Was told there are two must do things when in Edinburgh and Arthur's Seat was one of them. I stayed on the Royal Mile near Edinburgh castle and it took me about 2 hours. Walk takes you by the Hollyroodhouse Palace and then into the park. There are a couple stops on the way up. Fairly well marked paths; I did get lost coming down the other side and ended up on some steep paths and had to hike back up to find the stairs down so maybe keep an eye on google maps or just enjoy. It was a drizzly windy day when I went so there were no many people on the path. At the top I was able to take it all in solo. Beautiful hike, amazing views. Markers at the top.
The birthplace of Harry Potter. Unfortunately, wasn't able to visit as there had been a fire.
Took a train from Edinburgh for the day to see Stirling sites; very glad I did. The Stirling castle is one of the more unique castles I visited on my UK trip. There are actors within that explain the history of the site. The Stirling heads, replicas and originals, are a unique find. I purchased the ticket onsite upon arrival. There is a large parking lot; however, I took transit which involved a steep walk up to the castle but accessible. Lots of beautiful architecture in the surround neighbourhood along with shops and restaurants.
No visit to Scotland is complete without a trip to the Wallace Monument. I was surprised by how much was inside the monument to see and explore. In the parking lot, there is a gift shop and restaurant; you can also grab a shuttle to the top. I ended up walking up which only takes a few minutes and is a steep hike. There are a few monuments along the way.
At the Monument itself, there is a washroom. To explore the monument, there are a number of steep steps up to the different levels which house artifacts and historic stories. I really enjoyed my visit to the Wallace Monument. The Wallace sword was a highlight.
There is a parking lot onsite, I took the train from Edinburgh and a bus to the site. Purchased ticket onsite.
Bucket List item for sure!! Such an amazing experience. The scenery is beyond stunning. This was part of a bus tour out of Edinburgh so not sure about buying tickets directly or cost. I boarded in Mallaig; make sure you get a window seat on the right-hand side (highway side) of the train. When you get to the glenfinnan viaduct, you'll see why. The left side of the train saw none of the viaduct and I got a great video of travelling over the viaduct.
The journey is so worth it, the scenery, the chugging of the train, when the the staff ask "anything from the trolley dears," I was totally on my way to Hogwarts.
Grab some fish and chips from the shop at the train station too.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, of course you need to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Loch Shiel, but even if you are not, this valley is beyond stunning. There is a washroom and gift shop/visitor centre on site. Unfortunately, I was on a bus tour so only had a few minutes to visit the area. Take more time as there are walking trails to get you up close and personal.
I'm not a shopper but this roadside stop has a large store and food bar, but the best fun was feeding the harry coos. I thought there were going to be more hairy cows to see in Scottland but in two bus trips through the highlands, these are the only two I saw so worth a stop to meet Honey and Hammish and give them a scratch!
Get there early (or maybe later) because we were the 1st bus there when they were openning and a number of bus tours were in the parking lot before we left.
This castle is huge and amazing and so much to see. You cannot go to Edinburgh and miss this castle. Tickets must be bought online ahead of time which is unfortunate for those flying more by the seat of their pants. Thankfully, as I don't carry a working phone when I travel, they did make the exception for me to buy onsite. There are great views of the surrounding city and a number of different museum type attractions on site. Seeing the Scottish Crown Jewels was really cool. Truly an amazing place to visit.
Edinburgh castle being one end of the Royal Mile, there are a number of other attractions, shops, and restaurants in the surrounding area.
This wasn't on my list and I'm not a Royal watcher but was recommended by the hop on hop off bus driver so away I went and am so glad I did. What a beautiful ship, really good self guided audio tour, and afternoon tea onboard. I'd recommend as a don't miss stop in Edinburough. The history and significance of this ship amazed me. I did not have to book online; was able to purchase on site. Get there early so it is less busy and crowded. By the time I left the tea room, there was a line up.
I cannot say enough about this hostel. The location alone blew my mind when I walked into the area and looked around. Leaving every day was such a beautiful adventure to look around the streets and see the amazing architecture. There are walking tours of the neighbourhood and the church across the street to see. Every night I walked home toward the sounds of the bagpipes being played a block from the hostel. This was a complete and total Scotish experience. Love love love the location of this place. It is right on the Royal Mile walking distance to Edinburough castle, the whiskey experience, with the palace of Holyroodhouse at the other end of the mile. The World's End Pub. Walking distance to Arthur's Seat. It is about 3 blocks from the main trail station in Edinburough; I came by train from Glasgow. Nothing better!
That being said, the hostel itself was clean. The pod sleepers were cool, but may be echoey or else I had loud flatmates because when they were in their pods on the phones/computers chatting, everything could be heard.
I didn't use the kitchen; there are restaurants, coffee shops to choose from within steps of the front door. Bathrooms/showers were plenty and clean. The hostel itself had activities and tours. Wifi worked really well from my bed. The lights and shelf make them comfy at the end of the day. There is an in room locker to keep your stuff safe. Just the most amazing stay!!! If ever in Edinburough again (which I hope to be) this will definitely be the place for me! Did I mention this place is amazing? I didn't actually talk to staff other than check-in and they were fine. Pay laundry facilities on site; I believe there was only the one laundry with 2 washers and 2 dryers so timing is everything there. They work with a credit card.