4 Days in Edinburgh: Castle, Old Town & the Scottish Highlands Edge
The castle on its crag, the Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat and the Georgian New Town, with a day out to Stirling Castle: four days in Edinburgh.
The castle on its crag, the Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat and the Georgian New Town, with a day out to Stirling Castle: four days in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) sits about 8 miles (13 km) west of the city center, and the Airlink 100 bus or the tram both run straight into the heart of the Old Town.
🚌 ~30 min on the Airlink 100 bus, or ~35 min by tram 💵 ~£4.50 one-way 🕐 Plan around your flight's landing timePerched on Castle Rock, the extinct volcanic plug at the top of the Old Town, the castle holds the Honours of Scotland, the country's Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny, and fires the One O'Clock Gun every day but Sunday.
🚶 ~10 min walk up from the Grassmarket or Royal Mile 💵 ~£19.50 entry, book ahead online 🕐 Right at 9:30 AM opening, before the tour groupsWalk down from the Castle esplanade past Gladstone's Land, a restored 17th-century tenement, and the crown-spired St Giles' Cathedral, then settle into one of the Royal Mile's centuries-old pubs for a whisky flight or a pint of local ale.
🚶 The full length of the Royal Mile, Castle to Holyrood 💵 ~£6 per dram, ~£5 per pint 🕐 Early evening, once the shops start closingThe monarch's official residence in Scotland sits at the foot of the Royal Mile beside its ruined abbey, directly across from Enric Miralles' striking modern Scottish Parliament building.
🚶 ~20 min walk from the Old Town, or a short bus ride 💵 ~£19.50 palace entry, Parliament free 🕐 Mid-morning, right after openingThis extinct volcano rises 251 meters above Holyrood Park, and the main path up via Salisbury Crags takes about an hour round trip for a panoramic view over the city, the Firth of Forth, and the hills beyond.
🚶 Trailhead right behind the Palace 💵 Free 🕐 Midday, when the ground is driest and the wind is lowestFree to enter and a short walk back into town, the museum's galleries run from the Lewis Chessmen to Dolly the Sheep, and the Grand Gallery's glass roof is worth a look even if you skip everything else.
🚶 ~15 min walk from Holyrood Park 💵 Free entry 🕐 Mid-to-late afternoon, a good rest after the climbCross the valley into the Georgian New Town, a UNESCO World Heritage streetscape of grand terraces, then climb the 287 spiral steps of the Scott Monument for a close-up view over Princes Street Gardens.
🚶 Across the Mound from the Old Town 💵 ~£10 to climb the Monument, gardens free 🕐 Mid-morning, before the steps get busyA ten-minute walk from the West End, this former grain-milling village on the Water of Leith feels centuries removed from the New Town, with the arched Dean Bridge overhead and a footpath along the river.
🚶 ~10 min walk from Charlotte Square 💵 Free to walk 🕐 Early afternoon, good light for photosThe city's own acropolis, with the unfinished National Monument, the Nelson Monument, and the Dugald Stewart Monument, gives arguably the best skyline view in Edinburgh, castle on one side and Arthur's Seat on the other.
🚶 ~15 min walk from the east end of Princes Street 💵 Free, small fee to climb the Nelson Monument 🕐 About 45 minutes before sunsetScotRail trains reach Stirling from Edinburgh Waverley in under an hour, and the castle above the town, once home to the Stewart kings, looks out over the Forth Valley toward the first hills of the Highlands.
🚆 ~50 min direct train from Waverley 💵 ~£15 return train, ~£17 castle entry 🕐 Morning departure, right after breakfastThe 67-meter tower atop Abbey Craig commemorates William Wallace and the 1297 Battle of Stirling Bridge, and the 246 steps to the top reward with a view stretching toward Ben Lomond.
🚌 Local bus or a 25-min walk from Stirling Castle 💵 ~£11.50 entry 🕐 Early afternoonTrains run back to Waverley roughly every half hour, leaving enough time to collect luggage and reach Edinburgh Airport for an evening flight, or catch a train onward.
🚆 ~50 min train back to Waverley 💵 Included in the return ticket 🕐 Leave Stirling with at least 3 hrs before an international flightIf you're doing the Day 4 trip, a joint Historic Environment Scotland ticket covering both castles can beat paying for each separately.
Old Town restaurants often post a fixed lunch menu, a starter and main for a fraction of the same dishes' evening à la carte price.
Advance single fares to Stirling are noticeably cheaper than paying on the day at Waverley.
A quieter path to the summit with the same panoramic payoff as the main trail and a fraction of the foot traffic.
If you'd rather skip Stirling, this 15th-century chapel with its carved Apprentice Pillar sits a short bus ride south of the city.
Some of the Old Town's quietest whisky bars sit one floor above the crowded street-level pubs, worth asking staff for a recommendation.
Where to next
