Edinburgh is an old city with lots to see. We stayed for about 5 days and drove in from the Isle of Skye on the west side of Scotland. Tourism thrives here and the people of the city are extremely friendly.  Here are 5 things to do on your next visit to Edinburgh.

1. Calton Hill 

For those days that you would just like to go for a walk and relax while on vacation I highly suggest visiting Calton Hill. While it takes a bit of energy to get to the top of the hill, the views are magnificent. The hill overlooks the city and seems to be a common place for locals and tourists to enjoy themselves. We spent part an afternoon here and enjoyed some sunshine.

The view from Calton Hill

Overlooking the city

2. Edinburgh Castle

This is one of the more popular activities to do in Edinburgh for tourists. We found it to be extremely busy. You can see the castle from most places in the city since it is perched on a hill. It took us about 2 hours to see everything. It was a nice castle but… on a scale of castles I can definitely say this would be only halfway up my list. It costs 16 pounds to get in and there is more information available on their site http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/ . Try to get there early as the crowds really build into the middle of the day.

Edinburgh Castle

Charlene is being knighted inside the castle

3. The Royal Mile

We walked down the Royal Mile a number of times as that is the main street in the Old Town. There are all types of shops and restaurants lining the street. The buildings all look extremely old and have character. We only had one meal on the main street as you tend to get better food for a better value off of the beaten track.

The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile

4. The National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland was worth the visit. We always try to visit the local museums and learn about the culture where ever we might be visiting. I’m always amazed at the architecture of the museums in the United Kingdom, they do a really good job designing the buildings. If you have seen pictures of  them, they are quite inspiring (ie the British Museum and the Natural History Museum in London). You can find more information on this location here http://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland/

The National Museum of Scotland

5. The Elephant House

I’m an avid Harry Potter fan and when I heard that this was the spot that JK Rowling used to write the books I knew we would have to visit. It is a nice cafe and can obviously be busy at times. Through the windows you can see Edinburgh Castle.

Elephant House – A lovely Cafe

Enjoying some tea