Categories: Opinion and Editorial

Fun Things to Do in Edinburgh, Scotland (and Some Are FREE)

I’ve been living in Europe for longer than I care to remember, and for most of that time I never had much inclination to visit Edinburgh, Scotland. Maybe someone told me it rained a lot in Edinburgh, or maybe someone said the people weren’t friendly or possibly I was told the Loch Ness Monster didn’t exist. Whatever the reasons were; let me tell you THEY ARE ALL WRONG!

Quite simply: Edinburgh ROCKS! I discovered a new city that deserves the moniker of being “the city that never sleeps”.

To start with, there’s probably never been a better time than now to fly to Scotland. Depending on WHERE you fly from will dictate your price. But if you’re already in Europe, I recommend RyanAir or EasyJet which fly from hubs all over Europe. We flew out of Italy and prices were about 60.00 euro a person. I have friends who flew out of Germany and paid even less and I have friends in England who paid about 10.00 euro a person. Don’t forget that most low cost airlines tack on an airport tax and a baggage tax which will hike up the price of your ticket. But I’m convinced that the prices are STILL lower than most national airlines.

But let’s get to the subject at hand: Edingburgh! During the middle of August you can take in the Edingburgh summer festival – better known as the Fringe – and pretty much enjoy entertainment every night of week. Whether it’s street performers or comedians, singers and dancers…the Edingburgh Fest spotlights up-and-coming entertainers from all over. Some acts are free and some cost a few pounds but one thing is for sure: you’ll have the time of your life.

Certainly you’ll want to check out the Edinburgh Castle (www.historic-scotland.gov.uk), entry fee £10.30 for adults and £4.50 for kids under 15). The EC hovers above Edingburgh like a big brother. It’s easy hike to the top and once there you’ll enjoy exhibits on Scotland’s Family Jewels, swords and armor, a prison and more. A great way to spend the day with plenty of photo ops. My favorite place? A small dog cemetery where mascots of the military have been faithfully laid to rest over the years.

And then there are night tours. Name your pleasure: ghosts and goblins? Torture chambers? Cemetery’s? Just pick one and get ready for chills and thrills. In Edinburgh, there’s a hidden network of streets under the cobblestone beneath your feet and several tours take you into Edinburgh’s deep, dark past. One of the most popular is the “Real Mary King’s Close” (www.realmarykingsclose.com). A “close’ represents a portion of the city that was blocked up, shut down and built over. The result? A honeycomb of rooms and back alleys where real people lived, worked and died. For centuries, they have lain forgotten and abandoned.

Looking for a real challenge? Try a Pub Crawl! Pub Crawls aren’t so much organized as just “there”. Most folks tend to pick a direction and start hitting all the pubs which seem to pop up every 20 meters or so! Some of the most popular are Jekyll & Hyde (112, Hanover St EH2 1DR 0131 225 2022). Believe it or not, the character of Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde was based on a real person and that individual was hung not far from this famous street corner pub, Frankenstein is next (26 George IV Bridge, EH1 (622 1818) This four-floor Edinburgh pub opened in the late 1990’s in a refurbished Pentecostal church of all things! The top floors overlook a ground-floor bar where pictures and models of Frankenstein’s monster reinforce the Gothic theme, another is the Last Drop Tavern (74 Grassmarket EH1 2JR 0131 225 4851) So-called because it is near where public hangings used to happen! If you’ve never done a Pub crawl the “rules’ are pretty simple: Visit, drink a pint and move on. The goal visit as many pubs in Edinburgh as you can before closing time!

If you have kids in tow than check out the Edinburgh Zoo (www.edinburghzoo.com) or the Edinburgh Museum (free to get in ). I’ll be honest with you: I thought the EZ sucked. Now maybe I just got there too early, because it seemed like most of the animals were sleeping in, but my daughter liked it and that’s what counts. The Zoo is situated on a hill so expect a lot of walking. The Museum is much cooler (literally – cuz it’s indoors) with some great exhibits, many of which are interactive to keep your kids occupied while you sit and rest or spend money in the gift shop. I thought the exhibits on torture were very eye-opening.

Speaking of torture…the Edinburgh Dungeon ( www.thedungeons.com) was a hoot. Apparently, this attraction switched gears several years ago and no longer aims to scare its patrons. Laughter is the order of business these days, and it’s a real pisser. Combining the real and urban legends of Edinburgh’s past into a tour that lasts about an hour.

There’s so much to do and see in Edinburgh you’re time will fly by. In fact, for me a return trip is already being planned because there’s so much STILL to do. The most valuable site I can recommend is www.visitscotland.com which breaks the city down in to every imaginable category possible while providing times, prices and locations for you at the same time.

Have a great trip…..and don’t forget to send me a postcard.