Mentioned by Edinburgh Festivals
Attractions
"A fascinating must-visit place for kids and elders which uses science optical principles into play is Camera Obscura and World of Illusions. Located on the Royal Mile next to the Edinburgh Castle, is a perfect stop for fun. Camera Obscura originates from a Latin word meaning ‘dark room’."
"Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions Camera Obscura is located one block down the Royal Mile from the Edinburgh Castle. If you are visiting Edinburgh with kids, this is an awesome spot to visit. Six floors are filled with illusions, puzzles, and optical tricks."
"One of the most iconic views from Edinburgh is from atop Calton Hill, looking across Princes Street towards the castle, and placing the Dugald Stewart Monument in the foreground of your frame. This is a really lovely composition, and this image is often used to represent Edinburgh in photos around the world. You can shoot this particular shot either with a wide angle, or you can back up a bit and use a longer lens to compress the different elements together."
"Climb Calton HIll Towards the end of the day, I’d suggest you head up Calton Hill. This is a wonderful spot for a view of the city and can be found at the east end of Princes Street. This hill is home to a series of monuments, including the National Monument of Scotland, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Parthenon in Greece."
"The hill overlooks the entire town, including Princess Street, which is the direction of the castle. Within that view is the Dugald Stewart monument, which makes for a wonderful shot. Calton Hill is particularly breathtaking at sunset."
"The Devil’s Advocate, from Stu McCluskey the entrepreneur behind Edinburgh’s acclaimed Bon Vivant, is a go to spot for weary wanderers in the Old Town. Tucked down Advoactes Close in an old Victorian pump house, this stylish bar and restaurant focuses on local and seasonal produce, with more than a splash of whisky on the menu (over 200 in fact). Top Tip: Not a Whisky fan?"
"The Oxford is a small pub down an old side street in Edinburgh's new town. It derives its name from the Edinburgh offices of Oxford University Press, which in the early years of the twentieth century were based opposite. The Oxford is just two rooms, a slim bar where customers can stand two-deep facing the counter, and a slightly larger back room heated with a coal fire."
"Blue Bear Cafe is the ultimate destination for brunch in Edinburgh, they really do pride themselves on cooking up mouth-watering breakfast and brunch dishes to make most palates tingle!. They offer a wide variety of food on their brunch menu with all your usual suspects, but a true favourite is their ‘Build Your Own Bear’ where you get your standard two eggs and toast, and you can add whatever breakfast food you want on top for £1 each!. With an amazing selection of weekend specials and a wide range of gluten-free and vegan options available – this one has to be top of your list for when lockdown is over!"
"A short walk from both the east gate entrance of Edinburgh’s Botanical Gardens and the Water of Leith walkway, Blue Bear Café is ideally located for a pre- or post-stroll brunch on a Sunday. Bring your appetite with you for the rip-roaring brunch served up here. Your eyes will be drawn straight to the classics list, where old favourites are given the Blue Bear treatment."
"This cosy café in Edinburgh’s Southside boasts a wealth of vegan-friendly hot drinks and treats. In fact, most of the menu is vegan, apart from the odd bake here and there, and they do still offer cow’s milk as an option for your tea or coffee. Walk in the door and you will be greeted with a huge display of vegan cakes such as fudge cake, apple tarts, cinnamon rolls, bakewell bakes and much more."
"One of the trendiest coffee bars in the city, Thomas J Walls is certainly no eyesore, with a stunning brass and marble exterior that manages to be at once incredibly enticing and yet also strangely aloof. Previously one of the Old Town’s premium optometrists, the coffee shop elected to stay true to the building’s origins during its refurbishment, and so from the outside, it’s signs and décor still advertise itself as an upmarket optician while the inside features typically high ceilings and old-fashioned wood-panelled walls. The only hint it’s perhaps something else is the clever logo which blends spectacles with coffee cups and of course, a brief peek in the window, where you’ll often find clientele enjoying a cappuccino rather than fiddling with contact lenses."
"This sizable, sophisticated cafe along the route of The Meadows, the University of Edinburgh, and the National Museum of Scotland was once an opticians' office. Coffee luminary Jonathan Sharp (also of Kilimanjaro, Project Coffee, and Blackwood Coffee) preserved the original moniker and façade’s brass lettering when he opened Thomas J. Walls Coffee in 2016, so be on the lookout for its logo: a monocle that holds a curious resemblance to a coffee mug. The brunch offerings are solid, especially the avocado toast with feta and pumpkin seeds, and the smoked salmon rosti—so order up."
"A photo posted by D♤niel ☜ 🐇 (@knusperfunk) on Feb 23, 2014 at 8:00am PST. This community-owned vegetarian café is a stalwart of Edinburgh’s alternative scene and offers great staples at budget prices. It’s usually also a reliable source for vegan cake."
"Canongate, The Royal Mile, EH8 8DX (website) Open daily 9:30am-6pm (26 March to 31 October) and 9:30am-4.30pm (1 November to 25 March)Adult: £6.70, Over 60/Students £6.10, Under 17/Disabled: £3.40, unders 5's go free. If you like art but find conventional art galleries too big and daunting, then the Queen's Gallery is the answer, as it hosts small intimate exhibitions as part of the Royal Collection Trust. The building is a conversion of a former Holyrood Free Church and Duchess of Gordon’s School and features a beautiful teak and sycamore staircase."
"The Queen's Gallery, located in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in November 2002 as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Now, it hosts a programme of changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection. A worthwhile stop on a visit to the Royal Mile."
"The Palace of Holyroodhouse and The Queens Gallery lie at the east end of The Royal Mile, opposite the Scottish Parliament. The visit is best achieved by taxi, local bus service from Waverley Bridge or tour bus. Walking takes around 15 minutes from Waverley Station."