Edinburgh Old Town

The old town of Edinburgh is a feast for the eyes as everywhere you look there is something to inspire. The many churches, old pubs, beautiful masonry, carvings, statues and monuments all stimulate the senses. The fact that most of the town is older than my home country is mind boggling. It is easy to just ramble from one historic place to another. We walked for over 7 hours with a short pit stop for coffee, and didn’t feel tired at all. The town encourages you to keep walking to see what is around the next bend. No need to go on a tour, unless you love the details of specific spots. Most churches and museums are open and free! Take the adventurous way and see where you end up! PS loads of great shopping this way too!

I’m one to visit touristic cities outside of tourist season. We booked a place to stay close to old town and had the pleasure of wandering around for a few days. Plenty of interesting shops, pubs and restaurants. The city is surprisingly calm this time of year and they seem to manage car traffic here really well so you don’t have the feeling of city stress. Be sure to read the history of the pubs you visit in the area, and you can pick up a magic wand if you fancy practicing a spell or two.

Edinburgh is an absolutely beautiful city. The history and beauty of the buildings was beyond my expectations. The locals are very friendly and seem to welcome the tourists. Only thing to know is to book your stays early to attempt to avoid expensive accomodations and that the famous Royal Mile is extremely, extremely, busy. Be sure to sign up for tours!

The City of Edinburgh is filthy and infested with rats in the evenings. Bins overflowing all over pavements. Went for lunch in Grassmarket area and was offered a table outside, decided to eat elsewhere indoors and due to stench from garbage bags burst open everywhere. Apparently the garbage collectors are on strike, one would have thought alternative arrangements could have been made as we were here for 2 weeks and it was like this for the entire visit. Hotels are demanding high rates during the festival period to live in amongst this. We will not return to Edinburgh

This was our first time walking the Royal Mile and we were surprised with the hustle and bustle in the streets with so many 'acts' and entertainment points along the way. You cannot be stuck for a place to eat as it has such a variety of cuisines on offer. People are so friendly which adds to the friendly atmosphere :)

I've worked in it, lived next to it and it still takes my breath away every time I see it. Its streets are seeped in rich history both ancient and modern. From catacombs where covens of witches have met for centuries (and still do!) to the streets and cafe that inspired Harry Potter; this area is crowned with Edinburgh Castle. Cobbled streets and medieval buildings huddle against neo classical masterpieces - you won't want to blink in case you'll miss anything! Plenty of eateries for every pocket too.

For our first time visit we chose a Hotel right in the middle of Old Town, just off the Royal Mile, which we were glad we did, as we spent most of our 3 day visit in this area, especially in the evening, for our meals out. Place is full of history and a guide book read before you go will make your trip that much more interesting. The area basically stretches from the Castle along the Royal Mile down to Holyrood, with a series of areas like Grassmarket, Chambers Street and Market St running parallel, and is separated from the New Town by the famous Princes Street. The area is full of interesting & historical buildings, Museums, Gallerys, with apparently few people living there, in parts it is quite touristy. Nevertheless it has a charm of its own, too grand to put into words in this Review. Before doing too much walking round the area, we bought a Hop on Hop off bus ticket, which allowed us to take in the whole area (also the New Town) in one go and then we later walked selected areas where we could take in more of what the place had to offer, at our leisure. Make sure you have good footwear as there a lot of cobbles and much walking up and down hill. Whilst the New Town, also has a beauty & charm of its own, the Old Town is the hub of what we expect Edinburgh to be, and is quite unmissable. Pity I've left it so late in life to find out

The Old Town is fascinating to explore on foot, bringing the history of Edinburgh, before the Age of Enlightenment, to life.

The spine is of course the Royal Mile running from the Palace of Holyrood and Arthur's Seat at one end up to the Castle at the other, with many things to see in between, such as St Giles Cathedral, the University, the Library of Scotland and the different alleys and closes, even in winter when some of the museums are closed. There are, of course, many shops, bars and restaurants along the way and new developments inserted into the urban framework, though the Scottish Parliament Building remains controversial. Edinburgh is a city that does not stay still.

The Royal Mile rises upwards as it progresses towards the Castle, creating quite a change in height with the area around the Gardens below, so be prepared to climb quite a few steps if you come up from the Gardens and Princes Street.

Even though I once lived in Edinburgh, I always find something new - on this visit it was the Scottish Poetry Library hidden away down Chrichton's Close.

This Tour is amazing, the best tour for people who are knew to the city or if you want a detailed view of Edinburgh’s superb history. Edgar is the tour guide you want, and he caters to every possible moment you want to hear, I have trouble walking and get tired easily so he picked spots where I could sit and rest. THE BEST TOUR EVER

Edinburgh, touring this city, is simply a different experience from all my experiences in over 60 cities I have traveled. As simple as traveling around the city of legend. The buildings, the nature, the people, the restaurants, the pubs, the parks, the castle, the great locations, etc. - just an empowering and fun experience. Highly recommend, Edinburgh city is a must! In every way.