Edinburgh
A castle on a rock, a medieval spine, and a Georgian grid laid out beside it.
Edinburgh is two cities side by side: the Old Town, piled up along the ridge that runs from the castle to the palace, and the New Town, planned in the eighteenth century on the flat ground below. Between them lie the gardens where the loch used to be, and around them the hills the city was built on.
Why go
It is compact enough to walk in a weekend and rich enough to reward a week. The castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood and Arthur's Seat are a single day on foot; the galleries, the closes and the pubs are the days after.
In August the whole place becomes a stage for the festivals, when every hall, church and cellar hosts a show. The rest of the year it is a handsome, civilised capital with the Highlands a train ride away.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01Edinburgh Castle
The fortress on Castle Rock holds the Honours of Scotland, the crown jewels, and a view over the whole city. The esplanade in front hosts the Tattoo in August.
02The Royal Mile
The street that runs downhill from the castle to Holyrood, lined with closes, wynds and tall stone tenements. St Giles' Cathedral and its crown steeple sit halfway down.
03Arthur's Seat
An extinct volcano inside the city, with a walk to the summit that takes an hour or so from Holyrood and gives the view that explains the whole layout.
04The New Town
Georgian crescents, squares and terraces on a grid north of Princes Street. George Street and the lanes off it have the shops and restaurants; Stockbridge and Dean Village below feel like separate villages.
05The galleries and museums
The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, the National Galleries on the Mound and the Portrait Gallery in the New Town are all free to enter.
06Leith and the shore
The old port, now a district of restaurants along the Water of Leith, with the Royal Yacht Britannia moored at the end. A tram or bus from the centre.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Old Town
The medieval ridge around the Royal Mile. Atmospheric, steep, and lively into the night; the closest base to the castle and the festival venues.
New Town
Elegant Georgian streets a few minutes' walk from Princes Street. Quieter at night, with the city's better shops and many of its restaurants.
Stockbridge and Dean Village
Village streets, a Sunday market and the walk along the Water of Leith. A gentler base within reach of the centre on foot.
Leith
The waterfront, with converted warehouses, restaurants and a more local feel. A tram ride from Princes Street.
When to go: Edinburgh
- SummerJune – August
- The longest days and, in August, the festivals: theatre, comedy, books and the Tattoo. Rooms are scarce that month and worth arranging early.
- Shoulder monthsApril, May, September and October
- Mild, often bright, and calmer. May has the blossom in the gardens; October brings colour to Holyrood Park and the Pentlands.
- WinterNovember – March
- Cold, dark and dramatic. Hogmanay at New Year fills the city; January is quiet and the museums are all the better for it.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Edinburgh. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- EDIEdinburgh
Distance from
- LHRLondon530 km
- CDGParis860 km
- JFKNew York5,240 km
- DXBDubai5,770 km
- BOMMumbai7,400 km
- JNBJohannesburg9,600 km
- SINSingapore10,940 km
- SYDSydney16,880 km
Getting around: Edinburgh
The centre is walkable, with the understanding that it is built on hills and stairs. Buses reach everything else and the tram runs from the airport through the New Town to Leith.
Trains from Waverley, in the valley between the two towns, run to Glasgow in under an hour and north into the Highlands. A car is only useful for the countryside beyond.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Currency
- GBP · British Pound Sterling
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- United Kingdom Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +44
The atlas
Edinburgh in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Edinburgh, month by month
- Jan5°
- Feb6°
- Mar7°
- Apr10°
- May13°
- Jun16°
- Jul18°
- Aug17°
- Sept15°
- Oct12°
- Nov8°
- Dec6°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: July.
Mean highs run from 5°C in January to 18°C in July, with about 889 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for EdinburghModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBEdinburgh
5,770 km
7 hrs 30 mins · Estimate
From AUHEdinburgh
5,790 km
7 hrs 35 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Edinburgh
Plan this trip: Edinburgh
Open the trip builder with Edinburgh already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
