|
Edinburgh has been the capitol city of Scotland 1437 and it is the second largest
city in Scotland. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations
in Europe and it is second only to London for popularity in the UK.
Attractions
In Edinburgh there are plenty of attractions within the city centre but one of the
main attractions is simply to walk around the New and Old Town areas of the city.
Here you can enjoy the many historic buildings and the wonderful architecture that
is all over the.
Edinburgh’s most popular attraction is Edinburgh Castle, this icon of Edinburgh
overlooking the city centre on the elevated site of Castle Rock. There is
a rich history that accompanies the castle and this starts in 1093 and it has seen
its share of violence and political intrigue. Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen
of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie have all played parts in making the castes interesting
history.
Within the city centre you can enjoy some excellent free attractions, two of the
most popular are The Museum of Scotland and Botanical. Both are within a few
minutes walk of the city centre and are ideal for people visiting Edinburgh on a
budget or looking for a family event.
Places to stay
Edinburgh offers some of the highest quality accommodation in Scotland with a large
selection of luxury hotels available. Two of the most famous are The Balmoral
Hotel and the Scotsman both of which are situated in the city centre and offer high
quality five star accommodation.
If you don’t have a £100 to spend for a nights accommodation then don’t
worry because there is also some excellent budget hostel accommodation available.
These start from only £8 per night per person for a bed in a dorm room.
One of the most popular is Smart City which has a city centre location and some
excellent facilities.
Events
The summer is when Edinburgh comes alive with festivals and events taking place
during July and August. The two best known and most popular are the Military tattoo
at Edinburgh Castle and The International Fringe Festival.
The Tattoo runs for three weeks through August and takes place in Edinburgh Castle,
it is very popular and often fully booked well in advance of the performances.
It is therefore a good idea to always try and book tickets quite far in advance.
The fringe festival boats the title of being the world largest arts festival, with
hundred of acts of varying quality participating every year. There is a good
selection of both paid and free shows that take place and it can be a great place
for new performers to break through as it is open to everybody.
Transport
Edinburgh is service by a very good international Airport which is only a few miles
outside the city centre. From here you can get flights to over 40 European
cities and also top international destinations such as New York and Atlanta.
A regular bus service runs to and from the city centre to the airport and it costs
around £5.
There are two train stations in Edinburgh, Haymarket is a couple of miles outside
the city centre and is close to Murrayfield rugby stadium. Waverley is in
the city centre and only a couple of minutes walk away from Princes Street.
You can get trains from here to all the major cities in Scotland and also a direct
train from to London which takes around 4hrs 30min.
There is a very efficient bus service that runs in the city centre of Edinburgh
with most leaving around every 5-10mins to all the main areas of the city and surrounding
regions such as Leith and Corstrorphine. Fares start from only £1.30 for
a single journey and only £3.20 for a day ticket. You can also get city
connection buses to Dundee, Glasgow and Perth with CityLink or Megabus with special
fares starting at only £1.
|