12 Things We Love To Do In Edinburgh

This February on our Instagram we decided to post some of the things we love about Edinburgh – which turned out to be quite the love letter to this magnificent city. Of course, on Instagram, you can’t go wrong with a photo of Edinburgh’s beautiful architecture or a shot of your favourite hidden gem. But rather than intentionally seeking out our most favourite things to do, photos went up as places were rediscovered. There are so many things we love about Edinburgh, it’s nearly impossible to narrow it down!

One of the things that makes Instagram so great is that it encourages you to seek out the beauty in the places you visit and things you do every day. So here are some of our favourite things to do Edinburgh, in no particular order or significance, but just because we love them.

1. Admire the Georgian Architecture

Edinburgh is an architecture-lovers paradise. There are moments where the sheer beauty and elegance of our surroundings here nearly stops you in your tracks and makes you think how unbelievably clever Georgian architects were. We love these Georgian homes on Northumberland Street, with their beautiful balconies and architectural detailing, and we’re lucky to walk past them so often.

2. Take in the Stunning Views

From Arthur’s Seat to Blackford Hill, Edinburgh has some incredible vantage points. However, some of our favourites are the views you can see from the stunning homes we get to look after. This is the view from a home we saw in Simpson Loan, looking over The Meadows towards Arthur’s Seat. Wouldn’t it be amazing to stay here! We’re always on the search for beautiful holiday homes to add to our collection. One of our favourites is the view from the bedroom in this home on Great King Street.

3. Warm up in Cosy Places

In a city where the wind can blow and it can feel pretty cold from time to time, it’s always good to know there are so many wonderful places to get cosy and warm up in. One of our favourites is the hothouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens. The Glasshouses have long since been a place where people have gone to warm up during the colder months. It is said that in the Victorian era, folk who couldn’t afford to heat their homes would spend time among the palms.

4. Discover Unique Front Door Steps

Exploring Edinburgh’s many different areas and seeing how people decorate their homes is always fun, especially when you stumble upon a fantastic and quirky display like this one! This front step on Henderson Row is brilliant and the cactus armchair is hilarious.

5. Have Breakfast Out

We could dedicate a whole blog post to the many fantastic places there are to eat breakfast and brunch out in Edinburgh (and we have!) but this one at The Ivy is particularly scrumptious. It always feels special to eat in such beautiful surroundings – the décor is stunning and the artwork is fantastic. Their buttermilk pancakes with warm strawberry sauce is a dream breakfast and the Eggs Benedict is divine.

6. Visit Greyfriars Bobby

One of the things we love about Edinburgh is dogs like Greyfriars Bobby and how much the city welcomes dogs. Edinburgh is a city where your dog can feel as at home as you do. There are so many fabulous places to takes dogs for a walk and then great cafés, pubs and shops which welcome them too. We have several fabulous dog-friendly homes at Dickins and they’re always busy.

7. Walk up Calton Hill

In 1787 Robert Barker invented the panorama on Calton Hill. Together with his 12-year-old son, and using basic equipment, they sketched out a 360-degree view from here and went on to patent it too. This photo looking out from the door to the observatory – recently renovated and opened to the public by Collective – gives a glimpse of the amazing panorama. It’s surely one of the best anywhere in the world!

8. Wander down Old Town Closes

White Horse Close is just one of the many fascinating closes in the Old Town, running off the Royal Mile and Canongate. They are all so rich in history, with so many hidden gems to discover and such stories to tell. They’re always fun to rediscover and explore. Seak out Chessel’s Court and you’ll find this lovely heart adorning one of the buildings.

9. Pop into the Writers’ Museum

Walking back from the Old Town to the New, Lady Stairs Close is a lovely place to cut through. The architecture is stunning and it’s worth taking the time to read the quotes in the paving slabs. If you have even more time, nip into The Writers’ Museum. There are so many quiet treasures in there and the shop is a delight, selling lovely cards and notebooks as well as books, of course!

10. Explore the Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is a brilliant place to spend an afternoon. It’s always fun to see how royalty lives and in the Palace, you can explore its close associations with some of Scotland’s most well-known historical figures such as Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie, as well as learn how it is used today when carrying out official royal engagements. The headsets are a new addition and brilliant for children and there are various interactive things to do in every room. And once you’ve bought your ticket, it’s valid for a whole year, so you can return as many times as you like. We give it 10/10!

11. Take a stroll along Circus Lane

We couldn’t get through a list of our favourite things without mentioning Circus Lane. We especially love this building, which the owners dress so beautifully for every season.

12. Chase Edinburgh’s Dramatic Skies

Last on our list is Edinburgh’s dramatic and stunning skies. With the weather in our fair city being so unpredictable, you never know when the scene is set to change and a dramatic sky will draw in over you. Winter brings with is such beautiful light and this beautiful pink sunset seen from Princes Street is about as good as it gets.