Attractions
Tourist Attractions in and around Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Castle is a must see for every visitor. It has a fascinating history, but what makes it really special are the views in every direction. Edinburgh Castle is cared for by Historic Scotland - www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
- Next to the castle, visit the new Scotch Whisky Experience a and take a swirling, bubbling barrel ride through a replica distillery as you become part of the whisky making process. www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk
- Just down the Royal Mile lies the Writers Museum. Situated in Lady Stair's House, built in 1622, The Writers' Museum is dedicated to the lives and work of Scotland's great literary figures, in particular Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832) and Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894). - www.cac.org.uk
- Nearby to this lies the National Library of Scotland, Scotland's largest library and the world centre for the study of Scotland and the Scots. - www.nls.uk
- Just around the corner from this on Chambers St lies the Royal Museum run by National Museums of Scotland. This museum houses the international collections and contains an extraordinary range of material. - www.nms.ac.uk/royal
- For some of the darker side of the city, visit the Edinburgh Dungeon. Witch-hunters, grave-robbers, murderers, cannibals, executioners - you will find them all here, along with their wretched victims. - www.thedungeons.com
Possible day trips include:
The Scottish Sea Bird Centre
Just 30 minutes from Edinburgh by train, the seaside town of North Berwick has been called "the Biarritz of the North" (perhaps by someone with a dry sense of humour). It is home to the Bass Rock, an extinct volcano described by Sir David Attenborough, a man who knows about such things, as "one of the wildlife wonders of the world" because of its rock gannet colony. You can take boat trips to the Rock.
Scottish Seabird Centre; +44 (0)1620 890 202. Summer opening times (April to Sept) Monday to Sunday, 10am-6pm. Check website for winter opening times. Adult £7.95 (£5.95 concessions), child £4.50
Inchcolm Island
A sliver of land in the middle of the Firth of Forth, Inchcolm Island has been of strategic importance since Roman times right up until the second world war, when it was fortified in the event of an attack on Edinburgh. Visited by St Columba in the sixth century, it's now home to an impressive abbey – hence it is known as the Iona of the east. Great views of Edinburgh from the beach.
Catch the Maid of Forth ferry from South Queensferry. The trips are three hours in duration, with one and a half hours on shore. Adult £10, child £3.50
Hopetoun House
Set in 150 acres of parkland and woodland, with its own deer park, Hopetoun House is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the UK. As well as the surroundings, including views of the Forth and the magnificence of the house itself, there's a smashing tearoom.
• Hopetoun House, South Queensferry; +44 (0)131 331 2451. Open daily from: Friday March 21 to Sunday Sept 28 2008, 10.30am-5pm (last entry 4pm). Adult £8 (concessions £7), child (age 5-16) £4.25