Edinburgh… tips for a first timer

[Deanno1dad]

Booked a couple of days in Edinburgh later this year in September with the mrs.
Never been to Scotland and fancied a city break somewhere new.
Any tips for a first timer ..I'm not really the type to jump on a proper tourist open top bus but want to see quirky stuff.
I love my Craft beer and would love to explore some decent pubs/Tap rooms...ones that locals use a bonus..not full of weirdos with cameras clicking away.
how can I spend my 3 days to get a good experience guys.

[Tye Green]

for an afternoon out of the pub visit Scotland's Secret Bunker in Fife - very interesting!

[Ian Lancs]

Deanno1dad said:

I love my Craft beer and would love to explore some decent pubs/Tap rooms

Not necessarily tap rooms, but some on this are decent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siHs3jJ_qmc

[MajorMantra]

Make sure you take a walk up Arthur's Seat for a fabulous view.

EDIT: Oh and walk around Dean Village for a lesser known but very cool little corner of the city.

Edited by MajorMantra on Wednesday 3rd July 05:46

[BREMBOV6]

Pubs. I'd recommend

Deuchters, William St
Cambridge Bar
Le Di-Vin, wine bar but do a few beers

More of piste Canny Mans, Morningside. Very eccentric.

More modern is the The Port of Leith Distillery, can get a tram great views.

Definitely missing more. Few probably not craft beer but not touristy. Minus maybe Leith.

Also The Wee Vault, West End. Never been but walked past it, appear to do unusual beers.

Edited by BREMBOV6 on Tuesday 2nd July 22:29

[anonymous-user]

https://www.innisandgunn.com/taprooms/edinburgh?ga...

I've eaten and drank here (and the two Glasgow taprooms) and thought them decent.

[mikeiow]

Plenty in the City centre to fill your 2 days (National Museum of Scotland, Greyfriars Bobby, obviously the Castle a must-see (1pm gun fired every day, IIRC)....plenty of nice boozers around the town....
....but we really enjoyed dropping down to Leith to look around the Royal Yacht Britannia. Nice Fishmarket restaurent nearby too.
You'll have a blast, wherever you head there!

[Gastons_Revenge]

The medical museum is a great way to spend a few hours, when I visited a couple of years ago they had a Da Vinci surgery robot hooked up to a Microsoft Paint style training program which was pretty cool to have a go with. If you have a strong stomach their preserved specimen collection is incredibly interesting as well, but I would recommend visiting after a meal and not before!

[djsmith74]

The area of Stockbridge is a very nice place to wander around, and less touristy than the main strip, etc. There are some very decent pubs in the area, a very good gastropub in The Scran & Scallie, and the riverside walk back to the city centre is lovely. You can also see one of Anthony Gormley's statues in the Water of Leith, of which he has placed a few along the river, with the last one looking out to sea at Leith (near the whisky distillery).

[s2kjock]

Taprooms - Campervan, Newbarns, Moonwake all within 15 mins walk of each other down in Leith. Further from tourist hell. Bell field taproom closer to top of Easter Road so you could start there and work way down to Leith. Tram back into centre easily and buses plentiful. TBH you could happily spend all day drinking around Leith - it will be quieter than in the centre although there are good beer bars there too.

[Ussrcossack]

Bannermans Bar Cow gate
Rough as

[badgerade]

We had a day either side of flights from Edinburgh airport so was all a bit of a rush.

Beer suggestions:

Fierce Beer on Rose Street
3 Brewdogs (Not a massive fan anymore, but the one on Cowgate felt more like the original brewdogs and had decent guests on)
Salt Horse

Food - if you like Thai then Dusit is well worth a look.

Edit - if we'd had more time we'd have gone to Leith and spent less time in the hordes of slow moving tourists.

Edited by badgerade on Wednesday 3rd July 12:51

[Countdown]

I liked Camera Obscura. The Royal Mile / Castle were both good.

[Lotobear]

The Abbotsford Bar

[pavarotti1980]

Cafe Royal
Guildford Arms
Panda and Sons (cocktails)

[NomadicTurbo]

The Devil's Advocate is great place for a meal and a drink

[AndyAudi]

If you like different stuff

I’ll second the suggestions of

Fierce beer on Rose Street - cafe racer stout & rhubarb pale ale
(The whole of rose street used to be bars back in the day)
&
Dusit the Thai is excellent, their wee taster menu is quite interesting



The comedy attic on the grass market is an interesting intimate late evening - (room above a pub) Comedy on every weekend starting at 23:00

One thing about Edinburgh is if you’re planning stuff book it in advance.

If flying in the, Tram from Airport to town is a pleasant journey rather than a taxi.

[EdmondDantes]

Nok's Kitchen on the castle, great Thai food near the castle.

Oink on Victoria Street is something different if you fancy a roll and pulled pork.

From Stockbridge if you follow National Cycle route 75 it’s a nice walk to Leith doesn’t take too long.

If you fancy a beer in the Grassmarket Cold Town House is decent. You can sit outside across from it you fancy some people watching.

[FredericRobinson]

Bow Bar

[//j17]

Another vote for Bow Bar, for both the range of beers and whiskeys on offer and the amazing use of space (and really who needs pub tables to be wider than 2 pint glasses?).

If you like Japanese worth the trip to Yamato, and if you like retro video games NQ64 isn't anything liek a rough on the inside as it looks on the outside!