Visiting Edinburgh?

Splewis · 12 Sep 2009 at 00:28

I want to visit Edinburgh at the end of the month. How long do I need to see the sights?

I also want to climb Arthurs Seat and possibly do a bus tourist trip of Scotland on one day, hopefully one that isnt just old people. To Loch Ness and back? Or where?

Also what to do of a night time? I'm not one for going "out on the town" on my own.

Windle · 12 Sep 2009 at 00:59

Long weekend should let you see most of the tourist sites. Arthurs Seat is a pretty easy climb and doesn't take too long.

You may want to rethink your bus trip though, Loch Ness is 3.5 - 4hrs from Edinburgh

You could visit Glasgow comfortably in a day, train is quick and comfortable from city to city.

Mahnsikir · 12 Sep 2009 at 02:17

Windle said:
Long weekend should let you see most of the tourist sites. Arthurs Seat is a pretty easy climb and doesn't take too long.

You may want to rethink your bus trip though, Loch Ness is 3.5 - 4hrs from Edinburgh You could visit Glasgow comfortably in a day, train is quick and comfortable from city to city.

+1 to that

Though unless there is something you really want to go see or visit, I wouldn't go through to Glasgow, or anywhere more than a bit out of the city just for the sake of it.

Not that theres nothing to do in Glasgow compared to Edinburgh but if your only up for a few days the 2-3hours you'll spend getting to Glasgow and back are probably more fun not spent on a train, unless you've somehow ran out of things you want to do in Edinburgh.

Oh if you do visit Glasgow though wave to my parents as you woosh past on the train.

Dunks · 12 Sep 2009 at 03:34

Going there for a weekend (Fri-Sun) with the GF in October. Will be keeping an eye on this thread

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Malakite · 12 Sep 2009 at 03:50

Unless you are going to make a whole day/night of it I would forget about Loch Ness. While it is a nice place to see and Inverness is very picturesqe it would take about 3+ hours each way travelling.

Do the castle, royal mile etc. Take a few tours of the old Edinburgh vaults, Mary King's close. some of the spooky stuff etc.

Although if you do fancy coming through to Glasgow let me know and i'll be more than happy to take you out on a pub crawl myself

Sonea Fifer · 12 Sep 2009 at 08:21

Well I can thouroughly recomend the Edinburgh bus tours. We done the tours one day last year and we learned lots of fascinating facts about the place on our door step

There's also toured walks around some of Edinburgh's oldest and scariest parts which takes you into the close's and some of the underground vaults which are reportedly haunted

It has been said The Edinburgh Dungeon tour is very over priced and full of failed drama students. We've been and enjoyed it however it is quite expensive and seems aimed purely at tourists.

As has been said a walk up Aurthurs Seat wont cost you anything at all - It's also a nice walk down the Royal Mile between the Castle and Hollyrood Palace.

There's plenty of shopping between the St Jame's Shopping Centre and Princess Street, if the weather not too bad the gardens are a lovely walk and if you decide to go out at night there's plently of pubs to choose from in Rose Street alone :cool:

Delvis · 12 Sep 2009 at 08:37

As mentioned things like Rose street for the evening are a good choice...however you said you're not one for 'going out on the town', so I dunno.

I do recommend the little 'climb' you mentioned, some good views

...It can go on for ages as well if you take the other routes.

Theres a great little commedy club I'd recommend going too also...hopefully some locals from Edinburgh could shed some light on this? I'll try digging it up though.

Also:

Thats at one point during a walk up Arthurs peak I did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur's_Seat,_Edinburgh ....Hopefully the weather will be nicer for you though