Edinburgh how I love thee... From the buildings and the atmosphere, to the food and the people… (I can't wait to go back). Edinburgh is like a medieval castle theme park, I felt like I had been dropped in the middle of Hogwarts, everything I looked at was magical.
I spent five days in Edinburgh 2 of those days I spend travelling around the base of the highlands, but that's a story for another day. Edinburgh is the first place I traveled to by myself. I was so homesick but I still pushed myself to travel to explore my heritage. It was the first time in my travels I felt like I was in a place I could call home.
There are some amazing things to see and do in Edinburgh, I know some of us don't have bottomless wallets so I have some great tips for you that are on a budget. Firstly, accommodation can be cheap I stayed at the hostel All Girlz which is a girls only hostel it was on the pricier side at $55NZD but a great comfortable place to stay. The are hostels at a cheaper rate and if you want something a bit more luxurious and private, an Airbnb is a great option for $70NZD a night.
The city is full of things to see you could just spend the day looking at building than actually do anything. The best place to go to is The Royal Mile, It is full of old Scottish shop but at either end of this road you have the Edinburgh Castle and at the other end Holyrood Abby. The Castle is not free to enter nor are some of the attractions down this road but St Giles' Cathedral is. A beautiful piece of Gothic architecture it dates back as far at 14th century, this is a must do when visiting the royal mile.
Three places I would recommend is a whisky experience just to learn how they make the whisky. Camera Obscura and a ghost tour at night down in the Edinburgh tunnels. If you are a Harry Potter fan I would recommend going to Greyfriars to see the tomb stone of Tom Riddle or walk down Victoria Street, the street Diagon Ally was based off or have a coffee on the The Elephant House "the birthplace of Harry Potter".
I wouldn't say you needed a car to travel around Edinburgh as the transportation is pretty good. But to see a bit more of the surroundings I would hire one for the day just to see the Fourth Bridge or even to see the Kelpies which are just out of Edinburgh. If you prefer to do things more by foot, try climbing Arthurs Pass or the Hill of Monuments you will get an amazing view of Edinburgh and the monuments on Calton Hill include the National Monument, which looks like Athens’ Parthenon and honor's soldiers that died in the Napoleonic Wars, the obelisk-like Nelson Monument which commemorates the death of Admiral Lord Nelson, and the Dugald Stewart Monument.
Lastly one of the best things to do in Edinburgh is to eat. Eat all their delicious food whether you want high tea or fish and chips in a pub, Edinburgh can provide. One cuisine I would recommend to try is Scotland national dish Haggis, I was a bit apprehensive about it trying it but it was delicious a meal I would definitely have again. If you like to go out and have a drink and dance I recommend going it Frankinstine's club off the royal mile you’ll love the horror themed decoration with monster shows, flashing lights, electric static charges, vats of bubbling liquid and the original black and white Frankenstein movies played on large screens above the bar.
