Free activities in Edinburgh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Museums

Edinburgh has multiple free mueums to offer, from national history to modern art and literature. All the ones mentioned before are free of charge.

My favourite is the National Museum of Scotland because of it's wide range of topics. They have a section on natural history, transport, world history, fashion history and much more.

My second recommendation is the Museum of Edinburgh. It is lesser known and nested in the outter corner of Royal mile. They have a interesting display of the city history in a historical building that is nice to visit even by itself.

National Museum of Scotland

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National museum of Scotland is a perfect place to expand your knowledge and occasionally hide from the Scottish rain. The whole museum is free of charge and has an exhibitions on various topics - from Scottish history to space and natural history. It even has Dolly the sheep, first cloned animal.

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National Galleries of Scotland: Portrait

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What started as a private collection of an art enthusiast, is now turned into a portrait museum. It mostly houses portraits of famous Scots, but not all necessarly painted by Scots. The inside of the builiding is quite beautiful in itself, so you might enjoy the visit even if you are not interested in art

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Museum of Childhood

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Visit the world’s first ever museum dedicated to the history of childhood. Amongst the displays you will find toys, games, clothes, books and dolls, dating from the 1800s to the present day.

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The Writers' Museum

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'The Writers’ Museum celebrates the lives of three giants of Scottish Literature – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Home to portraits, rare books and personal objects including Burns’ writing desk, the printing press on which Scott’s Waverley Novels were first produced, and the rocking horse he used as a child. We have Robert Louis Stevenson’s riding boots and the ring given to him by a Samoan chief, engraved with the name ‘Tusitala’, meaning ‘teller of tales’. There is also a plaster cast of Robert Burns' skull, one of only three ever made.'

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Museum of Edinburgh

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'Discover Edinburgh’s fascinating history through the Museum of Edinburgh’s wide and varied collections. In exploring the Museum’s maze of 16th century buildings, you will see iconic items, beautiful objects and learn fascinating facts and gruesome tales.'

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National Galleries of Scotland: National

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Collection of Scottish and international paitings from 1300 to 1945. Some of the more well-known artists include Vermeer, Titian, Rembrandt, Velázquez and the Impressionists.

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National Galleries of Scotland: Modern One

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One of two modern art museums in Edinburgh. In this one you will find all things contemporary.

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National Galleries of Scotland: Modern Two

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'The wacky and the wonderful. Modern Two’s collection of intriguing artworks shows the departure from traditional styles, in search of new forms and expressions emerging in the late 19th and early 20th century. '

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The People's Story Museum

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'The People's Story gives an unique insight in to Edinburgh's working class people from the 18th century to the late 20th century. The displays include tableaux, original objects, images and personal stories to reveal their fascinating history of the city. The collection focuses on the history, culture, crafts and trades, and the people of Edinburgh but also as a place to explore more contemporary issues, events and opinions. What makes the museum stand out is that all of the displays are based around the words of Edinburgh’s people, taken from oral history reminiscences and written sources to tell real stories. The collections reflect this with objects ranging from Friendly Society regalia, banners and material relating to Edinburgh’s diverse communities.'

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Nature

Edinburgh is one of the most nature full capitals I ever visited. There is a whole mountain you can climb less than 30 min walk from the high street. And if you want to escape city life for an afternoon you just need to hop on a bike.

My favourite location is Arthur's seat area. Most people only do the hike to the top, which is very worth it for the views, but I'd recommend exploring the south and east side, along the lake. Even spotted some deer and foxes there a few times.

If you have a whole day or afternoon I'd recommend taking a local bus to pentlands. Although they are so close to Edinburgh, you feel like you're in middle of nowhere just hiking along the hills.

Arthur's Seat

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Arthur seat is the name of the highest peak in the Holyrood park on the east side of Edinburgh. From Princes Street you'll need a 20 minute walk to get there. I'd recommend hiking to the top to have a panoramic view of the city, it's especially nice at sunrise or sunset. Holyrood park is way bigger than you think, you can spend entire day there. Behind the peak there is a lake very popular with birds. Deer and foxes also like to visit to keep your eyes open.

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Calton Hill

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Only 10 min walk from Princes Street you'll find Carlton hill. Youll need to climb up a little bit but I promise it will be worth it! You'll have a view on the Princes Street and this classic Edinburgh picture you always find in all the guides. Later you can walk around the hill and also have a view at the sea and Arthur's seat

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Pentland Hills Regional Park

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Most remote but most rewarding. It will take you 1 hour by bus to get there but it's definitely worth it. Massive park streches forever and you can spend whole day hiking here. It'll give you sneak peak of Scottish Highlands which you should definitely visit if you have time!

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Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

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Royal Botanical Gardens are located on the North side of the city and you'll need to make a 30-minute walk from Prices Street to reach them. We would often visit them during any botany courses as the variety of plans inside is impressive. But if you're not interested in plants and their detailed work you can just enjoy a stroll through small forest and flower covered meadows. Botanical gardens are free of charge. However, if you want to access the glasshouses you'll need to pay a small entrance fee

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Princes Street Gardens

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First spot is located right in the heart of the city - Princes Street Gardens. Perfect if you don't have much time but still want to escape the hustle of the city. Good for break of picnic with a castle view. Fun fact: did you know that the Gardens are built on a dried out river?

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Meadows Play Park

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The social heart of the city. It might not impress with forest or flowers but it's the perfect spot for a picnic with friends, reading a book in sun or playing sports. If you're a Harry Potter fun I'd recommend trying to find out when Quidditch practice is. As someone who played for years I can confirm it's a lot of fun and we practiced every week in Meadows 🪄 You'll find the Meadows on the south of Prices Street, about 25-minute walk

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Blackford Hill

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Now we're moving a bit out of the main city. Blackford hill is on the south end of the city, 1 hour walk or 30-min bus ride from Princes Street. It's located right behind University of Edinburgh Science Campus and that was one of the main locations for my biology degree. Blackford is full of life - meadows, river, forest. Which means it's full of biodiversity both flora and fauna. But most importantly it's a very scenic walk - through Scottish forest and up the hill from where you can see whole of Edinburgh and the classic shape of the Arthur's Seat

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Musselburgh

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From Princes Street 2 hour walk or 30 min bus ride. I walked all the way there once, it takes you mostly through suburbs and is definitely a long walk. If you can I'd also recommend getting a bike, good compromise between walking and bus. Musselburgh is located on the sea edge if you're missing the ocean view. However, it got it's fame from the bird life. The locations makes it very favourable with birds especially migrating sea birds. People from all over the UK come here to spot some rare species. If you're a bird lover this is a perfect spot for you 🐦 Did you know you can see Puffins in Edinburgh? In the bay there is Isle of May, puffin colony. In the summer month you can join a boat tour that will take you there to see the clowns of the sea 🐧

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Dunbars Close

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Hidden in the hussle of the Royal Mile is the Dunbar close. It is a recreated 17th century garden, perfect for a break or a picnic away from crowds

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Portobello High Street

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Portobello is Edinburgh's beach site. If you been missing the sea you can head there for an afternoon, it has pleanty of bus connections or you can even walk. If you are brave head for a swim, might be a bit chilly

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Cramond Island

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Little island located North of city centre. Take a local bus to Cramond and from there you can walk to the island. The only catch is that the patch is not always there. It is only accessible during high tide so make sure you check the tides before. Once you arrive, by the bridge to the island you will also find an updated tide chart, take a note and make sure you are back on mainland before the water comes, otherwise you'll need to wait until next day.

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Sightseeing

Mu favourite thing about Edinburgh is that, no matter where you go it always looks like you're in Outlander or Harry Potter movie. The historical beauty is very well preserved and you don't find many modern buildings disturbing it.

Although Royal Mile is very popular I think it's for a good reason. I'd highly recommend it early morning or late evening, when you can enjoy the place without the crowds. I used to pass by around 6-7am on way to work and it was wonderful. While you walk along make sure to explore or all closes (small alleyways), maybe you'll find some treasure spots 😉

My second top is Dean's village and water of Leith walk that starts there. Perfect combination of Edinburgh's magical vibe and nature.

Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh

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It is a historical graveyard that been in use since 16th century. When you stroll around take a look at the names on the graves, you might spot a few characters from Harry Potter

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St Giles' Cathedral

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'The history of St Giles’ Cathedral, has spanned 900 years, from early beginnings as a Romanesque church in 1124 to its current standing as a modern Presbyterian church. It has seen the seeds of civil war sown and been the centre of the Scottish Reformation as John Knox’s Parish church.'

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Royal Mile

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The main cobblestone street of the Old Edinburgh runs between the Edinburgh castle and Holyrood palace. The name comes from the royal parades as the street connects two royal buildings. Nowadays the street maintains it's historical charm and is very popular with tourists for a good reason. Along you'll find gothic St. Giles cathedral which you can enter and admire the inside. As you walk along the Royal mile try to explore the small alleyways between the buildings and see what you can find. The diameter of the alleyway was chosen so that caskets can leave the city but enemies would straggle getting in. Along Royal mile you'll find two interesting attractions - Real Mary Kings Close and Edinburgh vaults. Those are the truly historical sights buried deep underground. The entry fee is 25£ and 20£

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Forth Bridge

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'The Forth Bridge is a celebrated Scottish landmark, and a milestone in the development of railway civil engineering. It was the first major structure in Britain to be made of steel and its construction resulted in a continuous East Coast railway route from London to Aberdeen.'

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Dean Village

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Probably my favourite spot in Edinburgh. 20 min walk from Princes Street you'll find Dean Village. Cute little village with picturesque houses and old bridges. And my favourite part - river walk. It takes you along the village and the water, through forest that gets absolutely magical in fall 🍁if I have to recommend one place to visit in Edinburgh that will be definitely it. It can be quite busy especially on Sunday afternoon with sunny weather. If you can I'd recommend early morning start just to have the place to yourself

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Circus Lane

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Very picturesque street that been exploding on social media recently. Indeed, it's a nice street, however, other than this one angle you see on all pictures there is not much there. But if you're around the area already you can drop by for a visit

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Water of Leith Walkway

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Lovely walk from Dean's village along the river

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Grassmarket Square

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During its long existence, it has been the scene of executions, murders and riots. Thankfully those days are behind us, and today some many independent traders call the area home. It’s also a trendy food and drink destination. Harry Potter fans will find a themed shop there. Did you know that Grassmarket was an inspiration for the Diagon Alley?

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Edinburgh Castle

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There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until 1633. From the 15th century, the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison. You can climb up to the castle entrance and if you want to explore inside you can purchase a ticket which costs 25£.

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Museum Context: Retailer of Harry Potter Merchandise

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Did you know that Harry Potter was written and inspired by Edinburgh? The city is full of Harry Potter location and this shop is a pretty good start. Great place for a visit and wonder around even if you don't want to buy anything. Just pop by and enjoy the magical atmostphere

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Craigmillar Castle

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Medieval castle, probably best known for association with Mary, Queen of Scotts. Although the entrance to the castle itself is paid for, you can still enjoy the exterior for free. Nice place for a walk through the fields and in the forest nearby. It's a great place for any bird lovers, many interesting species can be spotted there.

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Events

Free walking tour 🚶🏿

I think that one of the best way to explore any city is joining a free walking tour. Local guide will walk you through main attractions and tell you their story and history. There is a few different tours you can join in Edinburgh, city tour, ghost tour, Harry Potter tour and more

Edinburgh walking tour

www.neweuropetours.eu

Fringe 🎊

One of the biggest peformance art festival which takes place for 3 weeks in August. The whole city is exploding with shows, performances and everything in between. And lots of events are completly for free!

Halloween

Also known as Samhuinn in Scotland.'Traditionally held on the 1 November, this pagan festival marked the culmination of the harvest season, and many of the Halloween customs we know and love today are in fact remnants of this ancient culture, from trick-or-treating to jack-o'-lanterns. It also takes its name from All Hallows Eve, the night before the Christian festival of All Hallows or All Saints Day, when the dead were thought to return to earth to walk among the living.'

Check out my other Scotland guides

Nomad on a Budget

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Scotland on a budget without a car. 8-16 day itinerary 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

As a teenager, I visited Scotland for a few days, and that in addition to Outlander binge watching ended up with me moving to Edinburgh next year. I spent a few years living there and falling more and more in love with the country. The only problem was that it was my university years which meant a tight budget but still the need to explore. So this guide is a summary of a few years of budget travel in Scotland and what I think it's the best compromise between budget and exploring everything this magical country has to offer. ⛰️ This guide will help you plan your perfect Scotland trip - on a budget and without a car. The base of this trip is a loop which you can start in either Glasgow or Edinburgh and which will take you 8 days. Then, at every stop, I'll give you some day trip options so that you can extend your trip depending on what you want to see and how much time you have. If you go for all-day trips this full itinerary will take 17 days. 💷 I'll give you a full breakdown of the cost. The basic loop will require around 210£ for all transport and accommodation. I'll provide you with a spreadsheet that breaks down each cost and each day trip so you can also plan and adjust your trip according to your budget. I'll also share with you accommodation recommendations and a breakdown of all the buses/trains you'd need to take.

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Itinerary

Nomad on a Budget

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Vegan Edinburgh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🌿 10 top vegan spots in Edinburgh

After living in Edinburgh for 4 years I believe I found some of the best vegan spots. You can find my top 10 below 🌱All spots are fully vegan, not just vegan options 🌱 Scattered around Edinburgh, not just city centre 🌱 Variety of lunch, dinner and dessert places

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