor quality and ripped off like a tourist, the the Grassmarket would be your friend.

 

[Questions]

I enjoyed my visit to The Britannia yacht

 

[GT49er]

Me and the Mrs are off to Edinburgh for a long weekend next month. We’re planning on doing most of the main stuff (Old Town, The Castle, Arthur’s Seat etc) and maybe see this Giant Panda before it goes.

But does the wisdom of NSC have any other recommendations?

Good Pubs or places for dinner? (Nothing to fancy)

Anywhere to avoid?

Many thanks in advance!

A trip on the bus out to Hillend and a ride on the ski-lift os always worthwhile (on a nice day) - fantastic views from up in the Pentland hills, and lovely for a quick walk and back on the chairlift.
Also check out upstairs in the Waverley bar in the lower part of The Royal Mile - I last went to Edinburgh about ten years ago, and it was exactly the same as it had been when I was a regular there in the 1970s! Music, poetry, story-telling......lovely!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Worked up there until the pandemic. If you’re flying in get the tram into town - best value versus time option. City centre is pricy but full of nice pubs and places to eat. Leith is cooler and cheaper- just don’t stray off into Sickboy and Begbie’s scheme.

 

[johnny jigsaw]

A walk up Calton Hill will give you great views over the city and might be less of a trek than Arthur's Seat if you are only there for a couple of days.
Dean Village is picturesque and you can follow the Water of Leith Walk into Stockbridge.
The Queen's Arms on Frederick Street is a favourite pub for Sunday lunch, but you'll need to book. Dirty Dicks pub on Rose Street is also quirky.
Maison Bleue on Victoria Street has always been decent and reasonably priced.

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

Take a train across the Forth Bridge - stunning views

 

[Change at Barnham]

An easy low stress option is to head for drink or food to The Grassmarket area which is located a couple of hundred metres from Edinburgh Castle.
It's an area that has plenty of bars and food options. You can just wander around from pub to pub and settle wherever you fancy.
If you have your wife with you a visit to The Royal Yacht Britannia is interesting. It is docked at Leith which is easy to get to on a bus or a cab. It's a nice piece of history to look around and you can have a sandwich or a cream tea on there.
And you could do a lot worse than take a hop on/hop off bus tour. The city has some stunning architecture.

 

[Superphil]

For a great traditional pub try the Athletic, also known as Diggers as it’s between two graveyards. Excellent beer, brilliant pies, and very old fashioned.

For restaurants try Leith, a couple we went to the week before last include The Ship on the Shore (seafood) and just along from it The Shore (no relation AFAIK). Also Nobles Bar cook a decent steak.

 

[Doonhamer7]

Something completely different that only locals will know - on the royal mile outside St Giles cathedral there is the heart of Midlothian which is a mosaic on the ground, it is good luck to spit on it (whilst humming the Marillion song!).

St. Mary’s close, visit a distillery (or the whisky experience beside castle), must be at the castle at 1pm (they fire the gun), museum of Scotland you can spend a week in there (chambers street), if you’ve never been before do the open top bus tour - you can get on and off. Avoid Princess Street - it’s gone tacky like Oxford street and the three big department stores have all gone. If you feel fit walk up Arthur’s seat, if not walk up Carlton hill.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

I would go to to the Stockbridge area if I were you. Nice restaurants and pubs and a bit less crowded and touristy than the City Centre. The same goes for the Shore in the Leith area.

Unless you want poor quality and ripped off like a tourist, the the Grassmarket would be your friend.

Agree - Mrs Corner and I loved Stockbridge and Edinburgh as a whole - wonderful city

 

[Monkey Man]

No trip to Edinburgh is valid without a trip to Greyfriars Bobby's statue. A short walk from the Royal Mile. His nose has gone shiny from being rubbed so many times.

If you like red squirrels, the gardens alongside Princes Street at the foot of the castle used to have loads, though admittedly I didn't spot any the last time I was there.

 

[junior]

Great little village just outside Edinburgh called South Queensferry.

From there you can walk over the QE2 bridge (parallel to the Forth Rail Bridge) and on the other side if North Queensferry which is a cute little village literally underneath the Fort Bridge.

From North Queensferry you can get back on the train across the Forth Bridge back to Edinburgh.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Definitely visit the Royal Yacht at Leith
Visit Greyfriars Bobby
Visit the Castle
Walk the Royal Mile.

 

[Doc Lynam]

Don’t ask for a full English at breakfast!
Depending how able bodied you are I’d recommend an electric bike tour of the city.

 

[atfc village]

Guildford Arms a delightful pub near Waverley .

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Definitely visit the Royal Yacht at Leith
Visit Greyfriars Bobby
Visit the Castle
Walk the Royal Mile.

And Carlton Hill for some iconic views.

 

[Littlemo]

If there’s football in that you want to see then The Globe on Niddrie Street is the best place, though it’s a bit warm and sometimes students go there.