Fun Things to do in and around Edinburgh

Climb a volcano

Edinburgh's Arthur's Seat last erupted 350 million years ago shaping Edinburgh's famous landscape. It has been extinct for many years, but it still provides the hottest views! Why not walk the Radical Road, take a picnic and your camera?

Walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter,

Jekyll and Hyde, Robinson Crusoe, Detective Inspector Rebus, Sir Walter Scott, Miss Jean Brodie, Robert Burns, to name a few... Edinburgh is full of literary characters, no wonder we are UNESCO's first City of Literature! Visit the Museum of Writers to find out more or have a drink in one of the many associated literary pubs.

Check your watch by the 1 o'clock gun

The daily ceremony of the firing of the gun at Edinburgh Castle has been frightening visitors to the city since 1861. It is well worth seeing the event, but remember to take your ear plugs, it's very loud. If you want to look like a local, try not to jump as you check your watch!

Meet a detective

If you think Baker Street is the only place you can meet Sherlock Holmes, think again! The creator of the fictional detective, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, grew up in Edinburgh where he studied medicine. His professor and mentor, Dr Joseph Bell, inspired the famous character.

See a Village in the city

We have two - Duddingston Village boasts a pretty loch, a 12th century church and a great historic pub, while Dean Village gets you up close to the former water powered flour mills and quaint cobbled streets of a bygone era.

Walk with the penguins

Feed nectar to the Lorikeets or get cosy with a Chimpanzee. These are all possible at Edinburgh Zoo, one of the most popular visitor attractions in Scotland. The Zoo is full of ideas for a great day out and has something to offer everyone whatever your age.

Pat a famous dog

Greyfriars Bobby's loyalty to his master's memory is legendary and he is just one of Edinburgh's much loved characters - find out more in Greyfriars' churchyard, but watch out for ghosts - it is reputedly the most haunted graveyard in Scotland!

Bask in the tropics

The recently renovated Tropical Palm House in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a beautiful Victorian building, housing graceful palm trees, which along with the orchid and fern houses nearby, will make you forget the often chilly weather outside. There are many different climactic environments to enjoy in the glass houses as well as changing exhibitions. On your way out of the gardens you may want to feed the friendly squirrels.

Crack the da Vinci Code

Rosslyn Chapel, which features in the climax of Dan Brown's novel, is only 30 minutes from the city centre and is an architectural jewel. Wander the nearby well marked paths of Roslin Glen, view the ruined Castle and have lunch in a local pub.

See Swan Lake

Instead of ballet shoes, take a bag of bread and enjoy how the Queen's swans in Holyrood Park jostle for your attention! Explore the shores of St Margaret's Loch, near Holyrood Palace and experience the feeling of being in the countryside without leaving the city.

Treat yourself to a 'wee dram' of whisky

Did you know that the number of whisky bottles exported from Scotland each year could reach three times the distance from Shanghai to Edinburgh if laid end to end?
The pubs and shops in Edinburgh have shelves groaning with the hundreds of whiskies produced in Scotland, but how to find that extra special whisky to take home? How do you know which one to choose? How do you find out how it is made? Your Blue Badge Guide can provide you with all the specialist knowledge and experience.

Spy on Seals and Seabirds

A short ride to North Berwick and you can visit the Seabird Centre with its hidden cameras trained on nesting sites in the River Forth. From here you can take a boat trip (weather permitting) to the largest gannetry in Europe, the Bass Rock. For seal trips, the boat leaves from Newhaven harbour in Edinburgh or from South Queensferry to lovely Inchcolm Island in the Forth.

Play a round of golf

We have around 30 courses to choose from in Edinburgh and plenty outside the city. Many of them are municipal and easily affordable. Or just try putting a few holes in Princes Street Gardens while admiring the Old Town skyline behind you.

Follow a river to the sea

The Water of Leith passes through genteel suburbs of Edinburgh, past classical monuments and lush vegetation before it comes out into the Forth at the Port of Leith. You are bound to spot a heron and other river fauna and flora from the excellent walkways

Hunt the Loch Ness Monster

You may find it is not as far as you think when you find the Monster visitor centre on the Royal Mile!

We know this isn't Nessie (if we had her picture we would be millionaires)! This is cousin Bessie when she attended Glasgow University!