Edinburgh is a great place to visit. There are lots of reasons Edinburgh so many people come here and whilst it may not be an obvious place for a family visit, it is a great one, whether you come for a few days City break or a longer holiday, there is lots to do.
In this article I give a few suggestions about what to do as a family visiting Edinburgh when the weather is good.
The Castle. This is the big tourist attraction in Edinburgh. It dominates the skyline, and it's very easy to understand why it was built where it was! An interesting aspect is that there are still soldiers based here which is not the case in most of the castles that tourists visit in Scotland.
The views are phenomenal in good weather. You can get an audio guide and listen to stories as you go round. It is a large complex with lots of areas to explore. The prisons where prisoners of war were held has proved popular with many children I have taken to the castle.
Do try to be there at 1pm. Then you can see the one O clock gun fired. I like the idea of doing this early in your holiday, then every time you hear the gun, you get reminded of your visit to the castle.
Arthurs Seat and Salisbury Crags. At the bottom of the Royal Mile go between the Parliament and Holyrood Palace and walk up Arthurs Seat, the higher point, or if you are feeling less active, go for Salisbury Crags. Do be careful, there are some steep parts. As you climb you get some great views initially of Holyrood Palace and the Park with the Lochs. You can imagine you are in the Highlands rather than in the middle of Edinburgh. Both hills give you magnificent views to the castle, over the town, the Forth of Firth, Fife and the Pentlands.
There are often people flying kites in Holyrood Park and it is great fun to get above the kits and watch them, or join in if you have a kite.
The children need to be able to walk confidently for a couple of hours, so this is for older children unless someone can carry babies in a sling; it is not suitable for pushchairs.
Do not do Arthurs seat on a very windy day. It can be dangerous at the top.
Calton Hill: This is at the East end of Princes St and a much easier walk than Arthurs seat and doable with a pushchair. You get great views from the top, especially of the town because you are very close to it. It is even more interesting because it has the replica of the Parthenon which gives Edinburgh the nickname of Athens of the North, and the two observatories. The new observatory has exhibitions and viewings of the night sky.
Princes St Gardens. Princes St Gardens are one of the jewels of Edinburgh. They are the lovely gardens that sit beneath the castle and form one side of Princes St. They are large, there is a great playground at the West End of the gardens and a picnic in the gardens is a real joy.
The Zoo. Edinburgh Zoo is outside the city centre but easily accessible by bus. It is on the side of Corstorphine Hill, so does have some steep paths, but there is a vehicle that will give you a ride up the hill and you can walk down. There are very good views of the Pentlands. Highlights are the Penguin Parade which happens at about lunchtime and the koalas.
Crammond. Crammond is a very pretty little village on the outskirts of Edinburgh. What makes it very special is the tidal Island that has featured in many a mystery story based in Edinburgh. You need to check the tides, and if the tide is out, you can walk to the island. It is uninhabited now, but it is easy to find the remains of gun placements from the war and the ruins of old farmhouses. I knew someone who used to visit relatives who had a dairy farm on the island before World War II, so it was uninhabited not too long ago.
Portobello: Portobello is another village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, but it has a very different feel to Crammond. This is where people who lived in Edinburgh in the Victorian days came for their seaside holidays. It is not so twee as Crammond and has more of the Victorian stone architecture that you see lots of closer in to the city centre. What makes Portobello really special is the beach. It is huge. Not well developed in terms of facilities, but just a lovely long, wide stretch of sand.
Stay in self-catering accommodation. Hotels are expensive and they are frequently booked. Hotels in Edinburgh are reputed to be second only to London in the UK in terms of cost and occupancy. You can get a wide range of self catering properties that work out to be even cheaper than hostels, and at the other end of the scale there are some wonderfully luxurious self-catering properties available that will come with maid service and you can even hire a chef if you want to have self catering luxury and space without the effort of cooking!
Self-catering is a particularly good option for families. The sleeping arrangements are normally more appropriate with children being able to have separate rooms from Mum and Dad without huge cost. You have a kitchen so you can feed them food you know they will eat (at least for some of the time!). When they get tired you can retire to your apartment and let them rest or just watch TV for a while.
Whatever you choose, you should have plenty to do and see in Edinburgh. Have a great time!
Author: Janet Unsworth. Janet is a partner in a holiday letting company which provides short term self catering accommodation in Edinburgh. Edinburgh self catering apartments are available in a range from budget to luxury accommodation which can be booked for anything from a few days to a few months. You can see the properties with photographs, their location, prices and availability at http://www.edinburgh-flats.com where you can book on-line. If you'd like more information, call Janet on 0044 789 420 5600.
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