1. Admiring the stunning views from the top of Edinburgh Castle.
2. Stopping by Mothers gin bar to sample some amazing Scottish gins.
3. Scaling the iconic Scott Monument.
4. Diving headfirst into Scottish history at the Museum of Scotland.
5. Strolling through Greyfriars Kirkyard, visiting the notable names buried there.
6. Taking a nap in The Meadows on a nice summer day.
7. Visiting the corny Scotch Whisky Experience to learn more about this important beverage.
8. Catching a glimpse of the city’s newest UNESCO site the Forth Bridge.
9. Learning about the impressive history of St. Giles’ Cathedral.
10. If it’s a gloomy day, spending some down time at the Scottish National Galleries.
11. Touring Holyrood Palace.
12. Taking a long walk down Princes Street.
13. Skipping the pubs one evening and instead catching a movie at the historic Cameo Cinema.
14. Wandering around town without any place to be, just enjoying the city for what it is.
15. Reliving the Da Vinci Code at Rosslyn Chapel.
16. Eating or not eating haggis.
17. Enjoying a night out on the town at any of the city’s great bars and pubs.
18. Meandering around the lush Royal Botanic Garden.
19. Planning a trip to coincide with either Hogmanay over New Year’s or the iconic Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
20. For yet another amazing view of Edinburgh, visiting Calton Hill.
21. Giving homage at the statue of Greyfriars Bobby.
22. Trekking out to Leith for some of the best pub grub around.
23. Seeing how the Royals live touring the Royal Yacht Britannia.
24. Listening to some of the best ceilidh music in the country.
25. Admiring the architecture and style of the New Town.
26. Seeing in person the world famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
27. Going on a ghost tour to learn more about the city’s eerie past.
28. Jumping on a tram and seeing where it takes you!
29. Chatting with locals and learning why they love their city so much.
30. Window shopping along trendy George Street.
31. Hiking up to Arthur’s Seat on a sunny day for a completely different view of the city.
32. Buying your family tartan, or something close to it.
33. Listening to bagpipers along the Royal Mile.
34. Watching a football or rugby match at a local pub.
35. Strolling through the historic but quirky Grassmarket area and stopping off at some of the independent stores lining the streets.
36. Stepping back in time at Mary King’s Close.
37. Learning more about Scottish history at Edinburgh Castle.
38. Gazing up at the strangely beautiful modern Scottish Parliament Building.
39. Leaving Edinburgh for at least a day or two to see some of the other great areas around Scotland, from the Highlands to St. Andrews and more.
40. Going on a literary themed pub crawl.
41. Spending a restful night at the luxury Waldorf-Astoria The Caledonian
42. Wandering off along any of the side streets on the Royal Mile to discover nooks and crannies of the city you didn’t know existed.
Loved walking down the Royal Mile! And also loved the corny whisky experience. Had to ‘blend’ in ;) Edinburgh is such a charming city with fantastic architecture. Many reasons to love the city indeed. Lovely post!
Hi, Matt! I just found your blog and I am supremely impressed with your beautiful writing style and profound love of traveling. Next year, I am hopefully studying abroad in Edinburgh for the fall semester and your photos certainly provoked a newfound sense of excitement. If you go back to Scotland, you should venture up to Isle of Skye – I’ve heard that it feels like you’ve fallen into another world. I hope you give it a go and see another reason why Scotland is so enchanting for many around the world. Thanks again for letting me see Scotland through your eyes!