EDINBURGH Economic Travel Guide
The Perfect 2-Day Tour to Scotland: Edinburgh and the Highlands
Scotland is a country with its own flag, parliament and capital, which is independent in internal affairs but dependent on the United Kingdom in foreign affairs.
Edinburgh the capital of Scotland. This city, which has a real medieval atmosphere, is almost an open-air museum.. Every street you pass, every building you see smells of history. It is one of the rare cities that managed to survive without deterioration and industrialization until today.. The largest financial center in England after London and the second most populous city in Scotland.
The people living in this city, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, are friendly, friendly and helpful. The locals of this city, which receives almost no sun, immediately reveal themselves with their white skin.. They have an elusive and awkward Scottish accent. It’s natural that you don’t understand when they desperately try to describe a place to you.. So “Oh my God, my English is so bad.” Don’t think so
Edinburgh is really a tiny little city full of pickles. You can even complete the must-see places in the city on a day tour, but we recommend that you stay at least one night and experience this city to the heart.
To Edinburgh from Turkey If you are going, don’t forget to turn your clocks back 2 hours and bring an umbrella, raincoat and a pair of waterproof sneakers with you no matter what season you go.. Because the famous thin, thin rain of this city, which rains almost every day of the year, will sneakily wet you.
As additional information; Thousands of people died in the plague epidemic that started in the 17th century in this city, which was famous for burning witches in ancient times.
HOW TO GET TO EDINBURGH: HOW TO GET TO EDINBURGH ?
Scotland, Wales and England are connected to the United Kingdom and this island on which it is located is called Great Britain (UK). The visa you also need to go to Edinburgh UK visa. So you will have to do the same things you did for London.
Before you get a UK visa, find out what type of visa you need from this address to see the most suitable visa application for you. After you create an account on the UK official website and answer the questions asked, you approve your application.. At the appointment stage, you can choose the visa center and date that suits you best.. Be sure to choose a date when you can collect all documents after paying the application fee online. Do not forget to carefully read the incoming e-mails.. Since online registration and questions are in English, it would be useful to have someone with you in English.. Finally, you can go to your appointment together with the relevant documents, taking the confirmation page that you have paid the visa fee and the printout of your application form.
By plane: Edinburgh International Airport, known as Scotland’s busiest airport, can be reached by connecting or direct flights from almost every country.. It is possible to reach the city center from the airport by trams that depart every 10 minutes or by Airlink Express Bus (shuttle) services that operate day and night.
By train: There are two train stations, Waverley Railway Station and Haymarket.. If you get on the train without buying your train ticket, you have the opportunity to buy it from the conductor, but our advice is not to get on the train without buying a ticket in England, because both the conductors are very hard-tempered and they can impose an extra penalty on the tickets bought in the train.. When faced with such a situation, be cute and try to make up for it by using simple words like “tourist”, “me no English”
By bus: Bus departure and destination St.. Located in Andrew Square. If you have a plan to leave your luggage and visit the city and then continue your journey again, we recommend that you choose the “left luggage service” located at the bus terminal because the fares are higher at the train station.
EDINBURGH CITY TRANSPORTATION
You can choose buses for city transportation in Edinburgh. However, we recommend you to explore this city on foot, as all the must-see spots are within walking distance of each other.. As always
ACCOMMODATION IN EDINBURGH: WHERE TO STAY IN EDINBURGH?
It will be enough to do a brief research on booking.com for hotels to stay in Edinburgh.. Due to being a touristic city, hotels in Edinburgh are more expensive than other Scottish cities.. Especially renting an apartment or bed & breakfast alternatives are more expensive than youth hostels.
George Street in the New Town area in the north, Old Town in the south, with Princes Street in the middle. You can define it as Grassmarket Street and Holyrood road in the following area.. This will provide you with a comfortable transportation opportunity that you will be within walking distance for both your city tour and activities such as shopping, dining and entertainment. ?
Walk: Walk a lot in this museum-like and fairy-tale city that has survived from the Middle Ages to the present day. The curved road stretching from George IV bridge to Grassmarket, Victoria Street, is full of boutique design shops.. We recommend taking a tour of this winding road in and out of these shops.
Shortbread: In the Highlands of Scotland You will definitely want to bring it with you after you taste these cookies, which are similar to the flour cookies we have.. Some brands have Scottish pictures and patterns on their gift boxes, if you prefer them, you can keep the boxes as a souvenir and use them even after your cookies are finished.
Vizki Museum: One of the first things that comes to mind when Scotland is mentioned is “Scotch Whiskey”.. Even if you’re not a whiskey lover, you certainly can’t get back from Edinburgh without visiting the whiskey museum and bringing a local Scotch Whiskey with you!
Meadows: Edinburgh The University’s main campus is ideal for a picnic on a dry day. We recommend you take a break on campus with the students to breathe in the local air of the city.
Kilt: The Scots are notorious for their extreme commitment to their traditions and culture.. We recommend that you try the traditional Scottish dress kilt (skirts with each plaid representing a different family) and even buy it if it doesn’t exceed your budget.. Since we traveled to Edinburgh on a very low budget, we could only buy plaid hats.. If we were sane now we would definitely buy a kilt because it would be a very stylish and flashy costume for any costume party
Backpipe: To listen to this National Scottish wind instrument, which consists of four whistles and a lance attached to a jumpsuit, we recommend that you take a break in front of a street player that you will definitely come across on your way.
WHAT TO EAT IN EDINBURGH? WHAT TO DRINK?
Full Scottish Breakfast: We recommend you to have a typical Scottish breakfast similar to England’s Full English Breakfast.
Haggis: It is a dish made by stuffing the stomach of sheep (that is, the trace of the rumen) with boiled offal such as finely chopped liver, heart and lungs mixed with oat flour, salt, bulgur, grapes, peanuts and lots of spices. it’s pudding. It is a traditional Scottish dish served with turnip and potatoes.
Black Pudding: This traditional dish, called black pudding, is also consumed for breakfast.. Since we learned that it is made of dry pig blood, we did not try it, which is not very nice in appearance, but you say, “I eat everything!” Here you go.
Scotch Pie and Bridie: In short, meat pie. One of the most consumed local flavors by locals.
Shortbread cookies cannot be skipped here, either.
Scottish Whiskey is the country’s first national drink, and a soft drink called Irn-Bru comes in second.
SHOPPING IN EDINBURGH
Prices street should be your first destination for shopping. There are luxury stores of expensive brands on this street, as well as cheap but quality alternative chain stores that you can come across almost everywhere in England, such as Primark.
St. Andrew Square and Multrees Walk, an area with more famous and expensive shops. If you want to buy cashmere sweaters, we suggest you take a look at the stores here.
EDINBURGH CITY TOUR
While we were students in Portsmouth, we had a 4-day self-organized trip to Edinburgh.. After completing the sights of the city, which we will explain in detail below, with slow steps in 2 days,. we took the day Highlands tour and 4. We reserved the day for shopping, walking in the busy streets of the city without rushing, sitting in cafes, observing the people and resting.. If you have a time constraint, Edinburgh is actually the perfect city to plan for a 2-day vacation.. So you can spend one day in the city center and another day on the Highlands tour and explore all the highlights without the hustle and bustle.. As always, we recommend you to explore Edinburgh and walk in the city, but if you wish, you can easily tour the city with the hop on-hop off buses, get off at the stop you want, get on the bus again and continue your tour after visiting the surroundings.
Day 1: Edinburgh City Center
Only 3 hours we’ve drawn for you With this pleasant walking route that will continue, we will tell you the priority places to see. You can continue walking in places other than the route we have drawn in order to enjoy the city in the rest of your time, or you can relax in a park and observe your surroundings.
Places to see on this Edinburgh route: Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile, St Giles’ Cathedral, Scottish Parliament,The Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Arthur’s Seat, The Meadows and Edinburgh University camp Base, Greyfriars Bobby and the National Museum of Scotland, Scott Monument, Calton Hill, The Nelson Monument, Royal Botanic Garden and then the West End Village, which we could not add to the map.
Princes Street Gardens: A quiet, peaceful and magnificent park along Princes Street, where seagulls will roam beside you and you will get lost among the many varieties of flowers.
Edinburgh Castle : In this magnificent castle located just behind Princes Street Gardens, a 360 degree city view that you can’t get enough of is waiting for you.. Every day at 13:00 in the castle, shooting is done with a wheeled cannon called “one o’clock gun”.. Located in the old city center, this castle is visited by millions of people, so there can be a very long ticket queue.. But be patient, because not only the view of the castle is worth it, but the rooms inside it.
The Royal Mile: The name of this stony road that will come in front of you when you exit Edinburgh Castle is actually High Street, but popularly known as The Royal Mile. Along the way from Edinburgh castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, you will encounter street performers playing the bagpipes.. St Giles’ Cathedral (The High Kirk of Edinburgh) on your way will also draw you in with its gothic architecture.
Scottish Parliament as we mentioned before, Scotland’s own The parliament building and the royal family’s official accommodation in its immediate vicinity are the two other touristic spots on our route, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The People’s Story museum and The Queen’s Gallery Royal Mile You will come across it as you head towards the palace.. We visited The People’s Story museum and we highly recommend it to you.
Arthur’s Seat: First come to this special conservation area, around Holyrood Park, where you can watch the magnificent view of Edinburgh from the top. You can reach it after a long walk by following the other tourists on the pathway there.
Take a short break after this long and difficult walk to The Meadows and Edinburgh University campus Arthur’s Seat. It will be an ideal stop for you to take a rest and take a rest.
Greyfriars Bobby: This Skye Terrier dog, which has been the subject of movies and novels, buried its owner’s grave for 14 years until his death in 1872. became legendary with its protection. The statue made for this faithful dog is located in the Greyfriars Kirkyard area and it will definitely catch your eye.
National Museum of Scotland: Because of how intertwined with the culture and history of the Scots and still their traditions. we talked about sticking. We definitely recommend you to see this rich natural and world culture museum.
Scott Monument: Located on Princes Street, just outside Princes Street Garden, Scott Monument, Scottish author It is a gothic monument to Sir Walter Scott.. This monument is known as the largest monument built for a writer in the world.
Calton Hill: It is the place of special works and monuments from the Enlightenment era, lined up on a lush green landscape. This area is among the historical points of Edinburgh.
The Nelson Monument: This monument, located at the top of Calton Hill, is the victory he won against the French and Spanish in the Battle of Trafalgar. It was built in memory of Admiral Horatio Nelson. Nelson lost his life in the same war.
Royal Botanic Garden: This park, which has no entrance fee, is an ideal place for a picnic with its many different types of flowers and landscaping. You can relieve the tiredness of the whole day and gather some natural energy for the next stop on your route, the shopping area 🙂
West End Village: Located 15 minutes’ walk from Princes Street boutiques, galleries and gift shops in this area will be like medicine for you at the end of the day.
2. Day 1: Stirling Castle and Highlands Tour
Stirling Castle: King I. You should see the monument (William Wallace Monument) of Scottish knight Sir William Wallace, one of Scotland’s greatest national heroes, who led his citizens in the resistance against England during the reign of Edward. You will remember the subject from the movie Brave Heart.. The view is as magnificent as the inside of the castle!
Highlands Tour: One of the most important activities to do in Edinburgh is to spend your money and join the Highlands tour.. Highlands is a name given to the northern and western part of Scotland usually surrounded by mountains and lakes.. If you wish, you can join a day tour and see Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond, or you can choose tours with accommodation options of 3 or 5 days and see places that are not quite possible to explore on your own.. You will also learn interesting facts about Vikings, the Loch Ness monster and history on these tours.
FUN AND NIGHTLIFE IN EDINBURGH
Scotland is also famous for its cabarets and theaters. If it fits your schedule, we recommend you to spend a pleasant evening at The Stand or Cabaret Voltaire.
In this city, where the night life is quite colorful, you can visit the Grassmarket for a drink. We recommend that you go to Under the Stairs is just one of many alternatives you can choose.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT CLOSE TO EDINBURGH: ALTERNATIVE TOURS
Besides the Highlands tour, we strongly recommend you to travel with the Jacobite Steam Train.
You will also remember from the Harry Potter movie, with these trains, you will have a wonderful experience. you can travel. If you are going to stay in Edinburgh for more than 2 days and you have chosen the 3-night alternative in the Highlands tour that we will recommend below, you probably traveled on this steam train.. But if you want to have an adventure on your own, you need to go to Fort William first.. Jacobite Trains run between Fort William and Mallaig from May to the end of October. You can click for ticket prices and departure times
Apart from that, if you don’t have time and budget problems, you can find our blog post for other trips you can take while you have a UK visa.
EDINBURGH TRAVEL NOTES
- The Scottish accent is a bit interesting. It may be difficult for you to understand or get along with Scots. However, since the Scots are very friendly and helpful people, do not hesitate to chat with them or ask for help.
- A must! Make sure to visit the Whiskey Museum.
- Don’t miss the Highlands tour.
- Walk a lot and enjoy this city.
Happy holidays..