Mentioned by Lonely Planet Top Choices
Top things to do in Scotland
"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."
"Swap noses and heads, walk through a tunnel of never-ending stars and capture your own shadow on camera. Free rooftop telescopes. Enter a world of illusions where seeing is definitely not believing!"
"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."
"Edinburgh is built on Calton Hill, like Rome in Italy and Bergen in Norway. The top of Calton Hill is one of the best spots for a spectacular view of Edinburgh, especially at sunset. It is a much easier climb than Arthur’s Seat, taking less than ten minutes to reach the top from Regent Road."
"Located on the east part of the New Town, at the end of Princes Street, Calton Hill offers stunning panoramic views of Edinburgh."
"Princes Street marks a clear division between Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns. On one side, you’ll find all the high street stores you’d expect in a big city, along with countless coffee bars and eateries. Whilst on the other side, you’ll find the steps that take you down to the Gardens and, further, to the Old Town."
"Sitting in the centre of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site, here you’ll find a diverse and fascinating collection of public monuments dated as far back as the 1840s. Distance from Hotel:550 m7 mins7 mins2 mins"
"The Edinburgh's park that lies nestled between the Old and New Towns is Princes Street Gardens, where you should definitely stop by to roam its grounds."
"I’d also suggest you make the time to head out to an icon of the Edinburgh surrounds – the Firth of Forth bridges, and in particular, the UNSECO World Heritage Listed Firth of Forth Rail Bridge. This is a mighty red cantilevered bridge construction spanning the Firth of Forth, opened in 1890, and still operational today. At it’s time of construction it was the longest single cantilever bridge in the world, and despite now being the second longest, is still might impressive."
"Calton Hill sits in the center of Edinburgh and boasts the famous Duglad Stewart Monument. This structure is dedicated to the Scottish philosopher of the same name, who taught Economics, Natural Philosophy, and Greek and Logic at Edinburgh University. The monument, built in 1834, was designed by William Henry Playfair, who as we already know, was responsible for the designs behind The Scottish National Gallery."
"The Dugald Stewart Monument is based on the design of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens. But who is Dugald Stewart?. Dugald Stewart was a philosopher and professor at Edinburgh University."
"The unconventional design has long been a topic of much debate and discussion. Some people think it's the best place to house our government, others think it's quite frankly ridiculous and would prefer a more traditional looking government building. The design has won awards in the past, but we don't think we're wide of the mark in saying it's something of a marmite structure, having featured in many lists of this nature in years gone by."
"However, if you visit when they’re not debating, you’re welcome to photograph the debating chamber. As you would expect, this is a popular selfie spot in Edinburgh!. Visit the official Scottish Parliament website for more information and the debating times."
"Located in the city of Edinburgh, this is a fully accessible building. You can visit and enter the debating chamber, receive a free tour and check out the unique modern architecture. Scottish Parliament website"
"Calton Hill provides a panoramic view of the city, with Princes Street, the castle, and the Old Town silhouetted against Arthur's Seat. To the east and north you can see the Firth of Forth and the docks at Leith. At the foot of the hill stands the 13th-century Royal High School, where Sir Walter Scott was once a pupil."
"As early as 1816, the Highland Society of Scotland called for the construction of a national monument to commemorate the fallen in the Napoleonic wars. In January 1822, a proposal was put forward to ‘erect a facsimile of the Parthenon’."
"The cool mix of coffee, breakfast foods and booze on their website are enough to make me want to visit here. The menu is heavy on burgers and serves all-day breakfast, which is two things I look for in a family-restaurant #sorrynotsorry I love that they specify that their pancakes are American style. I feel like there is a huge gap in knowledge between what Europeans call pancakes ( Canadian Crepes) and what we in North America call pancakes."
"A kitschy American diner by day, the City Café becomes a pre-club party joint by night. Cocktail and beer pitchers are the main event, and on the weekends guest and resident DJs spin funk, hip hop and house tracks to get you in the mood for nearby dancefloors."
"Bentoya is a cozy little restaurant near the Grassmarket, and it’s a great spot for fresh, quality sushi at a reasonable price. I’d recommend the spicy salt & pepper squid and the volcano roll, which is beautifully presented, and topped with dried shredded chili. The sashimi is also excellent, and has a creamy melt-in-your-mouth texture."
"Offering Japanese food with Chinese, Korean and also some Scottish influences. They have most amazing selection of Bento boxes, with wonderful flavour combinations. The menu is extensive and good value for money."
"Average Rating - 4.67Total Number of Ratings - 9929Location - Edinburgh SouthAverage price - £££Review - My favourite salmon sashimi in Edinburgh!!"
"A post shared by Edinburgh Food Porn & Reviews (@plateexpectations) on Jul 7, 2017 at 3:45am PDT. Part of a chain of three restaurants dotted across Edinburgh, Maki and Ramen offers soothing bowls of broth with braised bean curd (or try the ‘Hell Ramen’ if you dare!) and then plenty of fresh sushi to have on the side or as an additional course. This is probably the best sushi restaurant on this list for vegetarians, too, thanks to its thoughtful and delectable vegetarian set dishes."
"Source: Photo by user in Bourke Street, used under CC BY-SA 2.0. This shop is a little off the beaten path, but if you’re looking to take someone on a rainy day date (or you’re just too lazy to microwave yourself some soup – which I feel), head over to Maki Ramen and watch cars and people walk by while you guzzle down a bowl of hot ramen. Don’t forget to read the post-it note memories and doodles left on the wall by other customers, and maybe add your own to the mix!"
"Scotland is not especially renowned for its culinary highlights. However, if you are staying in Edinburgh, you will be blessed with a very rich food scene extending much further than Haggis and fish and chips. As every major city, Edinburgh has a very broad and multicultural food scene."
"This is a definite hidden gem tucked away on Rose Street and is only a 10-minute drive from Straits Meadow and a 15-minute drive from Goods Corner!. You won’t have to wait too long for your tasty middle eastern cuisine from the comfort of your own luxury accommodation with them both being so close. Meze Meze do serve meat, but there are plenty of vegan options available, whether that be hot or cold meze."