Edinburgh was the starting point for our UK: Scotland, Wales, and England journey with Tauck, and we gave ourselves a few days on our own before the tour began. That turned out to be a smart move. Between a day trip up the Fife coast to St Andrews, a food tour through the Old Town, and an afternoon aboard a royal yacht, we packed in more than we expected, and then Tauck added castles and a palace on top of that.
So here they are, our top ten things to do while visiting Edinburgh, in the order we did them, plus a short primer on the city’s two towns at the end. Bob and I would happily do every one of them again.
1. See the Three Forth Bridges at South Queensferry
We booked an all-day Viator tour to St Andrews, and our driver, Graeme, set the tone within the first five minutes. He had a salty, sarcastic sense of humor that kept the whole van laughing all day, and he knew his Scottish history cold.
Our first stop was South Queensferry, on the shore of the Firth of Forth, where you can stand in one spot and see three bridges from three different centuries lined up across the water:
- The Forth Bridge (1890). The famous red cantilever railway bridge, built of steel (not iron, as most of us assume) between 1882 and 1890. It was the first major structure in Britain built entirely of steel and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trains still cross it every day.
- The Forth Road Bridge (1964). A suspension bridge opened by Queen Elizabeth II, and for fifty years the main road crossing. Today it carries buses, taxis, cyclists, and walkers.
- The Queensferry Crossing (2017). The newest and longest of the three, a sleek cable-stayed bridge that the Queen opened in September 2017, exactly 53 years to the day after she opened the Forth Road Bridge next door.
Graeme pointed out that the three bridges are a tidy little timeline of engineering: Victorian steel, mid-century suspension, and modern cable-stayed, all within a few hundred yards of each other. It is a quick stop, maybe 20 minutes, but a very photogenic one.
2. Stop for Hot Chocolate in Anstruther
From Queensferry we headed north across the water and into the Kingdom of Fife, with a 30-minute stop in Anstruther, a charming seaside fishing town on the East Neuk coast. The harbor is lined with stone cottages and small boats, and the whole place looks like it was arranged for a postcard.
We stopped just long enough to take a few pictures and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate and a snack. Anstruther is home to the Scottish Fisheries Museum, which tells the story of Scotland’s fishing industry from the harbor where it happened, and it is also known for what many Scots claim is the best fish and chips in the country. We did not have time for either, which is a good excuse to go back.
3. Explore St Andrews: Cathedral Ruins and a Storybook University
Our main reason for heading north was the golf course, and the iconic seaside links was the first thing we saw as we came into town. But St Andrews offers much more than golf. With its ancient stone buildings, cathedral ruins, and students in bright red gowns, the town has the feel of a Harry Potter novel come to life.
The University
The University of St Andrews was founded in 1413, making it the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world, behind Oxford and Cambridge. It is also famously where Prince William and Kate Middleton met as students, and the tour points out places connected to their college years.
The red gowns are a St Andrews tradition going back centuries. Undergraduates wear them for special occasions, and on Sunday mornings after chapel the students process together along the harbor pier in what is known as the Pier Walk. That is almost certainly what we saw: a long line of students in red walking up from the university and around the cathedral grounds on the path overlooking the North Sea. It looked like a scene from Hogwarts, and it was one of the highlights of the day.
The Cathedral
Graeme dropped us at the cathedral, at the highest point of the town, and we walked the grounds of the ruin. It was impressive and sobering at the same time. Construction began in 1158, and when it was consecrated in 1318, with Robert the Bruce in attendance, it was the largest church in Scotland. It remained at the center of Scottish religious life until the Reformation of 1559, when it was stripped and abandoned and much of its stone was carried away for other buildings.
The east gable wall still stands, along with the great west doorway and St Rule’s Tower, and together they give you a real sense of the scale. Standing at the altar end and looking down the length of the nave toward the sea, we could imagine what it must have been like with stained glass windows lit by the setting sun over the water. If you have the legs for it, the tower has about 150 steps and the best view in town.
The Town
St Andrews is small, with a population of around 17,000 (a good share of them students), and it is easy to walk. Three main streets, North Street, Market Street, and South Street, run roughly east to west from the cathedral end down toward the golf course. Two are commerce streets lined with shops, cafés, and restaurants, and the third runs directly past the university, with student flats and the kind of shops that cater to them.
Bob and I walked down one of the two commerce streets and stopped for lunch, where I had fish tacos and Bob opted for a hamburger. Then we continued through town, wandering in and out of a few shops, before making our way down to the course.
4. Walk the Old Course and Stand on the Swilcan Bridge
Bob was anxious to get down to the golf course, walk the fairways, and stand on the famed Swilcan Bridge on the 18th fairway. We had timed it well without knowing it. It was Sunday, and by long tradition the Old Course closes to golfers on Sundays so the turf can rest, which means the public is welcome to walk the course, take pictures, and simply enjoy the place.
We were amazed by how many people were out there. Families walking the fairways, kids putting on the practice greens, and dogs romping across the most famous grass in golf. The Swilcan Bridge itself is a small stone arch that has carried golfers over the Swilcan Burn for around 700 years, and it is where the greats stop for a farewell wave at the end of their last Open. There was always a small line of people waiting for their turn on the bridge, and each group offered to take a picture for the group in front of them. It was all very civilized.
As is typical, the wind was blowing hard off the North Sea, but the sun was out, and it was a memorable experience, especially for Bob. The clubhouse and most of the buildings around the course were closed for the day, but Bob picked up a few souvenirs in the town shops.
It was a great visit and one we will not forget anytime soon. If you visit Scotland, a day trip to St Andrews gives you an iconic golf course and a historic town with lots of personality in one easy outing.
5. Eat Your Way Through the Old Town on a Food Tour
Food tours are one of our favorite ways to learn about a city, its culture, and its history, and many of my posts feature them. Edinburgh was no different, although this one introduced us to a couple of local delicacies we were not too sure about going in.
We booked the Eating Edinburgh small-group food tour through Viator and met our guide, André, in St Andrew Square in the New Town, an easy walk from our hotel. His family had owned a well-known restaurant on Victoria Street for decades and had only recently sold it when his parents retired, so he knew the local food scene inside and out. The tour covered four food stops and a walk through many of the famous streets and squares of the Old Town.
First Stop: Scones at Mimi’s Bakehouse
Mimi’s Bakehouse is famous for cakes, afternoon tea, and, above all, scones. We arrived to find a table set for us, and within minutes we were each served a large, fluffy scone with whipped clotted-style cream and strawberry jam. Our American scones tend to be dry and dense. These were light, airy, and delicious, and they explained why Edinburgh takes its scones so seriously. It was a wonderful start, but I wisely ate only half of mine so I could enjoy the rest of the day’s treats.
Second Stop: Haggis at the Arcade Bar
The second stop was the Arcade Bar Haggis and Whisky House on Cockburn Street, where we tried Scotland’s national dish. I knew enough about haggis to be wary, but it turned out much better than expected.
First, we were offered beer or Irn-Bru, Scotland’s bright orange soft drink. André told us it was created as an alternative to beer for the steelworkers building Glasgow Central Station, who were partial to lunchtime pints. It was actually pretty good. Then came four bite-sized, breaded and deep-fried haggis balls served with a balsamic reduction. They were tasty and not at all what I feared. I did let Bob eat the other three, however.
Third Stop: Fish and Chips at Maggie Dickson’s
The main course was fish and chips at Maggie Dickson’s, a pub in the Grassmarket just below Victoria Street. We had a long table in the back, chose our drinks, and the fish and chips came out fresh, hot, and delicious. By this point I was very glad I had only eaten half a scone and one haggis ball, because I was getting seriously full.
Before we went in, André told us the story behind the name. In 1724, Maggie Dickson was convicted under Scotland’s harsh concealment-of-pregnancy laws and hanged in the Grassmarket. She was pronounced dead and placed in a coffin, but during the journey home for burial, mourners heard knocking from inside. Maggie was very much alive. Because her sentence had already been carried out, she could not be hanged twice for the same crime. She lived another forty years and was known ever after as Half-Hangit Maggie. The pub sits near the memorial marking the site of the former gallows.
Fourth Stop: Ice Cream
Our last stop was just down the street, and it was ice cream, which is always a crowd favorite and the perfect finish.
The tour lasted about three hours and, in addition to the food, walked us through the best of the Old Town: the Royal Mile, Victoria Street with its curved row of colorful shopfronts, the Grassmarket, and back toward St Andrew Square. I would give it high marks and recommend it to anyone who enjoys food tours.
6. Step Inside St Giles’ Cathedral
On our way back to the hotel from the food tour, we took André’s advice and stopped at St Giles’ Cathedral, right on the Royal Mile. We enjoy visiting religious buildings of every faith around the world, and St Giles’ has an important story to tell.
A church has stood here since around 1124, although most of what you see today dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. Its distinctive crown steeple was added around 1495. St Giles’ became a center of the Scottish Reformation in 1559, when John Knox was installed as minister and helped turn Scotland Protestant. A statue of him stands inside the nave.
Technically it is not a cathedral at all—it is properly the High Kirk of Edinburgh—but the name stuck. Do not miss the Thistle Chapel, with its carved oak stalls and painted ceiling. In September 2022, St Giles’ was also where Queen Elizabeth II lay at rest before her coffin traveled to London.
We generally find Protestant churches spartan compared with Catholic churches and Eastern temples, but St Giles’ is far richer than most, with soaring stone vaults and brilliant stained glass, most likely because it began life as a medieval Catholic church and kept its bones. Entry is free, with a small donation requested, and it is an easy 20-minute stop in the middle of the Royal Mile.
7. Tour the Royal Yacht Britannia (Our Favorite)
This was by far our favorite thing we did in Edinburgh. It is easy and inexpensive to reach on the tram, with a stop just a few blocks from the Sheraton, and the ride out to Leith takes about 20 minutes.
The entrance is right across the street from the Ocean Terminal tram stop, clearly marked with a sign that reads “Begin Your Royal Britannia Tour Here,” which routes you through the Ocean Terminal shopping center and up to the new visitor center on the second floor. We bought our tickets online for around £20 each, and the audio guide handset is included in the price.
A Little History
Britannia was launched in 1953 and served the Royal Family for 44 years, sailing more than a million nautical miles before she was decommissioned in 1997. She hosted world leaders from Churchill to Reagan and Mandela, yet the Queen reportedly called her the one place she could truly relax. In 1986 the yacht also rescued more than 1,000 refugees off the coast of Aden during the civil war in South Yemen.
The Tour
The tour starts on the bridge and winds down through five decks. Each location has a number you enter into the audio handset, and it is all done exceedingly well. It gave us a real understanding of life aboard as Britannia carried the Royal Family around the world. Highlights include:
- The bridge, where the captain and officers worked
- The deck, including where and how the royal Rolls-Royce was stowed on board
- The officers’ quarters, wardroom, and crew areas, where 220 Royal Yachtsmen lived
- The Queen’s and Prince Philip’s private bedrooms, the sun lounge, and the veranda deck at the stern
- The State Dining Room and State Drawing Room, where presidents and prime ministers were entertained
- The galley, pantry, butler’s stations, china, and silver
- The engine room, our favorite space of all. After 44 years of service it sparkles like the silverware, and it was reportedly kept that way at all times
The whole experience offers real insight into the era, the Queen’s personality, and the diplomatic missions the ship carried out over four decades. It was fun, engaging, and informative, and it is a must-see while you are in Edinburgh. Plan on about 90 minutes to two hours, and save time for the Royal Deck Tea Room at the end.
8. Take a Day Trip to Stirling Castle
Once our Tauck tour began, we spent a few more days in Edinburgh, and the first outing took us into the countryside to Stirling Castle, the first of many castles we would visit on the trip.
Stirling sits about 37 miles northwest of Edinburgh, an easy hour by motorcoach or a 50-minute train ride, right where the Lowlands meet the Highlands. That location is the whole point. For centuries the bridge at Stirling was the lowest crossing of the River Forth, so whoever held Stirling Castle controlled the road into the Highlands. As the old saying goes, “He who holds Stirling holds Scotland.”
A Brief History
The castle sits on a volcanic crag with cliffs on three sides, and a fortress has stood here since at least the early 1100s. Two defining Scottish victories occurred nearby: William Wallace at Stirling Bridge in 1297 and Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn in 1314. The National Wallace Monument stands across the valley.
Most of what you see today was built by the Stuart kings in the 1500s. James IV created the Great Hall, while James V built the Renaissance palace with its carved Stirling Heads. Mary, Queen of Scots, was crowned in the Chapel Royal in 1543 at just nine months old. Restored apartments, reproductions of the Unicorn Tapestries, and costumed interpreters bring the 1540s court to life.
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum
One of the most interesting and moving exhibits was in the King’s Old Building, home to the regimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Stirling Castle was the regiment’s headquarters for more than a century, and the museum traces its story from the 1790s through every major conflict since.
The regiment earned its famous nickname at the Battle of Balaclava in 1854, when the 93rd Highlanders stood against a Russian cavalry charge. A war correspondent called them “a thin red streak tipped with a line of steel,” and “the Thin Red Line” became a symbol of British steadiness under fire. Medals, uniforms, pipes, drums, and personal letters trace the regiment through later conflicts and make the history very human.
9. Get a Private Look at the Palace of Holyroodhouse
We had heard of Holyrood Palace but did not know much about it until our wonderful behind-the-scenes tour with Tauck. We arrived an hour before the palace opened to the public and had the place to ourselves, with a private guide who clearly loved every room.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse sits at the bottom of the Royal Mile and is the King’s official residence in Scotland. Its story begins in 1128, when David I founded an abbey here. James IV added a palace around 1500, and much of what we see today was rebuilt for Charles II in the 1670s—although he never actually visited.
The palace is most famous for Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived here from 1561 to 1567. Her apartments are the emotional heart of the tour, especially the small supper room where Lord Darnley and his conspirators murdered her secretary, David Rizzio, in front of the pregnant queen. A plaque marks the spot. Bonnie Prince Charlie later held court here during the 1745 Jacobite rising.
The highlights are the State Apartments, still used for royal receptions, and the Great Gallery, hung with 110 portraits of real and legendary Scottish kings. Outside, the roofless ruin of Holyrood Abbey and the gardens sit beneath the green slopes of Arthur’s Seat. Each summer the King spends Holyrood Week in residence, so the palace closes to visitors for those dates. Having it empty and quiet with a private guide was a rare treat, and one of the real advantages of traveling with Tauck.
10. Climb to Edinburgh Castle
We saved the biggest for last. Edinburgh Castle sits on top of Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano that rises 260 feet above the city with cliffs on three sides, and it dominates the skyline from every direction. People have lived on this rock since the Iron Age, and it has been a royal fortress since the 12th century. Its oldest surviving building, the tiny St Margaret’s Chapel from around 1130, is also the oldest building in Edinburgh.
The castle has been besieged at least 23 times. Robert the Bruce’s men recaptured it from the English in 1314 by scaling the north cliff at night, and Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth here to the future James VI and I, who would unite the crowns of Scotland and England. It has served as royal palace, arsenal, prison, and garrison.
Inside you will find the Honours of Scotland—the oldest crown jewels in the British Isles—the Great Hall, the massive siege cannon Mons Meg, and the Scottish National War Memorial. The One O’Clock Gun has been fired daily except Sunday since 1861, originally allowing ships in the Firth of Forth to set their clocks. Give yourself two to three hours, book a timed ticket, and go early: this is the one place in Edinburgh where crowds are guaranteed.
Bonus: Edinburgh, City of Two Towns
After a few days in the city, it becomes obvious that Edinburgh is really two cities side by side, and knowing the difference makes everything else make sense. Both were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site together in 1995.
The Old Town
The Old Town is the medieval city, strung along the spine of rock that runs downhill from Edinburgh Castle to Holyroodhouse. That spine is the Royal Mile, and off it run dozens of narrow closes and wynds, the steep alleys that drop away on either side. Hemmed in by the city walls and a loch, medieval Edinburgh had nowhere to grow but up, so it built some of the tallest tenements in Europe, with rich and poor stacked on top of each other. By the 1700s it was crowded and smoky, which earned it the nickname “Auld Reekie.”
Today the Old Town is where most of the sights on this list live: the castle, St Giles’, the Grassmarket, Victoria Street, the Royal Mile, and the palace at the bottom. It is atmospheric, a little chaotic, and endlessly photogenic.
The New Town
By the 1750s the city had become desperately overcrowded. The polluted Nor Loch below the castle was drained, the valley was bridged, and in 1766 a competition was held to design a new town on farmland to the north. Twenty-six-year-old James Craig won with an elegant grid centered on George Street, between Princes Street and Queen Street, with grand squares at either end.
The result is one of Britain’s finest Georgian townscapes, with broad streets, neoclassical terraces, and private gardens. The New Town became associated with the Scottish Enlightenment and thinkers such as David Hume and Adam Smith. Today it is the city’s shopping and business district, with the classic view from Princes Street Gardens across to the castle.
We stayed at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in the West End, at the edge of the New Town, which put us a few minutes’ walk from the tram and Princes Street, with the castle and the Old Town an easy stroll away. If you can, give yourself time in both towns. Edinburgh rewards it.
Final Thoughts
Edinburgh gave us a wonderful start to our UK journey: a storybook university town and a legendary golf course, a food tour with a ghost story, a royal yacht that felt like a home, and three castles and palaces that hold 900 years of Scottish history between them. If you are planning a trip to Scotland, give the capital at least three full days, and add a fourth for St Andrews. You will not run out of things to do.
Next stop on the Tauck tour: Back to north western England and the Lake District. Follow the whole journey here as the posts go up.
Related Posts
