Edinburgh City Guide - attractions

Edinburgh Castle
The imposing castle that stands on the craggy mound of an extinct volcano in the heart of Edinburgh is the city's top attraction, a proud symbol of the Scots nation. The castle rock has been inhabited since 800 BC, but today most of the remaining structures date from around the 16th century (except for St Margaret's chapel, Edinburgh's oldest building, dating from the early 12th century). Of all the things to see and experience at the castle (including the spectacular view of the city) the favourite for visitors is the Crown Room, which contains the Scottish crown jewels and regalia of state. Also on view here is the legendary 'Stone of Scone' upon which all the monarchs of Scotland have been crowned. The castle also still functions as a military headquarters, and is the site of the annual, world-renowned and most spectacular military tattoo, held in August. At 1pm each day, except Sunday, the one o'clock gun is fired, traditionally to allow ships in the Firth of Forth to check their chronometers. The gun is also fired at New Year to mark midnight during the Hogmanay celebrations. Tickets should be pre-bought online to avoid queuing on arrival.
Telephone: (0)131 225 9846
Website: www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk
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Opening times: Daily (except 25-26 December) from 9.30am to 6pm, with early closing at 5pm in winter (1 October to 31 March). Last entry 45 minutes before closing time. Opening times for independent museum in the castle complex may vary

Palace of Holyrood House
The Palace of Holyrood was originally an abbey, built in the 12th century, and later the home of Mary, Queen of Scots, notorious for her turbulent reign and dramatic life. Today the Palace is the official Scottish residence of Queen Elizabeth II, and is used by the Royal family for state ceremonies and entertaining, but much of the imposing baroque building is open to visitors. An audio guide steers visitors around the grand royal apartments, which reflect the changing tastes of a line of monarchs, as well as the Throne Room, and the Great Gallery, culminating in the apartments of Mary Queen of Scots and her husband Lord Darnley, their bed-chambers linked by a secret staircase. A plaque on the floor marks the spot where Mary's Italian secretary David Rizzio was murdered in 1566. The rooms feature splendid plasterwork ceilings and magnificent furnishings and tapestries.
Telephone: (0)131 556 5100
Website: www.royalcollection.org.uk
Transport: Buses 35 and 36 stop near the Palace, as do the open-top city tour buses. The Palace is about 15 minutes walk from Edinburgh's Waverley train station
Opening times: Daily 9.30am to 6pm (except 25- 26 December and during Royal visits). Daily 9.30am to 4.30pm in winter (1 November to 29 February)

Royal Botanic Garden
Not just any garden, the Edinburgh Botanic Garden is acknowledged as one of the finest in the world, featuring six percent of all the world's known plants, the most tender being cosseted in glasshouses. Visitors can admire vegetation from 10 climate zones from tropical palms to arctic tundra, and see some of the world's oldest plants in the orchid and cycad house. The garden was established in 1670 as a physic garden in Holyrood, was later moved to Leith and was firmly planted in Inverleith in 1820, where it has remained a top attraction ever since.
Telephone: (0)131 552 7171
Website: www.rbge.org.uk
Transport: Buses 8, 17, 23 and 27 connect the city centre to the east gate of the Gardens
Opening times: Daily 10am to 4pm (November to February), 10am to 6pm (March and October), 10am to 7pm (April to September). Closed 25 December and 1 January

. National Gallery of Scotland
The National Gallery of Scotland is situated in the heart of Edinburgh and is home to Scotland's greatest collection of European paintings and sculpture from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism. The museum opened to the public in 1859 and includes works by Botticelli, Cézanne, Van Dyck, Pisarro, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, and Titian. The Gallery also boasts the most comprehensive collection of Scottish painting in the world. The Scottish Portrait Gallery can be found nearby at 1 Queen Street and includes great paintings of Scots rather than by Scots.
Telephone: (0)131 624 6200 or 332 2266 (recorded information)
Website: www.nationalgalleries.org
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Opening times: Daily 10am to 5pm (until 7pm on Thursdays)

Museum of Edinburgh
Get to grips with the mystery and magic of the ancient city of Edinburgh at the museum dedicated to its history, from prehistoric times to the present day. The museum contains important collections all relevant to the city's history, from pottery to documents, shop signs to silverware. The building in which the museum is housed is also of interest, dating from the 16th century with a chequered history of ownership and tenancy by a variety of people from aristocrats to common workers.
Telephone: (0)131 529 4143
Website: www.cac.org.uk
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Opening times: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sundays during August 12pm to 5pm

Scotch Whisky Experience
Alongside Edinburgh Castle visitors can enjoy a 'wee dram' and uncover the secrets of brewing Scotland's famed malt, grain and blended whiskies, known to the locals as 'the water of life'. The whisky tour includes a barrel ride through the history of whisky, a tutored tasting, and a chance to meet a resident ghost. The bar offers the chance to choose from 270 different whiskies, and a restaurant serves up traditional Scots cuisine.

The interactive tour promises fun for all the family, although of course only adults are permitted to sample the wares.
Telephone: (0)131 220 0441
Website: www.whisky-heritage.co.uk
Transport: Edinburgh Tour buses stop right at the bottom of Castlehill and Waverley train station is located 5 minutes by foot from the Scotch Whisky Experience
Opening times: Daily 9.30am to 6.30pm (June, July, August), 10am to 6pm (September to May). Last tours depart an hour before closing time. Closed 25 December

. Royal Yacht Brittania
Pride of the Ocean Terminal in the port of Leith, Edinburgh's recently developed waterfront shopping and leisure area, is moored the famed Royal yacht, Britannia. Numerous illustrious passengers, including Sir Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela, have trod her decks, not to mention the British Royal family themselves. Now visitors can board this vessel on a self-guided audio tour, cruising through the fabulous state apartments to the crew's quarters, and even the gleaming, polished engine room. Most of the accoutrements on board are original, and there are some surprises too: like the Queen's bedroom and one of her shiny Rolls Royces. At the Visitor Centre learn about celebrity life on this luxury ship, and browse in the souvenir shop.
Telephone: (0)131 555 5566 (for pre-booking)
Website: www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk
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Opening times: Daily from 10am to 4.30pm (April to October), 9.30am to 4.30pm (July and August) and 10am to 3.30pm in the remaining winter months. Closed Christmas day and New Years day

Edinburgh Festival Theatre
The Edinburgh Festival Theatre is used primarily for musical events and touring groups and it is one of the main venues for the annual summer Edinburgh International Festival, as well as being the year-round venue for the Scottish Opera and the Scottish Ballet. This historic location is Edinburgh's oldest continuous theatre site; there has been a theatre there as far back as 1830. For nearly thirty years after 1963 the theatre became a bingo hall, but was still occasionally serving as a festival venue. It re-opened in June 1994 with a glass-fronted structure as the new entrance and a dramatic mix of art nouveau, beaux-arts and neo-classicism and now has adequate acoustics, serving all the artistic requirements of the community.
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Website: www.eft.co.uk
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Royal Mile
A 'must see' in Edinburgh is the Royal Mile, a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of Edinburgh's Old Town. Fittingly, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scottish mile long, running between two historic attractions; Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle Rock and Holyrood Abbey. This is Edinburgh Old Town's busiest tourist strip, rivalled only by Princes Street in the New Town.

The streets that make up the Royal Mile include Castle Esplanade, Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand. . The Hub, at the top end of the mile, plays host to the Edinburgh International Festival, and holds integral information on all the Edinburgh festivals. Its gothic spire, which is the highest point in central Edinburgh, towers over the adjacent castle and surrounding buildings.
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