Edinburgh

[tapdancingmum]

Me and my two DD's are going to Edinburgh for a couple of days. It is to celebrate my youngests 25th birthday. Is there anything that would make a special visit for her or just anything in particular not to miss? She has been to the zoo and already done some sightseeing and I have suggested a trip to the Kelpies.

Definitely eat at Makars on the Mound. Camera obscura is worth doing. The Mercat walking ghost tours are fab. A tour of the castle is interesting. The dungeon is fun if you like that sort of thing. The Whisky Tour at the place next to the castle is good value for money (or at least it was) and a good one if you like whisky. Or just want to try it. Go up the Scot monument- that used to be a fiver. My (now) husband proposed to me up there. Edinburgh is the best.

do any of you posters live in edinburgh and if you do for how long loads of bad ideas after whats been going on in edinburgh

Eh?

like it says does anyone giving advice live in edinburgh and has seen whats going on ??

Yes. I live in Edinburgh, and have done for thirty years.
I don’t know what you are talking about though when you say “what’s going on”

Try the Chocolatarium or Islander bag Experience for some fun birthday actvities

well i stayed 20 years out clermiston way and nearly 21 years potterrow / southside area gangs with blades along rose street last week groups of brats robbing people and then what happened calders there all linked in the last 10 years I hate even going for a bus round here centre of town with all that's happened all easily googled not including the bodys found and rapes again all found easily was happy staying year but its getting worse and worse closer to town

One day the musical is on just now as well, at the lyceum, which might be nice for an evening.

Nothing going on in Edinburgh, rugby maybe?

yes, I live quite centrally, no idea what you’re talking about??

theres almost zero chance of a tourist going to the calders where the knife attack was.

I honestly thought it was crap when I went.
The actual underground is great, but the tour guide being a low rent actor and talking in a silly voice was ludicrous.

I was in Edinburgh last week for a birthday celebration. We considered going to the Kelpies because we've been a lot to Edinburgh and done most of the sights listed. You can get an all day coach tour where you go to Loch Lomond and a castle as well but agree with PPs that if you are only there a few days it's probably not worth it. We didn't go as the weather couldn't be trusted.

The shopping is excellent especially if you like chain stores, they have everything.

Helps if you like Harry Potter.

have you seriously not seen the news with youngsters with knifes in princes street (rose street) and the body's found princes street meadows and plesance area 3 or 4 bodys in a week

I wouldn’t waste hours of your day travelling over to Falkirk for the Kelpies.

If you’re up for travel, though, the Falkirk Wheel is much better.

rugby's on tomoro the 7th at Murrayfield so would avoid trams or buses going that way a couple of hours before and after the game as will be really busy times can be found on google

I had to use google for those reports. Even then, they appear to be one off, extremely rare incidents. Generally Edinburgh is one of the most safest cities in the UK.

in olden times however, you had to deal
with these guys…
( go to Surgeons hall to hear more about them!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Hare_murders

@gtamum I’ve lived in and then near Edinburgh for almost 35 years but your lovely post has me all excited about the city again! Really great suggestions.

If she likes chocolate then the chocolaterium tour is quite fun. You do get a fair amount of chocolate too if nothing has changed in the last few years.

https://www.chocolatarium.co.uk/

I've never experienced a guide like that when I've been. The place itself is so interesting. I am old enough to know what it was like down there before it became a tourist attraction - you used to have to access it through the filing room in the basement at the City Chambers.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We will give the Kelpies a miss and maybe do the Falkirk wheel but we'll see how we go. Off to bed soon as we need to be up early for our flight. We have 2 and a bit days in Edinburgh then getting the flixbus to Inverness then down to Forres before we fly back on Friday. I'm looking forward to it 😀

Honestly I’d give the Falkirk wheel a miss too 😂
Ive lived in Edinburgh all my adult life, have been to Kelpies/Falkirk wheel in the past, but honestly Edinburgh personally has so much to offer you would be hard pushed to fit in a day trip elsewhere.
if you have to do a day trip try a Hairy Coo tour or something similar, with a guide who will take you.
hope you have a lovely time

i agree @gtamum neither are particularly exciting on the scale of what's on offer in Edinburgh and if you're skelping out to visit one you might as well do both while you're there!

Thank you for all your replies. We have been back just over a week but I haven't been able to reply on the app so have only just got round to it.
We took into account all your ideas and we stayed put in Edinburgh and explored all over the city. We had lunch in M&S Cafe (what a lovely Marks) as it was the first place we saw once off the tram 😄We wandered around for a bit and found our AirB&B which was in the best place it could've been and then hopped on to the hop on bus tour which took us all around Edinburgh so we could see it in comfort before being allowed into our flat. We walked to Dean Village then along the Leith water walk up to the Botanic Gardens which were still glorious this early in the year. We visited the Childhood museum (makes you feel old when there are things in there that I played with), the museum of Scotland, the castle (we didn't go in), walked through Princes Street Gardens and also visited Camera Obscura (that was well worth the money). We had a great time then had a long journey up to Inverness where we hired a car and went to Loch Ness, Chanonry Point, Dallachy, Lossiemouth and Spey.
All in all a wonderful few days away and it has made me want to explore more of what Scotland has to offer.

Sounds like a perfect trip x