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Get inspired for your Edinburgh break with Picolo.","6209df0a-c59f-4fb8-ac66-ba89c9342c61",[249,255,269,301,315,346,359,379,393,413,434,454,467,487,501,516,535,545,558,578,588,619,633,663,713],{"_uid":250,"text":251,"theme":14,"title":252,"cta_link":253,"overline":14,"component":254,"cta_label":14,"align_text":14,"reduced_width":146},"806f5cd4-9949-43c5-86e9-475f20a42e32","A castle on an old volcano, a medieval Old Town full of closes and a summer of festivals. Here is our guide to Scotland's capital, from the Royal Mile to Leith.","Things to do in Edinburgh",{"id":14,"url":14,"linktype":28,"fieldtype":29,"cached_url":14},"CategoryHeading",{"_uid":256,"image":257,"theme":14,"author":14,"component":266,"caption_text":267,"caption_title":268,"image_caption":14},"bdf73050-dd79-440d-b005-87bc8d2c037f",{"id":14,"alt":258,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":259,"width":260,"height":261,"source":262,"filename":243,"copyright":262,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":263,"public_id":264,"aspect_ratio":265,"is_external_url":146},"The clock tower of the Balmoral Hotel rising above the rooftops of Edinburgh in golden evening light, with hills on the horizon","Klokketårnet ved The Balmoral Hotel",3925,2616,"VisitBritain\u002FMaria Grazia Sinatra",{"alt":258,"title":259,"source":262,"copyright":262},"balmoral-hotel-klokketarn-edinburgh-skottland",1.5003822629969419,"FullImage","The Balmoral clock tower is one of the landmarks of Princes Street, between the Old Town and the New Town.","Edinburgh at golden hour",{"_uid":270,"body":271,"card":298,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"a8a1bac0-270c-4208-9103-0c67fb76cdb8",{"type":272,"content":273},"doc",[274,282,288,293],{"type":275,"attrs":276,"content":278},"heading",{"level":277,"textAlign":143},2,[279],{"text":280,"type":281},"Edinburgh: Scotland's capital between castles and volcanoes","text",{"type":283,"attrs":284,"content":285},"paragraph",{"textAlign":143},[286],{"text":287,"type":281},"Few cities make a first impression like Edinburgh. The tram from the airport drops you right below a castle perched on an old volcano, and behind it the Old Town rises in layer upon layer of dark stone, towers and steep lanes. You can tell straight away that this is a city with a lot of stories to tell.",{"type":283,"attrs":289,"content":290},{"textAlign":143},[291],{"text":292,"type":281},"As the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh has been a centre of power for hundreds of years, and it still shapes the city today. Royal palaces, old churches and fascinating museums sit side by side with modern bars and good restaurants.",{"type":283,"attrs":294,"content":295},{"textAlign":143},[296],{"text":297,"type":281},"Best of all, everything is close together. The centre is small enough to walk everywhere, and on a long weekend you can fit in the castle, a hilltop walk, a couple of museums and a proper night in the pub. Come in August and the festivals turn the whole city into one big stage.",[],"0","BodyBlock",{"_uid":302,"image":303,"theme":14,"author":14,"component":266,"caption_text":313,"caption_title":314,"image_caption":14},"4e48ea70-ef4e-4c63-9f13-967f05fb5121",{"id":14,"alt":304,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":305,"width":306,"height":307,"source":308,"filename":309,"copyright":308,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":310,"public_id":311,"aspect_ratio":312,"is_external_url":146},"Sunlit reddish rock face of Salisbury Crags by Arthur's Seat, with two tiny figures on top and Edinburgh and its castle in the hazy background under a blue sky","Salisbury Crags over byen",1682,1114,"VisitBritain\u002F Graham Niven","https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785436198\u002Farthurs-seat-salisbury-crags-scotland-edinburgh.png",{"alt":304,"title":305,"source":308,"copyright":308},"arthurs-seat-salisbury-crags-scotland-edinburgh",1.5098743267504489,"These are Salisbury Crags, the steep cliffs at the edge of Holyrood Park close to the centre. Look for the two people at the very top: they give you a sense of how high the drop is.","Salisbury Crags above the city",{"_uid":316,"body":317,"card":345,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"912d0e31-dc4f-432a-a99e-9fea09875291",{"type":272,"content":318},[319,324,329,335,340],{"type":275,"attrs":320,"content":321},{"level":277,"textAlign":143},[322],{"text":323,"type":281},"Sights and experiences in Edinburgh",{"type":283,"attrs":325,"content":326},{"textAlign":143},[327],{"text":328,"type":281},"Most of Edinburgh's highlights are packed in and around the Old Town, so you can see a lot in a short time without a map or a bus. 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It is no coincidence that this was chosen as the site of a fortress.","The castle on Castle Rock",{"_uid":360,"body":361,"card":378,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"e06b0c21-4491-4fa4-9e7f-ecb85598c719",{"type":272,"content":362},[363,368,373],{"type":275,"attrs":364,"content":365},{"level":331,"textAlign":143},[366],{"text":367,"type":281},"The Royal Mile: the backbone of the Old Town",{"type":283,"attrs":369,"content":370},{"textAlign":143},[371],{"text":372,"type":281},"From the castle, the Royal Mile runs down through the whole Old Town, a long cobbled street full of buskers, pubs and small shops. On the way you pass the mighty St Giles' Cathedral. But it is when you turn off the main street into the narrow passages the Scots call closes that the city feels most authentic.",{"type":283,"attrs":374,"content":375},{"textAlign":143},[376],{"text":377,"type":281},"Below ground lies a whole little city. At the Real Mary King's Close you can head down into old streets that were built over and forgotten centuries ago, and the guides are just as happy to talk about ghosts as about history. If you need warmth and a little calm afterwards, the free National Museum of Scotland is close by, one of the very best places in the city to spend a rainy hour.",[],{"_uid":380,"image":381,"theme":14,"author":14,"component":266,"caption_text":391,"caption_title":392,"image_caption":14},"3aab3efc-77be-45ae-9d8a-8710c04caaef",{"id":14,"alt":382,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":383,"width":384,"height":385,"source":386,"filename":387,"copyright":386,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":388,"public_id":389,"aspect_ratio":390,"is_external_url":146},"The Royal Mile in Edinburgh packed with people during the Fringe festival, lined with tall historic stone buildings","Royal Mile",5354,3569,"VisitBritain\u002FPinzutu","https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785410578\u002Froyal-mile-edinburgh-festival-fringe-scotland-uk.jpg",{"alt":382,"title":383,"source":386,"copyright":386},"royal-mile-edinburgh-festival-fringe-scotland-uk",1.50014009526478,"During the Fringe in August, street performers turn the Royal Mile into one long stage, with free tasters of shows from all over the city. It is one of the best ways to feel the festival atmosphere without buying a single ticket.","The Royal Mile",{"_uid":394,"body":395,"card":412,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"1a81edaf-966b-4f04-9b56-ccce56cbbee7",{"type":272,"content":396},[397,402,407],{"type":275,"attrs":398,"content":399},{"level":331,"textAlign":143},[400],{"text":401,"type":281},"Victoria Street and the Grassmarket: the city's Harry Potter corner",{"type":283,"attrs":403,"content":404},{"textAlign":143},[405],{"text":406,"type":281},"A little further down is the street everyone wants a photo of. Victoria Street curves downhill in an arc of brightly painted shopfronts. Many believe it inspired Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling has never said so outright, but fans find their way here anyway.",{"type":283,"attrs":408,"content":409},{"textAlign":143},[410],{"text":411,"type":281},"It is no accident that Harry Potter turns up here. Rowling wrote in several of the city's cafés while working on the first books, including The Elephant House, which has reopened after a fire in 2021. Just around the corner is the old Greyfriars Kirkyard, where a gravestone bears the name Thomas Riddell, strikingly close to Voldemort's real name, Tom Riddle. No wonder fans stop and stare. At the bottom of the hill the Grassmarket opens up, an old market square full of pubs and outdoor tables, with the castle high above you on its rock.",[],{"_uid":414,"theme":14,"component":415,"image_left":416,"image_right":426},"d9283b72-47e8-43f7-a939-7580092fa4e7","ImageBlock",{"id":14,"alt":417,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":418,"width":419,"height":420,"source":421,"filename":422,"copyright":421,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":423,"public_id":424,"aspect_ratio":425,"is_external_url":146},"Two men walking down Victoria Street in Edinburgh past a bright blue shopfront, with colourful houses behind.","Victoria Street in Edinburgh",4912,7360,"VisitBritain\u002FTommy Ga Ken Wan","https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785411270\u002Fvictoria-street-edinburgh-butikkgate-scotland.jpg",{"alt":417,"title":418,"source":421,"copyright":421},"victoria-street-edinburgh-butikkgate-scotland",0.6673913043478261,{"id":14,"alt":427,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":418,"width":428,"height":429,"source":386,"filename":430,"copyright":386,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":431,"public_id":432,"aspect_ratio":433,"is_external_url":146},"The colourful Victoria Street in Edinburgh with orange, blue and pink shopfronts, bunting strung across the cobbled street and people walking past.",5816,3877,"https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785411202\u002Fvictoria-street-edinburgh-harry-potter-scotland.jpg",{"alt":427,"title":418,"source":386,"copyright":386},"victoria-street-edinburgh-harry-potter-scotland",1.500128965695125,{"_uid":435,"body":436,"card":453,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"02fa9ffb-49e2-4c23-aa65-b706f6ef57e9",{"type":272,"content":437},[438,443,448],{"type":275,"attrs":439,"content":440},{"level":331,"textAlign":143},[441],{"text":442,"type":281},"Arthur's Seat and Holyrood: the volcano in the middle of the city",{"type":283,"attrs":444,"content":445},{"textAlign":143},[446],{"text":447,"type":281},"By now you have seen Edinburgh up close, down in the streets. For the big picture you need to climb, and luckily it is not far. Right in the city is a real, though long extinct, volcano: Arthur's Seat, the city's green lung, which you can climb in under an hour. From the top the whole city, the sea and the surrounding hills are spread out before you, and you soon understand why locals come here to breathe.",{"type":283,"attrs":449,"content":450},{"textAlign":143},[451],{"text":452,"type":281},"At the foot of the volcano is Holyrood, with the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where the King still stays when he is in Scotland. When he is not in residence you can visit the palace yourself, where Mary, Queen of Scots held court almost 500 years ago.",[],{"_uid":455,"image":456,"theme":14,"author":14,"component":266,"caption_text":465,"caption_title":466,"image_caption":14},"92a20b50-d2b5-4afd-be89-c4b5439b8055",{"id":14,"alt":457,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":458,"width":459,"height":460,"source":386,"filename":461,"copyright":386,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":462,"public_id":463,"aspect_ratio":464,"is_external_url":146},"A woman holding a yoga pose on the grassy summit of Arthur's Seat in low golden light, with Edinburgh's rooftops and church spires in the hazy background","Arthurs Seat",6720,4480,"https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785411977\u002Farthurs-seat-edinburgh-yoga-scotland.jpg",{"alt":457,"title":458,"source":386,"copyright":386},"arthurs-seat-edinburgh-yoga-scotland",1.5,"For many locals Arthur's Seat is an outdoor gym. People walk and run here before work, and some even do a yoga session right at the top, as in the picture.","Yoga on the volcano",{"_uid":468,"body":469,"card":486,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"52d6124f-346f-41d7-9bfb-267ead303352",{"type":272,"content":470},[471,476,481],{"type":275,"attrs":472,"content":473},{"level":331,"textAlign":143},[474],{"text":475,"type":281},"Calton Hill and the New Town: views and Georgian elegance",{"type":283,"attrs":477,"content":478},{"textAlign":143},[479],{"text":480,"type":281},"Not far away is the city's other famous viewpoint, Calton Hill. You reach the top of this little hill in the middle of the city in ten minutes, and up there stands a collection of old columns and monuments that earned Edinburgh the nickname the Athens of the North. Come at sunrise or sunset, when the light falls softly over the whole city.",{"type":283,"attrs":482,"content":483},{"textAlign":143},[484],{"text":485,"type":281},"Just below begins the New Town, the newer part of the city, with wide, straight streets in sharp contrast to the tangle of the Old Town. Stroll along Princes Street, with Princes Street Gardens on one side and the castle towering on the other, before turning into George Street. This is the place to shop, have a coffee at a pavement café and simply watch the world go by.",[],{"_uid":488,"image":489,"theme":14,"author":14,"component":266,"caption_text":499,"caption_title":500,"image_caption":14},"88aa5cf9-2f91-46cf-98a3-b628c480d39b",{"id":14,"alt":490,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":491,"width":492,"height":493,"source":494,"filename":495,"copyright":494,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":496,"public_id":497,"aspect_ratio":498,"is_external_url":146},"A man in a bowler hat playing the bagpipes while sitting on the rocks of Calton Hill, with a round columned monument beside him and Edinburgh's rooftops and towers behind","Musikk blant monumentene",6635,4423,"VisitBritain\u002FPinzutu\u002FPedro Munoz Silva","https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785412178\u002Fcalton-hill-edinburgh-viewpoint-scotland.jpg",{"alt":490,"title":491,"source":494,"copyright":494},"calton-hill-edinburgh-viewpoint-scotland",1.5001130454442686,"Calton Hill is a relaxed meeting place where people settle among the monuments and simply take it easy. During the festival a musician or two often turns up, like this visiting piper.","Music among the monuments",{"_uid":502,"body":503,"card":515,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"ab8de704-267a-4aea-8668-4a1e72e6200e",{"type":272,"content":504},[505,510],{"type":275,"attrs":506,"content":507},{"level":331,"textAlign":143},[508],{"text":509,"type":281},"Dean Village, Stockbridge and Leith: the city's quieter corners",{"type":283,"attrs":511,"content":512},{"textAlign":143},[513],{"text":514,"type":281},"Just a few minutes from busy Princes Street, the city almost disappears. Dean Village is tucked away in a little valley along a river, an old mill village with stone houses and a weir, right in the capital. Follow the riverside path and you reach Stockbridge, a relaxed neighbourhood with cosy cafés, charity shops and a lively market at weekends.",[],{"_uid":517,"theme":14,"component":415,"image_left":518,"image_right":528},"91637a51-be9e-424c-9be2-be0e923f8e9a",{"id":14,"alt":519,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":520,"width":521,"height":522,"source":523,"filename":524,"copyright":523,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":525,"public_id":526,"aspect_ratio":527,"is_external_url":146},"Old stone and sandstone houses with a pointed tower along the Water of Leith in Dean Village, Edinburgh, with a yellow house behind and greenery along the riverbank.","Quiet along the Water of Leith",3456,5184,"unspash\u002Fmicheile henderson","https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785412650\u002Fmicheile-henderson-Pq6tNLDibtw-unsplash-dean-village-edinburgh-water-of-leith.jpg",{"alt":519,"title":520,"source":523,"copyright":523},"micheile-henderson-Pq6tNLDibtw-unsplash-dean-village-edinburgh-water-of-leith",0.6666666666666666,{"id":14,"alt":14,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":14,"width":529,"height":530,"source":14,"filename":531,"copyright":14,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":532,"public_id":533,"aspect_ratio":534,"is_external_url":146},5795,3622,"https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785412913\u002Fcameron-gibson-TmDEY0DtQd0-unsplash-ean-village-edinburgh-water-of-leith-scotland.jpg",{},"cameron-gibson-TmDEY0DtQd0-unsplash-ean-village-edinburgh-water-of-leith-scotland",1.5999447818884593,{"_uid":536,"body":537,"card":544,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"03041353-10d8-4128-a23a-33ac9f5b8476",{"type":272,"content":538},[539],{"type":283,"attrs":540,"content":541},{"textAlign":143},[542],{"text":543,"type":281},"Furthest north, where the city meets the sea, is the harbour district of Leith. For a long time it was a rough area, but today it is one of the coolest places in Edinburgh to eat and drink. It is also home to the Royal Yacht Britannia, the royal family's former luxury yacht, which you can board and explore from the engine room to the elegant state rooms.",[],{"_uid":546,"image":547,"theme":14,"author":14,"component":266,"caption_text":556,"caption_title":557,"image_caption":14},"64305d78-5f4d-43fa-974e-9aeb26709ab7",{"id":14,"alt":548,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":549,"width":550,"height":419,"source":551,"filename":552,"copyright":551,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":553,"public_id":554,"aspect_ratio":555,"is_external_url":146},"Two people sitting on a wooden jetty on the Leith waterfront in golden evening light, with moored boats and old buildings reflected in the still water","Kveldslys over The Shore",6339,"VisitBritain\u002FPaul Watt","https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785413159\u002Fleith-edinburgh-the-shore-scotland.jpg",{"alt":548,"title":549,"source":551,"copyright":551},"leith-edinburgh-the-shore-scotland",1.290513029315961,"The Shore is Leith's old waterfront, where the Water of Leith flows out to the sea between houseboats and old merchants' houses. Come in the evening, when the light and the reflections make it especially lovely.","Evening light over The Shore",{"_uid":559,"body":560,"card":577,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"c2aa4413-677f-4101-8c50-11a5a4ff3fc0",{"type":272,"content":561},[562,567,572],{"type":275,"attrs":563,"content":564},{"level":277,"textAlign":143},[565],{"text":566,"type":281},"Edinburgh, the festival city",{"type":283,"attrs":568,"content":569},{"textAlign":143},[570],{"text":571,"type":281},"Edinburgh is a city that blossoms when the streets are full, and most of all in summer. In August every spare stage, cellar and street corner fills to bursting for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, one of the world's largest arts festivals. The city is magical in those weeks, but expect bigger crowds and higher prices, so book tickets and accommodation well ahead.",{"type":283,"attrs":573,"content":574},{"textAlign":143},[575],{"text":576,"type":281},"Edinburgh is worth a visit in the cold months too. In December the Christmas market takes over the park in the middle of the city, with a big wheel, stalls and mulled wine in the air. And for New Year there is hardly a better place, because the city's Hogmanay celebrations are world famous: a torchlight procession through the Old Town, a street party and proper fireworks over the castle at midnight. The bravest even take an icy dip in the sea on New Year's Day, a tradition known as the Loony Dook.",[],{"_uid":579,"image":580,"theme":14,"author":14,"component":266,"caption_text":586,"caption_title":587,"image_caption":14},"014a6256-798f-4569-903e-09241d1776dc",{"id":14,"alt":581,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":582,"width":459,"height":460,"source":386,"filename":583,"copyright":386,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":584,"public_id":585,"aspect_ratio":464,"is_external_url":146},"White and purple fireworks exploding in the night sky above the illuminated Edinburgh Castle, seen from a dark street below","Fyrverkeri over Edinburgh Castle","https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785414346\u002FFireworks-Edinburgh-Castle-Fringe-Scotland.jpg",{"alt":581,"title":582,"source":386,"copyright":386},"Fireworks-Edinburgh-Castle-Fringe-Scotland","The castle gets its big fireworks display twice a year: at the end of the festival season in August and again on New Year's Eve. Both times you can watch for free from open spaces around the city.","Fireworks over Edinburgh Castle",{"_uid":589,"body":590,"card":618,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"943f8569-6555-4b2c-b290-789829b33536",{"type":272,"content":591},[592,597,613],{"type":275,"attrs":593,"content":594},{"level":277,"textAlign":143},[595],{"text":596,"type":281},"Whisky and Scottish food in Edinburgh",{"type":283,"attrs":598,"content":599},{"textAlign":143},[600,602,611],{"text":601,"type":281},"Need something to warm you up after a day outdoors? You have come to the right city. ",{"text":603,"type":281,"marks":604},"Scotland",[605],{"type":606,"attrs":607},"link",{"href":608,"uuid":609,"anchor":143,"target":610,"linktype":28},"\u002Fen-gb\u002Fpicolo\u002Fdestinations\u002Feurope\u002Fuk\u002Fscotland\u002F","c1ba7b0b-0a60-43ab-b09d-517431829570","_self",{"text":612,"type":281}," and whisky belong together, and Edinburgh is a perfect place to get to know the golden spirit. To learn more, drop into The Scotch Whisky Experience up by the castle or the Johnnie Walker experience on Princes Street, where you can taste your way through Scotland's whisky regions. If whisky isn't your thing, the city has also become a gin town, with its own distilleries and great bars.",{"type":283,"attrs":614,"content":615},{"textAlign":143},[616],{"text":617,"type":281},"On the plate you should try haggis at least once, the Scottish national dish, which tastes much better than it might sound. Otherwise the seafood is fresh, the meat first class, and in recent years Edinburgh has become one of the best food cities in the UK.",[],{"_uid":620,"image":621,"theme":14,"author":14,"component":266,"caption_text":631,"caption_title":632,"image_caption":14},"e078b6e5-4b87-4c3c-9e15-574ef1d49c59",{"id":14,"alt":622,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":623,"width":624,"height":625,"source":626,"filename":627,"copyright":626,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":628,"public_id":629,"aspect_ratio":630,"is_external_url":146},"A worker in a dark shirt and gloves rolls a whisky cask through a dim warehouse full of stacked oak casks marked with years","Fatlageret der whiskyen modnes",2048,1126,"visitbritain\u002FThe Glenturret Distillery","https:\u002F\u002Fres.cloudinary.com\u002Fpicolo\u002Fimage\u002Fupload\u002Fv1785328780\u002Fthe-glenturret-distillery-whisky-barrel-crieff-scotland.jpg",{"alt":622,"title":623,"source":626,"copyright":626},"the-glenturret-distillery-whisky-barrel-crieff-scotland",1.8188277087033748,"This is where whisky gets both its colour and its flavour, over many years in old oak casks. Whichever bottle you end up tasting in Edinburgh, it started life somewhere like this.","The warehouse where the whisky matures",{"_uid":634,"body":635,"card":662,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"adf47ffa-ef76-4265-9a90-2bbb126f123c",{"type":272,"content":636},[637,642,647,652,657],{"type":275,"attrs":638,"content":639},{"level":277,"textAlign":143},[640],{"text":641,"type":281},"When is the best time to visit Edinburgh?",{"type":283,"attrs":643,"content":644},{"textAlign":143},[645],{"text":646,"type":281},"Now that you know what awaits, only the practical bits remain. For mild weather and fewer people than in festival month, late spring and early autumn are the best times to go. Whenever you travel, pack rain gear, because the weather changes quickly.",{"type":283,"attrs":648,"content":649},{"textAlign":143},[650],{"text":651,"type":281},"Edinburgh is easy to reach. Direct trains from London take around four and a half hours along the east coast, and the airport has flights from across the UK and Europe. From the airport the tram takes just over half an hour into the centre.",{"type":283,"attrs":653,"content":654},{"textAlign":143},[655],{"text":656,"type":281},"Edinburgh is not cheap, especially in August and over Hogmanay, when hotel prices rise sharply. The good news is that much of the best costs nothing: the Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat and Dean Village are all free to enjoy.",{"type":283,"attrs":658,"content":659},{"textAlign":143},[660],{"text":661,"type":281},"If you spend money on one thing, make it the castle. The rest of the city is best explored on foot, ideally in a little rain, with a dram of whisky as a reward when evening comes. Here you go from an old castle to the top of a volcano in a single day and have still barely begun. All that is left is to decide when to go.",[],{"_uid":664,"body":665,"card":712,"layout":299,"component":300,"article_rounded":146},"5ad46706-0e56-479d-aff5-fa118a586c4e",{"type":272,"content":666},[667,672,677,682,687,692,697,702,707],{"type":275,"attrs":668,"content":669},{"level":277,"textAlign":143},[670],{"text":671,"type":281},"Frequently asked questions about Edinburgh",{"type":275,"attrs":673,"content":674},{"level":331,"textAlign":143},[675],{"text":676,"type":281},"How many days do you need in Edinburgh?",{"type":283,"attrs":678,"content":679},{"textAlign":143},[680],{"text":681,"type":281},"Two to three days is ideal for a first visit. That gives you time for the castle and the Royal Mile, a walk up Arthur's Seat or Calton Hill, a museum or two and an evening in Leith or the Grassmarket. Add a day if you want a day trip into the Highlands.",{"type":275,"attrs":683,"content":684},{"level":331,"textAlign":143},[685],{"text":686,"type":281},"What is the best time to visit Edinburgh?",{"type":283,"attrs":688,"content":689},{"textAlign":143},[690],{"text":691,"type":281},"Late spring and early autumn give you mild weather and fewer crowds. August is festival month, with the Fringe filling the city, so it is lively but expensive. December brings the Christmas market and Hogmanay, one of the world's best-known New Year celebrations.",{"type":275,"attrs":693,"content":694},{"level":331,"textAlign":143},[695],{"text":696,"type":281},"What is free to do in Edinburgh?",{"type":283,"attrs":698,"content":699},{"textAlign":143},[700],{"text":701,"type":281},"A lot. Walking the Royal Mile, climbing Arthur's Seat and Calton Hill, exploring Dean Village and Stockbridge, and visiting the National Museum of Scotland are all free. During the Fringe you can also watch street performers on the Royal Mile without a ticket.",{"type":275,"attrs":703,"content":704},{"level":331,"textAlign":143},[705],{"text":706,"type":281},"Is Edinburgh worth visiting for Harry Potter fans?",{"type":283,"attrs":708,"content":709},{"textAlign":143},[710],{"text":711,"type":281},"Yes. J.K. Rowling wrote parts of the early books in Edinburgh cafés, Victoria Street is often linked to Diagon Alley, and Greyfriars Kirkyard has a grave bearing the name Thomas Riddell. Several walking tours focus on the Harry Potter connections in the Old Town.",[],{"_uid":714,"card_type":14,"component":715,"filter_by":716},"5c1e6332-50d3-40e9-a049-8264130e433c","PaginatedArticles",{"_uid":717,"plugin":718,"values":719},"66113fc5-d5da-473f-8c00-2f4f73d4ecf8","storyblok-tags-select",[232],"ArticleIndex",{"id":14,"alt":722,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":259,"width":260,"height":261,"source":262,"filename":243,"copyright":262,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":723,"public_id":264,"aspect_ratio":265,"is_external_url":146},"Klokketårnet på Balmoral Hotel rager over takene i Edinburgh i gyllent kveldslys, med åser i horisonten.",{"alt":722,"title":259,"source":262,"copyright":262},"edinburgh","en-gb\u002Fpicolo\u002Fdestinations\u002Feurope\u002Fuk\u002Fedinburgh\u002F",-320,[728],"Destination",178505398033865,"77ca4ca4-7ca5-4890-a154-13489f782e00","2026-10-01T20:04:45.745Z",[]]