Anyone like visiting Edinburgh?

Home of the Scottish Enlightenment 'backward'? Dearie me...

I forgot to give a mention to my favourite takeaway, GREGGS has tasty sandwiches and sausage rolls at very reasonable prices, great to take out and sit by Princess Gardens to watch the world go by.

I live just outside Edinburgh so I am biased. It is probably the best city anywhere in the world.
It has everything. A fabulous setting surrounded by sea and hills. A skyline which despite developers' best efforts has managed to survive.
All the usual attractions above mentioned and many of the best are free.

I had a young Australian staying who was desperate to see the really poor areas. I think he had seen the film Trainspotting, set in Edinburgh, and wanted to see where it was filmed. We failed to find them though there is poverty ofcourse.

Now, as said above, Harry Potter still brings tourists in Bus loads.

It's often said that the locals leave the city during the Festival when it's impossibly packed with visitors.

Edinburgh is not snobbish or backward. Just too full of tourists in the centre.
Don't count on friendly locals. You might get me 😖

Surgeons' Hall Museums, Nicolson St.- fantastic!

When I live in Edinburgh I absolutely loathed it. Cold, backward, snobby. It was a very long time ago, though.

Cumbrianmale56

Thankyou everyone, what I like is there's so much to do within a 20 minute walk of the station. I am thinking next time of going to see the Royal Yacht and the Ocean Terminal in Leith. Also the trams are supposed to be really good.
One thing I did find is the city isn't too expensive for luncgh and refreshments.

Please don’t waste your time with Ocean Terrible - it’s just an indoor shopping centre and not worth the effort. Walking round the docks with s cool, and Newhaven Harbour nearby is good for fish (shops and restaurants) but not particularly cheap.

I have a soft spot for the Old Chain Pier pub (my former local) which is a short walk along the water.

The biggest problem according to one local inhabitant is Harry Potter, with tourists queueing to get into the stores and then wandering round dressed in costumes and taking endless photos. .
I haven’t been since the shops were opened in Edinburgh, but The Shop That Must Not Be Named in Chester is always busy.

When I was teaching, we had activity days when we arranged certain activities for pupils. I organised a trip to Edinburgh. First the dungeons, then lunch in Princes Street gardens. After that, a ghost walk. The ghost walk was entirely made up by me. It started at the foot of the Scotsman Steps, then up to the Royal Mile, a pause at St Giles Cathedral than back to the park with stops in between where I made up ghost stories that supposedly happened there. One year I was engrossed in the story when I looked up to see a bunch of Japanese tourists had joined us 😂

Well, I think Edinburgh locals are, generally speaking, pretty friendly folk! Yes, it does get a bit overwhelming during the height of the tourist season, especially during the Festival, but we're still a pretty welcoming bunch really! We don't bite, honest.

MayBee70

Mollygo

Last time we went to Edinburgh, we decided to investigate the darker side. E.g.we did guided tours of The Real Mary King’s Close.
We read about them on here.
edinburgh.org/blog/the-secrets-underneath-edinburghs-streets/

I think I’m the only person I know that didn’t find that interesting: I just couldn’t get a feel for the place. My daughter loves it.

There are so many good ghost walks in Edinburgh- wish I could remember some of their names.

The Mary King's close is just a tourist trap. Ask around for the ones that take you to the covenenters burial ground- fascinating history instead of silly made-up ghost stuff.

My DD went to Edinburgh university so we used to visit a lot at one time.
It is a vibrant, historic city and understandably full of tourists so I understand people who live there must get heartily sick of tourists.

We visited nearly ten years ago. We caught the bus to the zoo and also did the tour buses along with a lot of walking. We stayed in Stockbridge.

I live in Edinburgh. I just try to avoid all the usual tourist places because of, well, the tourists. The city centre with all the main attractions just blocks solidly with tourists and endless wheely cases. I suggest that people don't come over the summer. The autumn and early spring are best. The weather often bright and dry.
Not off the beaten track but invariably missed by tourists is Lauriston Castle.
By the way don't count on locals being particularly friendly. Our buses can be packed with tourists so locals can't get on and get to work. Airbnb has hollowed out the city centre so people who work there have to live outside it. All the problems faced by Barcelona, Amsterdam and Venice are found here.
Yes. I sound sour but I probably feel a bit like the locals on the various holiday islands who are unhappy about overtourism.

Thankyou everyone, what I like is there's so much to do within a 20 minute walk of the station. I am thinking next time of going to see the Royal Yacht and the Ocean Terminal in Leith. Also the trams are supposed to be really good.
One thing I did find is the city isn't too expensive for luncgh and refreshments.

Mollygo

Last time we went to Edinburgh, we decided to investigate the darker side. E.g.we did guided tours of The Real Mary King’s Close.
We read about them on here.
edinburgh.org/blog/the-secrets-underneath-edinburghs-streets/

I think I’m the only person I know that didn’t find that interesting: I just couldn’t get a feel for the place. My daughter loves it.

I live in Canada but come to visit my sister in Edinburgh regularly. The best part for me apart from all the previous mentioned attractions is that I can walk everywhere, its a wonderful city to walk around.When the feet get tired there is always a handy tram to hop on.

Last time we went to Edinburgh, we decided to investigate the darker side. E.g.we did guided tours of The Real Mary King’s Close.
We read about them on here.
edinburgh.org/blog/the-secrets-underneath-edinburghs-streets/

I do, it’s one of my favourite cities. Friendly locals, lots to see and do - and we’ve always had lovely food there too. Sad to read that Jenners has closed though.

We are off to Edinburgh next weekend for a few days. it's only an hour from Glasgow.
We were booked to go on the Aberdonian steam strain to Aberdeen and back, but unfortunately the trip has been cancelled. My favourite train journey is over the Forth Rail Bridge on a steam train.
We have already paid for accommodation, so we are going anyway.

DD and I often have a day out in Edinburgh. I love it.

Princes Street gardens are lovely to sit in and watch the world go by. I haven't been at the castle for a few years nor Dynamic Earth. I like sitting down near the Parliament building looking over to Arthur's Seat and Holyrood. A walk through The Meadows too is so nice. Lots of lovely restaurants. And Leith! I'm heading there in a couple of weeks to take in The Festival. Thank you for starting this thread.

We went up there quite a few years ago and spent several days there but managed to pack in several visits.
The Castle, The Botanic Gardens and Dynamic Earth (a must do) and a tour bus round the city. Also a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Only visited Edinburgh once (four nights)

Thoroughly enjoyed the walking tour, really good informative guide along with the Botanical Gardens.

Enjoyed the Castle and The Royal Yacht.

Really good food especially Kitchin’s in Leith.

Will return and visit the museums and more.

Well, I'm a bit biased, as I live just outside Edinburgh, but I do love the city. There's so much to see and do, even outwith the typical tourist attractions. The Museum is wonderful, but there's also the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, Camera Obscura, Dynamic Earth, the Zoo, Arthur's Seat. Hop on a tram and go down to Leith or Newhaven for a wander around, pop down to the beach at Portobello. I could go on and on...

I only ever passed through Edinburgh, but would love to have explored it.

The buildings are beautiful.