The Best of Edinburgh in Just One Day
24 Hours in Edinburgh – See the best of the city in just one day.
Credit – https://static.pexels.com/photos/34682/pexels-photo.jpg
Edinburgh is a great city that is rich in history, culture, architecture, and nature. If you only have one day to spend in this beautiful city, you don’t need to panic. I have compiled some of the best ways in which you can enjoy the best 24 hours in Edinburgh.
Arthur’s Seat
The first thing to do is to step out onto the dewy Holyrood Park and you will see Arthur’s Seat appear above you. The hill may seem intimidating but actually it is not, as people climb it daily. Catching the early sunrise from Arthur’s Seat is undoubtedly an unforgettable experience, however watching the city slowly and steadily coming to life will make surely making climbing worthwhile. It will take anywhere between half an hour to one hour for the climb, depending on the number of breaks you take. Once you are up there, you can greet other climbers, already cherishing the wonderful views.
Ideally, plan to stay for 1-2 hours.
Kilimanjaro Coffee
Credit – https://static.pexels.com/photos/139539/pexels-photo-139539.jpeg
When you have climbed Arthur’s Seat, the first thing you’ll need is to have a filling breakfast at a nice relaxing café. For that, you need to visit Kilimanjaro Coffee. This café is situated in the busy student area of Edinburgh, it opens at 7:30 am in the morning and is known for delicious breakfasts, brunches, and coffee. This place is quite popular with both locals and tourists, so remains fully packed most of the times. Kili Breakfast with a fruit juice is quite popular here, make sure you have tried it.
Ideally, plan to stay for less than 1 hour.
Greyfriars Church
Make sure you have visited one of the historic graveyards of Edinburgh. The heartwarming tale of Greyfriars Bobby is quite touching and it is retold repeatedly at Greyfriars Church. Greyfriars Bobby was a dog who lingered near the graveyard of his master (Auld Jock) and refused to leave even in the worst conditions. He died on 14th January 1872 at the age of 16.
Ideally, plan to stay for less than 1 hour.
Hula Juice Bar And Gallery
Credit – https://static.pexels.com/photos/110472/pexels-photo-110472.jpeg
You will find this bar and gallery located on the West Bow and it remains packed most of the times. For over 7 years, this café is known to offer the best of fresh produce, wide-ranging music, great coffee, and positive attitude. Here, you also get to enjoy homemade soups, fresh juices, healthy breakfasts, and smoothies. With such variety and a laid back ambience, this place is loved by the locals and the tourists alike.
This is also a well-known gallery space and curates 6-12 exhibitions in a year along with gallery parties, live music events, and craft group meetings.
Ideally, plan to stay for less than 1 hour.
Edinburgh Castle
Source: Pixabay
Undoubtedly, this is Scotland’s popular icon and it is also World Heritage Site of Edinburgh. If you are pressed for time, you may still visit St. Margaret’s Chapel, Crown of Jewels, gun Mons Meg (15th century), National War Museum of Scotland, and Stone of Destiny. If you want to avoid the queues, make sure you have purchased your tickets in advance.
Ideally, plan to stay for less than 1-2 hours.
Riddle’s Court
Credit – https://static.pexels.com/photos/38888/pexels-photo-38888.jpeg
You will find this architectural gem located near the top of Royal Mile. This building has great cultural significance, as here you get to see historic connections with King James VI and Patrick Geddes. This building also offers venue and meeting space to hire for functions, events, seminars, performances, and private parties.
Ideally, plan to stay for less than 1 hour.
National Museum of Scotland
This museum is included in the UK’s top 10 attractions and it is one of the famous museums of the world as well. The wide variety of historical collections will take you through the history of Scotland, various wonders of nature, fascinating world of science & discovery, and you also get to explore different cultures of the world. You can make the most of the audio guides available in different languages.
When you are all tired exploring the amazing collections at the museum, you can enjoy eating at three places within the museum – Tower Restaurant, The Brasserie, and Balcony Café.
Ideally, plan to stay for less than 1-2 hours.
Mimi’s Little Bakehouse
Credit – https://static.pexels.com/photos/205961/pexels-photo-205961.jpeg
When you are in Edinburgh, make sure you have visited this popular takeaway bakery. Situated on the Royal Mile, this bakery offers an extensive variety of brownies, muffins, cakes, scones, traybakes, and cupcakes (vanilla and chocolate based).
Here, you also get to enjoy a compact selection of breakfast and lunch menus, available for both sit-in and takeaway. If you are visiting during the summer months, you can cool off with a wide range of S Luca’s ice cream, cake shakes, and ice coolers. This place is also popular for its brilliant cappuccino, fine latte, and great coffee.
Ideally, plan to stay for less than 1 hour.
Jenners
Positioned on Princes Street, this is a premium department store where you can shop for some of the leading brands including – Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, and Barbour. Being one of the oldest stores, here you will have an opportunity to check out some of the high street favourites such as – Phase Eight, Oasis, and Eight.
Ladies will surely cherish the nice jewellery collection and accessories from some of the leading names in the business including – Radley, Guess, DKNY, and Sheila Fleet. You can also shop for some of the latest & best fragrances and make-up from brands like Molton Brown, Clarins, and Elizabeth Arden. You will surely love its striking interiors.
Ideally, plan to stay for less than 1 hour.
*****************************
About The Author: Adam Smith is a content writing professional at Followthesteps, an inbound marketing and sales platform that helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers. Previously, Adam worked as a marketing manager for a tech software startup. He graduated with honors from California University with a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing.
Follow Me @ Google+, Twitter, Pinterest
