Edinburgh, Scotland in a Day

Edinburgh, Scotland was a stop on the UK and Ireland cruise my husband and I took in 2017, and it was easily my favourite port of the entire trip. Sadly, it was also the shortest stop we had due to the ship not having enough tenders in the water to bring passengers ashore (a post for another day!). We made the most of our time in port ans aw as much as possible as quickly as possible. We had no plans for our day in Edinburgh, which made it that much better – we could do what we wanted without being on a tour schedule. Here are the main highlights from our six(ish) hours in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Castle

Before we got to Edinburgh, the only stop we knew we had to make was to Edinburgh Castle. It is definitely a must see attraction in my opinion. There were excellent views around the castle walls of the city of Edinburgh which are great for photo ops. The day we visited was busy, however I’m not sure if this is the norm or not because there were two cruise ships in port. We waited approximately 30 minutes in line to get our tickets because we didn’t plan in advance. There were also large lines to get in to see the crown jewels and large crowds to see Mary Queen of Scots’ chambers.

Good to know:

• There is a live canon demonstration that goes off at 1:00pm in the main courtyard area.
• There are 2 different lines to get in to the Crown Jewels display – which really slows down the traffic. You also must go up a flight of stairs, so this part is not accessible.
• If you require a wheelchair or scooter, the other following areas are not accessible: the prisons, chapel, king’s dining room, Mary’s Chambers.
• You need at least 2 to 3 hours to see all of the sights here – more if it is busy.
• There is a café to purchase food and drinks, you can also have afternoon tea in the tea rooms (quite expensive to do so).
• You can listen to an audio tour in English (not sure about other languages) or explore on your own.
• Purchase tickets in advance and arrive early to avoid lines/crowds!

We really enjoyed our time here and exploring. The audio tour really provided a great overview of the history and interesting information as you walked through the castle and grounds. I especially thought that the prisons were quite interesting as well as the displays talking about the conditions of prisoners back in the day. Aside from the large crowds, I have nothing bad to say about this attraction and would highly recommend it!

The Royal Mile

After finishing at Edinburgh Castle, we decided to walk the Royal Mile to see as much as we could in the main tourist area of the city. Basically, the Royal Mile is a one mile stretch between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Hollyroodhouse. There were many shops to look in, street performers to watch and restaurants to have beer or authentic Scottish food.

We found that it was very busy on the main street, but the side streets had great shopping and were far less busy. If you are looking for souvenirs the Royal Mile is the place to go. If you are looking for entertainment, you will find it here! And if you are looking to hit a few pubs and have some food, you will have a wide selection of places to choose from. We made sure to stop for some Scottish pub food, and were very happy we did. If you are able and have the time, walking through the Royal Mile is a great way to see this city.

Mitre Bar

On our walk on the Royal Mile we had to make a stop for some Scottish pub food and beer. We found this restaurant completely by accident and decided to give it a try. It was a nice, clean pub with authentic looking décor and dim lighting throughout. There seemed to be more light toward the back of the pub near the restrooms. The tables and chairs seemed a little dated, but it was part of the charm.

I ordered a Scotch Egg to try for the first time and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The egg was cooked perfectly inside and was surrounded by a crispy meat coating with breadcrumbs. It was very tasty! For my main dish I ordered a slow-cooked beef, amber ale and mushroom pie that came with mashed potato and seasonal greens. The pastry was flaky and light with a rich buttery flavour, and the filling was the right balance of gravy, beef, and mushrooms. My husband ordered the fish and chips, a cod fillet hand-battered in pale ale with chips and minty peas. The batter was perfectly crispy and light, the chips were cooked well and the minty peas were interesting, but pretty tasty as well.

To go along with it, I had to order a pint of Innis & Gunn (my absolute favourite beer that I needed to drink while in Scotland), and my husband got a Fraoch Heather Ale. We really enjoyed the our lunch and the experience and would definitely go back in the future.

Palace of Hollyroodhouse

At the end of the Royal Mile you’ll see the Palace of Hollyroodhouse, which is used by Queen Elizabeth when she’s in Scotland on official business. The palace also has a rich history from some of Scotland’s most famous historical figures including Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie. It is quite a different experience than Edinburgh Castle, as this palace is still in operation. Throughout your visit you can see the State Apartments, the chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots, the throne room and beautiful gardens (to name a few of the main highlights!).

Good to know:

• You can purchase your tickets online or at the gate for the same price.
• The palace is open daily for visits, however there are some black-out dates that get posted on their website – check there first before showing up!
• Make sure you don’t miss the last call for admission – we were late so didn’t have much time to look around at all.
• You need at least 2 hours to visit this attraction.

Overall, we did not have enough time to properly see this amazing city. I’ll definitely be returning to take a leisurely approach to seeing the sights, experiencing the history and taking as many photos as possible!