Edinburgh

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Edinburgh Travel Guide

Travel Author

Stig Albeck

City Map

City Introduction

Edinburgh is Scotland’s old and charming capital, where chill and bagpipe music is seen and heard in the streets. Sandstone buildings, the cozy Old Town, The Royal Mile, breathtaking views from the hills in or near the center and stunningly beautiful surroundings are just some of the other things that come with a visit to the Scottish city.

Literally, Edinburgh Castle is the highlight of the city, with its dramatic location at the top of a cliff top right in the city center. The castle is the center of the city and also the center of the city’s famous tattoo. From Edinburgh Castle, the famous Royal Mile extends east to the Holyroodhouse Castle, and there are countless sights along the mile. Old churches and typical Scottish houses are abundant here.

The 18th-century New Town district is a short walk from the Royal Mile. New Town is constructed according to a strict contemporary street layout. Here you can walk along the grand Princes Street, which serves as one of Edinburgh’s main streets.

Everywhere in town, a Scottish atmosphere is buzzing with shops selling kilts and bagpipes, and Scottish food and drink should be tried as well; it can be haggis and a glass of whisky. Edinburgh is surrounded by beautiful scenery and it is never far to good opportunities for walks in the parks, by the sea and on some of the many hills that is around the city. A hike to Arthur’s Seat is a suggestion.

Top Attractions

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is visible from across the city on one of Edinburgh’s mountain peaks, which is an extinct volcano. On the strategically well-situated mountain, the first castle was already built in the 5th century, while the current Edinburgh Castle was founded in the 12th century and continuously expanded and rebuilt throughout many of the following centuries.

Access to Edinburgh Castle is via the Castle Esplanade square, which forms the setting for the traditional annual Edinburgh Tattoo, which offers, among other things, military marches and bagpipe music. The whole area of ​​Edinburgh Castle contains a large number of different buildings and offers fantastic views of the whole of Edinburgh and the city’s surroundings.

You enter the facility via the Gate House, after which you are greeted by defense installations, including the Halvmånebatterie, which you stand at the foot of. The next building you come through is the Portcullisporten, after which you are in the Middle Yard square, which is the start of the actual castle and castle area. At the Middle Yard is the Klokken Et-kanonen/The One O’Clock Gun, which is fired daily except Sunday at exactly 1 p.m. The tradition comes from the fact that ships could set their clocks correctly for sailing trips.

If you go from the Middle Yard up the rounded staircase, Long Stair, you come to the Upper Yard, where you can see the small chapel, St. Margaret’s Chapel, which was built by King David I in the 12th century. The chapel is believed to be Edinburgh’s oldest building. In the area outside the chapel stands the cannon Mons Meg, which dates from the 15th century. Among other things, the cannon was fired in 1558, when the Scottish queen Marie Stuart married the French king François II. In that case, the 150-kilogram cannonball was found at the Botanical Gardens, located approximately three kilometers away.

On top of Edinburgh Castle is Crown Square, the center of the complex. On the square is the Scottish National War Memorial from 1927, a memorial to Scots who died in the world wars. The National War Museum of Scotland is housed in the building. The museum depicts Scottish war history over the last several centuries and many items such as uniforms and weapons are on display.

Crown Square is also home to the Royal Palace and Great Hall, which was built in 1511 as the meeting place for the Scottish Parliament. The Royal Palace was built in the 15th century, and the castle houses the Scottish crown jewels, forged in Scottish gold. The beautiful royal crown was first used at the coronation of Robert the Bruce in 1306. The Royal Palace also offers interesting furnishings of the royal apartments.

 

Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is Edinburgh’s main street and consists of Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Canongate streets. The name Royal Mile comes from the fact that the stretch is one English mile long and that it connects the city’s two castles, Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Castle Hill, Lawnmarket and High Street are the busiest streets where most of the sights are located, while Canongate is quieter with lower housing but also has its interesting buildings and museums.

 

St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh

St. Giles’ Cathedral

Edinburgh Cathedral was founded in the 1120s in the Romanesque style, and the name St. Giles’ is in honor of the patron saint of cripples and lepers who was significant to the medieval era. However, the current church mainly dates from the end of the 14th and 15th centuries. Historically, the church is significant in Scotland, and it was here that the Scottish reformer John Knox preached in the 16th century.

Among the details in the church are the beautiful glass mosaics, which are primarily from the 1800s. They are considered to be some of the most worth seeing in Scotland. The Thistle Chapel from 1911 was built for Scottish Knights of the Order of the Thistle, and the small chapel was decorated beautifully and very decoratively.

St. Giles’ Cathedral today serves as the parish church for Edinburgh’s Old Town, and you can go to one of the services held on Sundays. Spiret on St. Giles’ Cathedral was also built as a crown as a symbol of royal power and precisely the importance of this church.

 

Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is located at the eastern end of the Royal Mile and is the residence of the English Regent when in Edinburgh. The beautiful baroque castle was built in the 16th century, but expanded and rebuilt 100 years later.

Inside, you can access large parts of the palace when it is not functioning as a royal residence. Highlights include the castle’s distinguished collection of tapestries, the Great Gallery with portraits of Scottish rulers, the royal suites and the throne room itself.

The castle is probably best known as the residence of the Scots queen Marie Stuart, who during her short reign lived in chambers at Holyroodhouse. Marie Stuart was married in the castle’s church, Holyrood Abbey, which now lies as a beautiful, romantic ruin adjacent to the castle building itself. The impressive fountain in front of the palace was built at the behest of Queen Victoria.

 

Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh

Arthur’s Seat

Arthur’s Seat is a 251 meter high, extinct volcano located a short distance from the center of Edinburgh. Actually, the volcano is also made up of Calton Hill and Castle Rock, but is best known as Arthur’s Seat, which is easy to climb from several places. No matter which tour you choose, you will be rewarded with a fantastic view of Edinburgh and the city’s surroundings from the top of the mountain.

From the area south of the Palace of Holyroodhouse there are good hiking trails to the various peaks in the area, which include the outermost and steep edge towards Edinburgh city. This whole area including Arthur’s Seat forms Holyrood Park, which is a 260 hectare park with a very varied and wild landscape.

 

National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland is Scotland’s national museum, and here you can experience fine collections that depict natural history, engineering feats, handicrafts etc. from ancient times to the present day and from both Scotland and abroad in an exciting and very varied way.

There is a natural focus on Scotland, and the museum depicts Scotland’s history and people through more than 10,000 objects. The period goes from the earliest finds over the country’s time as its own kingdom to today’s modern Scotland.

Building-wise, the museum buildings are also interesting. The Victorian style with the large glass roof provides a good setting for exhibitions with an international perspective. And from the restaurant at the top there is a beautiful view of the old town and Edinburgh Castle.

 

Charlotte Square

The square Charlotte Square is considered the prettiest and most harmonious square in the New Town district, and it is included in UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage.

Charlotte Square was laid out by Robert Adam from 1792 in a distinctive Georgian style. The square was completed in 1820 as the last part of the first planned parts of New Town. It should have been called George Square, but at the time of construction this name had been used elsewhere in the city.

On the green area in the middle of the square stands an equestrian statue of Prince Albert, who was Queen Victoria’s consort. Around the square are several interesting buildings.

Other Attractions

Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh

Holyrood Abbey

The church of Holyrood Abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I in the very place where he believed he had received a vision. Several Scottish kings were buried in the church, Queen Marie Stuart was married here, and King Charles I was crowned here in 1633.

In 1768, the church’s roof structure collapsed and, despite its rich history, the building was allowed to fall into disrepair without being rebuilt again.

 

Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

Camera Obscura is the name of one of Edinburgh’s most spectacular sights. Here, at the top of the old building, you can get access to sit in a room around a wooden slab, where the whole of Edinburgh is reflected and thus shown as a living film through revolving mirrors. The place was opened as early as 1853 by an optician who wanted to give the city’s citizens a new attraction, in a time when there were no cinemas and almost no photographs.

In the building’s other floors is the World of Illusions museum, which produces a series of illusions, holograms, mirror images and so on for the eye. The visit is fun and interesting for curious souls.

 

The Museum of Edinburgh

The Museum of Edinburgh is Edinburgh’s city history museum, and through its fine collection you can follow the history of the area and the city from prehistoric times to the present day. In addition to many informative descriptions, there are a number of fine effects such as applied art and colorful shop signs.

The museum is partly housed in Huntly House, which is a well-kept house from the 16th century. However, the house has been extended in the following centuries.

 

The Queen’s Gallery

In connection with Holyroodhouse is the art museum The Queen’s Gallery, which houses changing exhibitions of works from the British royal art collection. The museum opened in 2002 in connection with Queen Elizabeth II’s jubilee.

Part of the museum is housed in a former church in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The church was erected in 1850 as Holyrood Free Church of Scotland.

 

Greyfriars Kirk

The church Greyfriars Kirk was built in 1612 and is known for being the place where the National Covenant was signed in 1638. The National Covenant is synonymous with the religious Scottish Reformation. The name Greyfriars comes from the Gray Friars, an order under the Franciscan monks in the time before the Reformation.

The church is like an oasis away from the streets of Edinburgh, surrounded by buildings that shield the traffic. Surrounding the church is a cemetery, where stones and memorial plaques are not only in the ground, but also sit on the cemetery walls.

 

Victoria Street, Edinburgh

Victoria Street

Many people will probably recognize Victoria Street from photographs from Edinburgh. It is a street that connects the low-lying square of the Grassmarket with the streets that stretch up the ridge at the end of which Edinburgh Castle stands.

Some of the central city’s tallest buildings are located in the street, which, in addition to the street level, has a kind of terrace for a large part of the street’s length on the northern side. The terrace is reached by a staircase on the north side of the street around the middle.

Victoria Street offers a unified whole of the atmospheric painted shop fronts found around both Edinburgh and the rest of the UK.

 

Balmoral Hotel

The Balmoral Hotel is Edinburgh’s distinguished, traditional hotel. It opened its doors in 1902 under the name North British Hotel, and it was a typical railway hotel at the time, as its location next to Waverley station also indicates.

In the late 1980s, the hotel was heavily modernized and named after the British royal family’s Scottish summer castle, Balmoral Castle. Many celebrities have lived here over time, and among the most recent events was when author J. K. Rowling completed the last book in the Harry Potter series in room 652 on January 11, 2007.

A distinctive feature from the hotel’s past as a railway hotel is the tower with the clock, which always runs two minutes ahead. This meant that people who came to Waverley Station at the absolute last minute could still catch their train with a little more certainty.

 

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is a museum that depicts the history of Scotland from the 16th century to the present day through paintings of the people who over time exerted an influence on the development of the country. The museum was opened in 1889 in Robert Rowand Anderson’s neo-Gothic building from 1885-1890.

On a trip to the gallery, you can see royals, rebels and artists alike, and here are works by, for example, Dali, Picasso and Bertel Thorvaldsen, who made a sculpture of the writer Sir Walter Scott. The museum also contains a fine collection of Scottish works of art from the 20th century.

 

Scott Monument, Edinburgh

Scott Monument

The Scott Monument is a 61 meter high monument that was erected in memory of the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. After the world-renowned Scottish writer’s death in 1832, the stately Scott Monument was erected in his honor, the construction period was 1841-1844.

The tower is 61 meters high, and from the top there is a lovely view of the city and the beautiful park, Princes Street Gardens, where the Scott Monument stands. From the outside it is difficult to imagine how you can get to the top, but it is possible via a narrow spiral staircase.

 

National Gallery of Scotland

The National Gallery of Scotland is an art museum that houses a distinguished collection of European and Scottish paintings. The core of the current collection consists of a number of paintings that were transferred from the Royal Scottish Academy, and at the museum you can see works by Van Dyck, Raphael, Velázquez, van Gogh and Gauguin, among others.

The National Art Museum opened in 1859 in the neoclassical building that is still in use. It was the Scottish architect William Henry Playfair who designed the building. Before then, the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Scotland had started building a collection since 1819.

 

Royal Botanic Garden

The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is one of the world’s most species-rich botanical gardens, and it is a must for those interested in botany and for anyone who appreciates a trip in lovely green surroundings.

The garden was originally founded at Holyrood in 1670, and since 1820 it has had its current location. Here, among other things, there is a Chinese garden, a tropical house, Britain’s largest palm house, an orchid house and the garden’s famous stone garden with waterfalls.

Day Trips

Forth Rail Bridge, Scotland

South Queensferry

The town of South Queensferry is on the south side of the Firth of Forth, and on the other side is North Queensferry. Before the opening of the Forth Road Bridge in 1964, there was a ferry service between the two cities. Today, South Queensferry is a pleasant town that offers several attractions, not least the impressive bridges over the Firth of Forth.

The Forth Rail Bridge, which is actually just called the Forth Bridge, is one of the world’s most impressive, historic bridges. The colossal iron structure, which raises the double-track railway line from Edinburgh to the north a full 46 meters above high water level, was inaugurated in 1890 after seven years of construction. Back then, the construction was an engineering feat of great proportions.

You can see that the bridge is something special just by looking at it, as its dimensions are an icon for the large, riveted iron bridges of the time. The bridge is 2.5 kilometers long and the bridge towers are 104 meters high. More than 55,000 tons of steel, more than 18,000 cubic meters of granite and more than eight million rivets were used for the construction.

The modern suspension bridge, the Forth Road Bridge, is immediately west of the Forth Rail Bridge, and this too is an impressive sight.

 

Royal Yacht Britannia

Leith is a port town located immediately north-east of Edinburgh. Leith is urbanally connected to the Scottish capital, and you can also see here from, among other things, Edinburgh Castle.

In Leith’s harbor lies the former British royal ship Britannia, which was built in 1953 for Queen Elizabeth II. Visitors can experience the ship’s five decks and see for themselves how life unfolded on board during royal cruises at sea. Many prominent guests have been received here, e.g. Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela. Among the rooms you can see the queen’s bedroom, the official reception room and the dining room.

 

Rosslyn Chapel

Rosslyn Chapel is a small chapel that was built from 1456 and is believed to have been completed in the 1490s. The woodcarving workers and the rich decoration are some of the things that took several decades.

The chapel’s crypt has been the burial place of generations of the Sinclair family, descended from Norman knights. The crypt was once accessible from the church room, but has been closed for a long time, and this has given rise to various theories about the contents of the crypt, among others this is a topic in Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code.

There are also thoughts about the chapel’s connection with the Knights Templar, which was actually disbanded long before Rosslyn Chapel was built.

 

Tantallon Castle, Scotland

Tantallon Castle

The mighty castle ruins of Tantallon lie breathtakingly on top of the dramatic rocky coast facing the sea. The castle was built in the 14th century and belonged to the Douglas family. The castle’s defenses with high walls and towers are clearly visible. There is access to parts of the very interesting facility, where you can get a taste of Scotland’s history.

 

National Mining Museum Scotland

The National Mining Museum Scotland is located south-east of Edinburgh, and it is housed in a well-preserved coal mine from the 19th century. Coal miners guide you around the exciting mine tunnels, where you get a very good impression of both the daily work and the engineering of the excavations. Here you can also see Scotland’s largest steam engine.

 

Stirling

The city of Stirling is one of Scotland’s interesting provincial cities with a rich history, and the city has also been Scotland’s capital for a period. One of the dramatic events in the area was the Battle of Stirling in 1648, the battle was part of the Scottish Civil War.

There are many sights in the city, of which Stirling Castle is the largest. Like Edinburgh Castle, it is situated on a cliff top in the city centre, and from here there is a wide view over the beautiful valley area that extends west of the city.

 

Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and is located on the banks of the River Clyde. The city is already known from the 6th century, when it was an important religious center. Glasgow also became a bishop’s seat, but for several centuries there was no major settlement here. In 1175, Glasgow City Court was held, and this event paced the city’s development. A few centuries later, Glasgow gained a university in 1451, and the city became an archbishopric in 1492.

However, only around 1,500 inhabitants lived here in the 15th century, and the town did not boom before the 18th century. Here the city became a hub for trade with North America with a major river port along the Clyde. The cotton industry grew large in the 19th century, where shipyards and machine industry also caused prosperity in the city. In 1896, the Glasgow Subway opened as the fourth subway in the world, and through the end of the 20th century, the city’s industrial character changed to many new workplaces in e.g. the financial sector and tourism.

Read more about Glasgow

Shopping

Cameron Toll Shopping Center

6 Lady Road
camerontoll.co.uk

 

Gyle Shopping Center

21 Gyle Avenue
gyleshopping.co.uk

 

Jenners Department Store

48 Princes Street
houseoffraser.co.uk

 

Ocean Terminal

Ocean Drive, Leith
oceanterminal.com

 

St. James Shopping Center

Leith Street
stjamesshopping.com

 

Shopping streets

Leith Street, Nicolson Street, Princes Street, Royal Mile (Lawnmarket and High Street)

With Kids

Aquarium

Deep Sea World
North Queensferry, 18 km/11 mi NW
deepseaworld.com

 

Natural History

Dynamic Earth
Holyrood Road
dynamicearth.co.uk

 

Thrill

Edinburgh Dungeon
31 Market Street
thedungeons.com

 

Zoological garden

Edinburgh Zoo
Corstorphine Road
edinburghzoo.org.uk

 

Children’s Museum

Museum of Childhood
42 High Street, Royal Mile
cac.org.uk

 

Flight Museum

Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield
nms.ac.uk

City History

Early History

The first settlers came to the Edinburgh area around 850 BC The place has obviously been attractive due to the 134 meter high cliff, Castle Rock, which has been able to act as a natural defense position and lookout post all the way to the water to the north.

In the 500s, the English moved north from England and colonized south-east Scotland. It was during this period that Edinburgh got its name – when King Edwin of Northumberland built his castle here. It originally came to Edwinsburgh.

 

The city takes shape

The castle in Edinburgh long seemed to be Scotland’s southernmost border. It was not until 1018 during King Malcolm II that the boundary line was taken along River Tweed.

The fact that the city was no longer just a citizen on the border, but a centerpiece in a Scottish region, led to the rapid development of a large trade below Castle Rock in the 1000s.

In the 1100s, the first major permanent residences were built in the area below the castle, and Edinburgh was thus a reality as a city.

Edinburgh was granted commercial property rights in 1329 under Robert the Bruce, which contributed to the city’s continued growth. Within the following century, the city became Scotland’s leader and in 1437 it became the nation’s capital. A few years later, in the mid-1400s, city walls were erected around the buildings and the market area.

 

Edinburgh is growing

The city’s growth continued, and the area within the city walls quickly became extremely cramped, so Edinburgh was built on several floors (with time up to the currently impressive twelve floors), separating it from many other cities during the period. In addition to the city gaining more citizens, it underwent a cultural and scientific development.

During this period, educational institutions and companies were founded in Edinburgh, among others in the printing industry. The city was now the clear leader in the area.

 

The turning point of the 16th century

was to become a turning point in the development of the city. King James IV of Scotland fought with his 10,000 soldiers at the Battle of the River. He was killed and Edinburgh’s development stopped for a time.

England’s King Henry VIII wanted King James IV’s sister Mary to marry his son, but Mary was sent to France by the Scots instead. Edinburgh was then attacked by England led by King Henry VIII.

It was also during these decades in the mid-1500s that religious strife emerged on the basis of the Reformation. The clashes between Catholics and supporters of the Reformation culminated in 1560, when the Scottish Parliament founded the Scottish Protestant Church, which was independent of the Vatican’s Pope. The Pope’s authority disappeared and Latin was assigned to the high fairs.

 

New rule from London

King James VII became King of England and Scotland, and he left his residence in London. The influence of Edinburgh diminished further and religious disagreements flared up again.

In 1633, King Charles I proposed the introduction of diocesan rule in Scotland, which only furthered the struggle of the Christian community. After a few years, the Presbyterian faith community had won this religious struggle. The event was instrumental in creating a new cultural and intellectual boom in Edinburgh.

The political influence of the city was reduced by the Union Agreement of 1707, which established a united parliament for England and Scotland, and thereby Scotland was ruled from London.

 

Growth from the 18th century

Population figures and economically, the latter half of the 18th and 19th centuries became a solid period of growth. The population quadrupled in the period to 400,000. The old town was redeveloped and new areas were built with many beautiful Georgian buildings.

 

20th Century and today

The city that visitors can see today has emerged through centuries of exciting history and construction. It has been influenced by the 20th century redevelopment of some boroughs, while the establishment of modern Edinburgh.

After 1945, the city was developed into an international research and education center. In addition to this cultural development, Edinburgh’s former political position as a city of government has been re-established. A new Scottish Parliament has been established, making Edinburgh once again the absolute political center of Scotland.

Edinburgh is today considered one of the best places to live in the UK, with a rich cultural offering, low crime rate and a highly educated population, and it is all something that also benefits tourists.

Geolocation

In short

Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh, Scotland[/caption]

Overview of Talkeetna

Edinburgh is Scotland’s old and charming capital, where chill and bagpipe music is seen and heard in the streets. Sandstone buildings, the cozy Old Town, The Royal Mile, breathtaking views from the hills in or near the center and stunningly beautiful surroundings are just some of the other things that come with a visit to the Scottish city.

Literally, Edinburgh Castle is the highlight of the city, with its dramatic location at the top of a cliff top right in the city center. The castle is the center of the city and also the center of the city’s famous tattoo. From Edinburgh Castle, the famous Royal Mile extends east to the Holyroodhouse Castle, and there are countless sights along the mile. Old churches and typical Scottish houses are abundant here.

About the Whitehorse travel guide

Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English

About the travel guide

The Whitehorse travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Canadian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

Whitehorse is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

Read more about Whitehorse and Canada

Canada Travel Guide: https://vamados.com/canada
City tourism: https://visitwhite-horse.ca
Main Page: https://www.vamados.com/

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Whitehorse you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Travel Expert

Stig Albeck

Gallery

Gallery

Other Attractions

Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh

Holyrood Abbey

The church of Holyrood Abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I in the very place where he believed he had received a vision. Several Scottish kings were buried in the church, Queen Marie Stuart was married here, and King Charles I was crowned here in 1633.

In 1768, the church’s roof structure collapsed and, despite its rich history, the building was allowed to fall into disrepair without being rebuilt again.

 

Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

Camera Obscura is the name of one of Edinburgh’s most spectacular sights. Here, at the top of the old building, you can get access to sit in a room around a wooden slab, where the whole of Edinburgh is reflected and thus shown as a living film through revolving mirrors. The place was opened as early as 1853 by an optician who wanted to give the city’s citizens a new attraction, in a time when there were no cinemas and almost no photographs.

In the building’s other floors is the World of Illusions museum, which produces a series of illusions, holograms, mirror images and so on for the eye. The visit is fun and interesting for curious souls.

 

The Museum of Edinburgh

The Museum of Edinburgh is Edinburgh’s city history museum, and through its fine collection you can follow the history of the area and the city from prehistoric times to the present day. In addition to many informative descriptions, there are a number of fine effects such as applied art and colorful shop signs.

The museum is partly housed in Huntly House, which is a well-kept house from the 16th century. However, the house has been extended in the following centuries.

 

The Queen’s Gallery

In connection with Holyroodhouse is the art museum The Queen’s Gallery, which houses changing exhibitions of works from the British royal art collection. The museum opened in 2002 in connection with Queen Elizabeth II’s jubilee.

Part of the museum is housed in a former church in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The church was erected in 1850 as Holyrood Free Church of Scotland.

 

Greyfriars Kirk

The church Greyfriars Kirk was built in 1612 and is known for being the place where the National Covenant was signed in 1638. The National Covenant is synonymous with the religious Scottish Reformation. The name Greyfriars comes from the Gray Friars, an order under the Franciscan monks in the time before the Reformation.

The church is like an oasis away from the streets of Edinburgh, surrounded by buildings that shield the traffic. Surrounding the church is a cemetery, where stones and memorial plaques are not only in the ground, but also sit on the cemetery walls.

 

Victoria Street, Edinburgh

Victoria Street

Many people will probably recognize Victoria Street from photographs from Edinburgh. It is a street that connects the low-lying square of the Grassmarket with the streets that stretch up the ridge at the end of which Edinburgh Castle stands.

Some of the central city’s tallest buildings are located in the street, which, in addition to the street level, has a kind of terrace for a large part of the street’s length on the northern side. The terrace is reached by a staircase on the north side of the street around the middle.

Victoria Street offers a unified whole of the atmospheric painted shop fronts found around both Edinburgh and the rest of the UK.

 

Balmoral Hotel

The Balmoral Hotel is Edinburgh’s distinguished, traditional hotel. It opened its doors in 1902 under the name North British Hotel, and it was a typical railway hotel at the time, as its location next to Waverley station also indicates.

In the late 1980s, the hotel was heavily modernized and named after the British royal family’s Scottish summer castle, Balmoral Castle. Many celebrities have lived here over time, and among the most recent events was when author J. K. Rowling completed the last book in the Harry Potter series in room 652 on January 11, 2007.

A distinctive feature from the hotel’s past as a railway hotel is the tower with the clock, which always runs two minutes ahead. This meant that people who came to Waverley Station at the absolute last minute could still catch their train with a little more certainty.

 

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is a museum that depicts the history of Scotland from the 16th century to the present day through paintings of the people who over time exerted an influence on the development of the country. The museum was opened in 1889 in Robert Rowand Anderson’s neo-Gothic building from 1885-1890.

On a trip to the gallery, you can see royals, rebels and artists alike, and here are works by, for example, Dali, Picasso and Bertel Thorvaldsen, who made a sculpture of the writer Sir Walter Scott. The museum also contains a fine collection of Scottish works of art from the 20th century.

 

Scott Monument, Edinburgh

Scott Monument

The Scott Monument is a 61 meter high monument that was erected in memory of the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. After the world-renowned Scottish writer’s death in 1832, the stately Scott Monument was erected in his honor, the construction period was 1841-1844.

The tower is 61 meters high, and from the top there is a lovely view of the city and the beautiful park, Princes Street Gardens, where the Scott Monument stands. From the outside it is difficult to imagine how you can get to the top, but it is possible via a narrow spiral staircase.

 

National Gallery of Scotland

The National Gallery of Scotland is an art museum that houses a distinguished collection of European and Scottish paintings. The core of the current collection consists of a number of paintings that were transferred from the Royal Scottish Academy, and at the museum you can see works by Van Dyck, Raphael, Velázquez, van Gogh and Gauguin, among others.

The National Art Museum opened in 1859 in the neoclassical building that is still in use. It was the Scottish architect William Henry Playfair who designed the building. Before then, the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Scotland had started building a collection since 1819.

 

Royal Botanic Garden

The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is one of the world’s most species-rich botanical gardens, and it is a must for those interested in botany and for anyone who appreciates a trip in lovely green surroundings.

The garden was originally founded at Holyrood in 1670, and since 1820 it has had its current location. Here, among other things, there is a Chinese garden, a tropical house, Britain’s largest palm house, an orchid house and the garden’s famous stone garden with waterfalls.

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