Edinburgh For 5 Days

[artnbarb]

We're flying from Philly to Edinburgh in early August, primary to attend The Royal Tattoo. The Fringe Festival will also be going on during our stay, so the entire area will be quite busy and very crowded. We arrive on a Thursday morning, but won't be able to check in to our Air B&B until noon. I fully expect to be a zombie, but we'll power thru Thursday, maybe just wandering and getting oriented - I don't want to make any specific plans for that day - and crash early.

That leaves us Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We'll fly out sometime on Tuesday. Our Tattoo tickets are for Monday evening at 9 p.m., so we'll have plenty of time to do stuff during the day, but I'll need a nap, or at least a rest, sometime in the afternoon! I'd like to do a walking tour of the city, but with the Fringe Festival, I'm not sure if that's practical or not. I'd also like to do a day trip - we won't have a car, but I still want to see the countryside, so I think an all-day tour will be the way to go. So - here are my thoughts:

• Friday seems like the best time to do a city walking tour - no sense waiting til the last day to get oriented!
• Saturday or Sunday would be designated for the day trip to the Highlands - countryside, Stirling Castle,distilleries, whatever. Weather could of course be a factor!
• Which leaves me one of those 2 days (Sat/Sun) free, in addition to all day Monday.

I'm hoping that we'll attend some of the Fringe performances, but the timing will have to be just right, and even though the performers are being announced in advance, there will be hundreds of performances in dozens of venues - comedy, vocals, plays, all types of performance art - so right now it's hard to know if there's something we'd specifically want to see. If we've had a good overview of the city via a walking tour, is there anything else I need to plan for, or can I just let those 2 days plans themselves? I never want to use vacation time inefficiently, but I also don't mind relaxing and going with the flow - I think.

 

[Eleanor]

If you have chance, do try and and spend a day in St Andrews (either bus from Edinburgh or train to Leuchars and then bus). It is a lovely small university town where Wills met Kate. It also has a very good ruined castle and ruined cathedral as well as a super sandy beach - oh and there's a golf course too!

Another suggestion is a half day trip to Rosslyn Chapel - it's a short bus ride from Edinburgh. This was put on the tourist map after being featured in Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code". The carvings are amazing...

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks @Eleanor - if we need to get away from the crowds, both of those are great ideas. I just watched a travel show featuring both of those locations!

 

[devarae]

Rosslyn Chapel was my absolute favorite thing we did during our week in Edinburgh a few years ago! It was very easy to get to on the bus.

I also quite enjoyed the Botanical Gardens, especially the glassed-in houses (those require a fee I believe, while the rest of the outside areas are free).

We did the Rabbie's small group one-day Lochs and Castles tour going out to see castles in the Highlands and quite enjoyed it! It was a long day and never quite enough time at the locations, but we were glad we did it.

Good luck planning!

 

[Eleanor]

I'm assuming you have already found the Undiscovered Scotland page for Edinburgh which has lots of ideas of things to do and see in the city.

There is also the ruined Craigmillar Castle which stood just outside the original city walls and has links with Mary Queen of Scots. It is vitually across the road from the Royal Infirmary and there is a regular bus service past it. It is off the usual tourist route and gets fewer visitors. It is a lovely site.

 

[artnbarb]

Perfect! I've looked at the Undiscovered Scotland page, and know that Edinburgh is worth longer than 5 days - but I'm not going to obsess and over-plan, especially with the Fringe Festival offering so many interesting options. I think one nice walking tour of the city, one nice day trip and the rest will take care of itself. Rosslyn chapel will probably find it's way onto my itinerary!

For the day trip we're planning to use Rabbies - either the West HIghlands, Lochs and Castles Tour or the Loch Ness, Glencoe and Highlands Tour. Hard to decide!

 

[artnbarb]

I hope I haven't made a mistake - but I just booked our waling tour for our day of arrival. We arrive at (9:15 a.m., but can't check in until noon. Our host suggested storing our luggage at the Nation Gallery, which is on the way from the tram stop to our Air B&B, so I think that's what we'll do, maybe grab something to eat. At noon we can drop off our bags, get advice from our host, then we'll meet our walking guide at 2 p.m. for a 3 hour tour.

Initially I wanted to wait until our second day there, but we've got to do something on our first day, and we certainly want to stay up, so I figured why not - hopefully there won't be a quiz at the end! Am I crazy, or is this a good way to keep moving and fight jet-lag?

 

[maitaitom]

If you're a Monty Python fan (or Outlander), after Stirling Castle hit Doune Castle. For five more euros, get yourself some coconuts and you can bound about like Monty Python and the Holy Gral. Cool and historic castle, too. Great audio guide .courtesy of Monty Python's Terry Jones. Also nearby is the gorgeous Inchmahome Priory, an island oasis (ten minute boat ride) complete with a monastic sanctuary. Peaceful and beautiful. Photos of both below.

 

[SMJ]

Where is your Airbnb located?
I vote for Rosslyn Chapel.
It's quite close to the city, but you still feel like you're in the country.
You can get a daily bus pass for 4.50 Pounds (correct change) cash on board any bus, then you can hop on and off at will: to get to your walking tour and then your apartment that first day, then out to the Tattoo, then home again; then another to get to Rosslyn another day.
The tram from the airport is a completely separate, one-journey ticket; and doesn't intersect with the daily bus pass at all.
(Unless you get a city bus in from the airport, and get your daily pass then for the rest of the day.)
There is a good app , Lothian Buses I believe it's called, for mapping the routes out.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/app/
That way you could save some money, and you're not in a big hurry to check in anyway.
Try and take a cushion to sit on at the Tattoo; those seats are hard after a couple of hours!

 

[artnbarb]

Thank you both! Definitely a Python AND an Outlander fan, and Doune Castle is on our list. We may take a day trip out of Edinburgh that makes a stop there. Some have discouraged us from taking a day trip because it's too much time on the bus and not enough time at the sites, but all I really want to do is ride through the beautiful countryside! A castle or two during the day would just be icing on the cake.

Regarding Rosslyn, I think this is at the top of our list. Our room is located very near both the train station and the Scottish National Gallery, so transportation should be easy. We're taking our walking tour on our first afternoon in Edinburgh, then will have all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday and part of Monday to sight-see.

The Fringe Festival will also give us plenty to see and do, so I think we've planned as much as we need to - have to leave some time for serendipity!

 

[maitaitom]

"Definitely a Python AND an Outlander fan, and Doune Castle is on our list."

Have fun, but watch out for those cow-tapults.

 

[artnbarb]

Here's a link to our Air B&B in Edinburgh