How To Do Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the perfect city—almost. It looks like no other place: smoky, gothic buildings grafted onto the shoulder of an extinct volcano, an imposing castle on rocky ramparts in the center, and the rest spilling out over seven hills. As Scotland’s capital, it’s open-minded and dynamic, but small enough to walk almost anywhere you need to go. Its winding, often cobbled streets are loaded with excellent, non-pretentious restaurants, and cozy pubs you’ll want to live in. But, the weather. Wet, grey, and windy (and that’s just June). A taxi driver put it nicely once when he remarked on the downpour on a recent midsummer afternoon: “Just another miserable day in paradise!” But, when the sun does shine, and a late-summer sunset bathes the charcoal-colored buildings in orange and pink, it is perhaps the most glorious place on earth—and one I found difficult to leave after seven years of studying and working there. Just prepare for all weather every time you leave the house. And wear good shoes; cobblestones and hills are not kind to the unsupported ankle.Expect crowds. Edinburgh is popular. It’s the UK’s second most-visited city (after London) and gets busier every year. It’s also a small city, so there are bottleneck areas. From June-September, the city center, and especially the Royal Mile and Princes Street—the shopping avenue that forms a border between the castle gardens and the New Town—get busy with tartan-drunk visitors. The city is even considering the U.K’s first “tourist tax”—like the one implemented in Berlin and Venice—to cope with the surge in demand. The good news is that in Edinburgh, you’re never more than a few minutes’ walk away from quieter pockets—hidden gardens, squares, cemeteries, neighborhoods. Still, try to book restaurants in advance on weekends to avoid disappointment and hunger. When it comes to nightlife, the Cowgate is ground zero for students, cheap vodka shots, and what locals politely term “meat-market” clubs. If you’re looking for a quiet, atmospheric pub, look elsewhere.The best time to visit is May. Hotels are cheaper, it’s not quite as crowded with summer visitors and festival-goers, and the weather is mild for Scotland. Also, May is usually better weather (read: dryer) than the June-August period.Walk. Edinburgh is winding and steep in places, but most areas of interest are within walking distance. Skip the car: thanks to Edinburgh’s central layout—an awkward rectangle of busy streets laid around the castle and the gardens around it—traffic is a carousel of frustration, made even worse in the last few years with the new tram lines that locals love to complain about. Edinburgh is on the Uber map too, but check a map before ordering one: it might be much faster on foot.
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