Edinburgh 3 nights in November, with car - what to see?
Discussion
I'd say it's worth doing the East Neuk of Fife on one of the days - less than an hour from Edinburgh and you've got St Andrews which is still a bustling town (and will be less golf centric that time of year), all the fishing villages (Crail, Pittenweem) and you can get some beautiful fish and chips in Anstruther.
https://newlanark.org/
50 minutes from Edinburgh on a good day
A beautiful location & some cracking history
I might be a small bit biased though ...
50 minutes from Edinburgh on a good day
A beautiful location & some cracking history
I might be a small bit biased though ...
Edited by ComStrike on Tuesday 7th October 12:04
bodhi said:
I'd say it's worth doing the East Neuk of Fife on one of the days - less than an hour from Edinburgh and you've got St Andrews which is still a bustling town (and will be less golf centric that time of year), all the fishing villages (Crail, Pittenweem) and you can get some beautiful fish and chips in Anstruther.
SecondedMy mother lives in that area
Just be aware the centre of town is a nightmare for cars with heavy traffic and a ULEZ. If you want a driving holiday I would stay out of town; Peebles and explore the Borders, or maybe Dundee and head up into the Cairngorms/Aberdeenshire.
3 days will give you a decent start on the sights in Embra but you need to decide if you want a city break or a driving holiday. Remember also, the days are going to be short with sunrise after 7.30 and sunset around 4pm from the middle of November, and if you're here at a weekend you'll have Rugby traffic clogging the place up as well.
Where you stay will also affect your driving - trying to get into and out of the city centre can take a while during 'rush' hour so a place close to the bypass (or the slow moving car park as we call it) might make life easier. Then you need to bus into town though.
3 days will give you a decent start on the sights in Embra but you need to decide if you want a city break or a driving holiday. Remember also, the days are going to be short with sunrise after 7.30 and sunset around 4pm from the middle of November, and if you're here at a weekend you'll have Rugby traffic clogging the place up as well.
Where you stay will also affect your driving - trying to get into and out of the city centre can take a while during 'rush' hour so a place close to the bypass (or the slow moving car park as we call it) might make life easier. Then you need to bus into town though.
Thanks Guys, for all the advice and input. Really appreciated. I think on reflection there’s no point trying to combine a City Break plus driving, so will probably take the train up from London and just do Edinburgh this time. My wife’s never visited.
Just wish trains weren’t so bloody expensive!
About £200 return, each!
Just wish trains weren’t so bloody expensive!
About £200 return, each! wax lyrical said:
Thanks Guys, for all the advice and input. Really appreciated. I think on reflection there s no point trying to combine a City Break plus driving, so will probably take the train up from London and just do Edinburgh this time. My wife s never visited.
Just wish trains weren t so bloody expensive! About £200 return, each!
Have you priced up flying instead? We drive up now (from the Midlands), but we used to fly and it was generally cheaper than the train.Just wish trains weren t so bloody expensive!
About £200 return, each! rlw said:
Unless you've seen it all before, I'd say leave the car and walk around the city. There is so much to see and do, I reckon you would need at least two weeks to cover the stuff easily walkable from the station.
I'd echo that. We spend a fair bit of time in Edinburgh. Driving out is good. We've done several days, including to Stirling, Crammond Beach even up to the Highlight Wildlife park near Aviemore, but exploring the city is always better.This is a guide I put together for a history-obsessed US friend that was visiting for a week last year.
As promised, some tips on Edinburgh for next month!
It’s the most amazing city, just walking round will be breath-taking. Edinburgh is split into two halves. The Old Town and the New Town. (which is still very old!)
Old Town
• Revel in the 1000-year-old history, walk down the Royal Mile from the Castle, go into Deacon Brodies - 400yr old pub. You have to drink a pint of proper beer AND get a good whisky (do NOT call it Scotch!!!). If you like your whisky, the Scotch Whisky Experience between the Castle and The Witchery (see below) is a great visit.
• Go down Victoria Street down to the Grassmarket. Have a look inside St Giles Cathedral, wind your way down from the Cathedral to Cockburn Street, see some of the steep passageways between the two.
• Palace of Holyrood House is definitely worth going to, a great tour, the other end of the Royal Mile to the Castle. Last royal house of the Scottish Royal Family, and now the King’s official residence in Scotland. The tour takes you around the palace, into Henry VIII bedroom, the tower where Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner in the 1500s. Plus see the current state banquet room.
• National Museum of Scotland is really good - large museum and taking a trip to the Royal Yacht Britannia is fun - 20mins away from central Edinburgh.
New Town
Other side of Princes Gardens. Princes street is just a modern-ish street, but George Street, one block over, is lovely. Small boutiques, old buildings, bars, restaurant, then walk further through 2-300 residential properties to StockBridge and Dean Village - both definitely worth visiting too and walking around.
Two historical underground tours, we’ve done them both:
https://www.realmarykingsclose.com/ (https://www.realmarykingsclose.com/)
https://www.mercattours.com/view-tour/historic-
underground (https://www.mercattours.com/view-tour/historic-underground)
Have a look, Real Mary King’s Close is the better tour IMO, but both are good. Really shows the history of Edinburgh right from the last Ice Age!
Prestonfield – incredible hotel, we had our wedding reception there and it's now the only place we stay, it’s the 16th Century Lord Provost’s House turned into an amazing hotel by renowned restauranteur James Thompson. Have a coffee, or cocktail, or lunch, or dinner. Or just visit and sit in the Tapestry Room which hasn’t changed much in 400 years.
Food
Loads to chose from.
Prestonfield’s restaurant is called Rhubarb (Rhubarb was first introduced to Scotland in it’s garden) – fine dining but also relaxed. Traditional fine Scottish food.
The Witchery, sister property to Prestonfield, underneath the castle, fine dining, magical, upstairs is a similar vibe to Prestonfield, but we always chose The Secret Garden, like eating 1,000 years ago, but with modern Michelin standard food. Magical.
Alternatives:
• The Dome, cool old bank. Traditional food, great vibe
• The Kitchin - Tom Kitchen’s restaurant, uber good, recent Michelin Star, based in Leith - 15mins in a cab.
• Eorna - Fabulous concept, future Michelin star, only 12 covers and the chef cooks in front of you - exceptional
• Wedgewood, very cool new restaurant, all very local sourced ingredients.
• Number One - old school glamour in the Balmoral.
• The Lookout - minimalist setting, great food, incredible views
• Six by Nico - Global food, cool vibe. Tasting menu only
• Bon Vivant - very cool, continental vibe, Scottish food
• Le-Di Vin - more wine bar than restaurant but a cool gaff
• Timberyard - cool, scandi, low key
• The Scran & Scallie in Stocksbridge. - nice chilled HQ pub.
If you do fancy walking around Edinburgh for a half day, as well as the underground tours, here are some more tips of what to see in the old town:
Search out a place called Barrie's Close, which is right beside St Giles Cathedral. It is interesting to see as it gives you a feel of what Edinburgh was like in the Medieval past, long before it became a modern city and hotspot for tourism.
What you see here is how tight the lanes were, how suffocating the buildings were going 7 stories up and 7 stories down (first skyscrapers in Europe it is claimed). In those days, centuries ago, there was no concrete path just a muddy lane where people would throw their daily human waste out their windows with a cry of "Gardyloo!" - a warning to those below to 'watch out'.
After Barrie’s Close, dig out the following, all within the same area:
- The Elephant house (where JK Rowling wrote some of Harry Potter)
- Greyfriars Kirk, passing Bobby the Dog (the Covenaters, Plague victims buried)
- Candlemaker Row
- Grassmarket (for a beer in the Last Drop)
They will all give you a real flavour of Old Edinburgh! Enjoy!
Thanks Guys, for all the advice and input. Really appreciated. I think on reflection there’s no point trying to combine a City Break plus driving, so will probably take the train up from London and just do Edinburgh this time. My wife’s never visited.
Just wish trains weren’t so bloody expensive! About £200 return, each!
Just wish trains weren’t so bloody expensive!
About £200 return, each! wax lyrical said:
Thanks Guys, for all the advice and input. Really appreciated. I think on reflection there s no point trying to combine a City Break plus driving, so will probably take the train up from London and just do Edinburgh this time. My wife s never visited.
Just wish trains weren t so bloody expensive! About £200 return, each!
Wait until you get to hotel and food prices when you get there...Just wish trains weren t so bloody expensive!
About £200 return, each! If you do drive up and you do not have parking at the accommodation then you can leave the car at park and ride for up to 3 days free -https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory-record/1114131/hermiston-park-and-ride.
As for food and drink prices I think it depends where you are coming from. Being a little too near London I tend to think Edinburgh is a comparative bargain.
As for food and drink prices I think it depends where you are coming from. Being a little too near London I tend to think Edinburgh is a comparative bargain.
We’ve stayed at the Hilton in North Queensferry several times a caught the train into Edinburgh which takes you over the Forth Bridge. We’ve also walked over the Forth Road Bridge to South Queensferry, taken a trip to the Kelpies and also headed across to the Trossachs for a drive. It’s a good base where parking is free.
Prices vary a lot during the year - anything from sub £100 to close to £300 per night. The restaurant is quite nice and reasonable cost for a hotel.
Prices vary a lot during the year - anything from sub £100 to close to £300 per night. The restaurant is quite nice and reasonable cost for a hotel.
wax lyrical said:
Thanks All. Food and drink will be O.k. I live near London. However nice hotels in Old Town are minimum £300 per night.
Capital city pricing. But do dig around, you get deals al the time, but chose the wrong time and Edinburgh accommodation can be as expensive as London. Alternative is an Airbnb. We always stay at Prestonfield (which will give you the best accommodation in Edinburgh, and sometimes under that £300), but often have friends that come up and get an Airbnb for £120/150 per night.
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