I may have been to over 100 countries on my travels, but Edinburgh is and will always be my city.
I never really realised what a glorious city Edinburgh is until I started travelling. It is up there with anywhere else I have been on the planet. It is a city of epic castles and cobbled streets, a historic treasure trove whose ‘New Town’ is hundreds of years old! Edinburgh does not rest on its hard won laurels, though, and there are cutting edge museums and galleries, as well as ace pubs and restaurants to enjoy.
I’d like you to join me now as I reveal my Top 5 Must Dos for First Timers. You can also check out my @Pearlshare guide. There are five more entries there and they all have full contact details, photos and maps. You can save the guide for yourself or even make up one of your own. It’s here for you.
Go on, have an explore and enjoy your visit to Edinburgh, whether it is your first or your fifth.
I always send first timers here to Arthur’s Seat to enjoy what is easily the best view of the city from its highest point. You can see the whole Old Town and New Town from here with the castle starring proudly in the middle. You can appreciate too that Edinburgh lies on the wide estuary of the Forth of Forth. I recommend staying up here for a while with a map working out what everything is.
Edinburgh Castle is the next place you should head. This world class attraction swims in history with countless rooms to explore – don’t miss the Scottish Crown Jewels. There are also restaurants, cafes and shops, plus museums and a certain cannon that tends to surprise first timers when it goes off at 1pm every day!
You could never get bored on the Royal Mile, the most dramatic and impressive thoroughfare on the Royal Mile. It sweeps down down from the castle in a collage of cobbles, taking in as it heads downhill a slew of historic buildings, great pubs and restaurants. It ends up at Holyrood Palace, where Holyrood Park awaits too.
There really is no other bridge quite like this Victorian-era gem. Its distinctive rust red triple cantilever design takes all manner of trains across the famous estuary. Look over from the Forth Road Bridge for free or venture into South Queensferry to pick up a tour boat.
Tom Kitchin is quite simply one of the finest chefs anywhere in the UK. His recently expanded Leith Michelin star restaurant is a stellar temple to fine dining. Book well ahead if you want to stand a chance of eating here.
