An aerial view of Edinburgh, with the National Gallery of Scotland at the centre, pictured on September 25, 2024. Photo / Robert Ormerod, The New York Times
Short on time but big on city visits? Make the most of Edinburgh in 36 hours, writes Graeme Virtue.
Ruggedly beautiful Edinburgh has had plenty of tales to tell in the 900 years since King David I of Scotland named it a royal burgh. A newly extended tram line connecting the port of Leith with the city centre and the completion of the St. James Quarter, a deluxe shopping mall, are recent peaks of a perpetual cycle of restoration and reimagining. But it is the thriving local scene of artists, chefs, brewers and more that ensures the first Unesco City of Literature always has new stories to share.
4pm | Browse great bookshops
With its cobbled streets, village atmosphere and hodgepodge of cafes and boutiques, the Stockbridge area feels like a miniature, more manageable version of Edinburgh, and it is only a 15-minute walk from bustling Princes Street, the city’s main thoroughfare. There, find two of Edinburgh’s best independent bookshops. Golden Hare Books is a cosy, well-curated browser’s paradise. If you have forgotten your reading glasses, there are pairs to borrow provided by the London spectacle maker Cubitts. The nearby Rare Birds Books is Scotland’s only bookshop dedicated to female authors (reclaiming “bird”, a blokey British slang term for a woman), with two bright, airy rooms containing fiction and non-fiction. If you cannot choose a title, be guided by the hand-written description tag on a prewrapped mystery book (£10, about $22).
READ MORE: What to eat in Edinburgh
6pm | Honour the Auld Alliance
Seeking out a French restaurant in the Scottish capital may sound strange, but the two countries have a long history. The Auld Alliance was formed in 1295 as a pact against England, their common foe at the time. In a lane north of elegant George Street, in the central New Town area, Cafe St. Honore, a long-standing favourite of locals, is overseen by veteran Scottish chef Neil Forbes. Instead of the small shared plates that dominate modern dining, find hearty dishes of Scottish produce cooked with French finesse, such as a confit partridge leg sourced from the nearby Borders region (£32). Alongside a revolving a la carte menu, there is also a good-value set menu (£28.50 for two courses, £36 for three) for both lunch and dinner.
8pm | Sample whisky galore
Whisky is big business in Edinburgh, typified by the multi-storey Johnnie Walker Experience on Princes Street. For a more intimate tasting, opt for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society on nearby Queen Street, where one-off bottlings of whisky from a single cask carry eccentric titles inspired by their tasting notes. At its ground-floor Kaleidoscope Bar, a Georgian drawing room refashioned into an elegant saloon, savour the rotating Malt of the Moment (£5.25), or order a flight (starting at £25 for three drams) selected by knowledgeable bar staff in tweed waistcoats (walk-ins available, but reservations recommended). If you prefer cocktails in a laid-back setting, follow the neon signage of the nearby Lucky Liquor Co, where bartenders spin mellow vinyl and expertly prepare drinks.
9am | Pat a city’s favourite dog
After a night on the tiles in the New Town, begin your Old Town experience with a pilgrimage to the Greyfriars Bobby Fountain, a bronze statue of the loyal terrier who guarded its owner’s nearby grave for 14 years, according to local lore. Rubbing its nose is thought to bring luck, which explains the healthy shine. Wander south toward Lauriston Place to admire the Victorian clock tower of the Edinburgh Futures Institute. This used to be the old Royal Infirmary, a grand hospital pavilion dating back to 1879 that has been thoughtfully restored and overhauled. Grab a coffee (£3.40) from Canopy Kitchen & Courtyard – a restaurant and takeout counter reached via the pedestrianised Middle Meadow Walk – and stroll the campus’ piazza.
10am | Explore a marketplace
Cut through Greyfriars Kirk churchyard or follow the downward slope of Candlemaker Row to emerge into the Grassmarket, a broad cobbled street whose sunken setting makes Edinburgh Castle seem even more imposing. On Saturdays, it becomes Grassmarket Market, with two clusters of tented stalls offering a potpourri of goods that might include vintage jewellery, gourmet sausage rolls, vinyl records and hand-made Scottish tablet, a sort of sugary, buttery fudge (£5 a bag). Fill up with more sweet treats from Kilted Donut, a compact coffee spot that offers a rotating selection of eye-catching regular and vegan-friendly doughnuts (£4.50) every month. Or have brunch at Hula, a bright and busy cafe with outdoor seating ideal for people-watching and an avocado toast elevated by a scattering of chili flakes, chia, sea salt and sesame seeds (£12.50).
Noon | Feast your eyes and ears
Head toward the Mound, a steep thoroughfare linking the Old Town with the New Town, where two temple-like neoclassical structures dominate. One is the National Gallery of Scotland, rebranded as the National in 2023 after a £38 million refurbishment. The other is the Royal Scottish Academy. Enter the National via the landscaped paths of Princes Street Gardens, which lead directly to a dozen revamped galleries of historical Scottish art; head for Room 3 to compare Alexander Nasmyth’s 1825 paintings of Princes Street with the contemporary view out the window. Cue up the free downloadable audio guide for insights from diverse voices, including English stand-up comic-turned-fine-art student Phill Jupitus. Keep one eye on the time and return to the gardens for the ceremonial firing of the One O’Clock Gun from Edinburgh Castle, a regular ritual since 1861.
2pm | Lose yourself in Leith
The sprawling dockside district of Leith has been reinventing itself for decades as a collaborative place for artists, and even though the Edinburgh tram line was recently extended there, it has maintained its grit. A tram or bus ride to the Shore, a cobbled Leith wharf with cafes and pubs, will bring you close to Coburg House Art Studios, a former granary and seed storage site turned into studios for more than 50 craftspeople. On weekends, the ground floor opens as a gallery space and shop showcasing the art, jewellery and textiles produced on-site. Independent craft brewers have also made the industrial area home: Campervan Brewery, which operates the Lost in Leith Bar & Fermentaria in a nearby converted warehouse, pays tribute with a fruity session Indian pale ale called Leith Juice.
4pm | Raise your spirits
The Royal Yacht Britannia, Queen Elizabeth II’s former floating palace and one of Britain’s most popular tourist destinations, has been moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith since 1998. The Port of Leith Distillery, which opened last year, is a striking addition to the area. This nine-storey industrial monolith looks nothing like a traditional rural whisky distillery. A 90-minute tour (£26, reservations recommended) is an education in how gravity can help make refining raw spirit more eco-friendly and concludes with a relaxed tasting session. The top-floor Distillery Bar, with towering shelves of bottles, has great views and an extensive menu styled to resemble an operating manual; try the refreshing Orchard Highball cocktail (£10), a sleek synthesis of Manzanilla sherry and the distillery’s own Perpetuity II whisky blend.
7pm | Set sail for flavours
The east end of Princes Street has been uplifted by the completion of the St. James Quarter, a state-of-the-art galleria-style development housing luxury brands and upscale dining options (the Southeast Asian-inspired Ka Pao, offering small plates with adventurous flavors and fast, friendly service, has been the breakout hit). But a short distance down nearby Leith Walk is Eleanore, a restaurant named for a sailboat and decked out with a subtle nautical theme. It offers an artfully executed set menu (£65, reservations recommended) that balances rich flavours with a sense of fun. On a recent visit, a dish of mackerel and daikon splashed with a smoked kipper dashi was an umami-rich standout.
9:30pm | Try a jazz lucky dip
Head through the St. James Quarter and over the perpetually scaffolding-clad North Bridge to return to the Old Town. A doorway on Chambers Street leads down to the Jazz Bar, a fixture of Edinburgh’s grassroots jazz scene since 2005. This subterranean space closed unexpectedly in April but was promptly reopened as a non-profit social enterprise by two former staff members. The club’s regular Saturday line-up includes the improvisational World Premiere Quintet (£8 in advance, £10 at the door), where five musicians who may be playing together for the first time reinterpret jazz standards in a relaxed cabaret setting.
8am | Breakfast like a king
The Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s main historic street, is typically less crowded with tourists early on a Sunday morning, a good time to appreciate its varied collection of eye-catching storefronts. Veer off through the sandstone archway of Sibbald Walk to find Loudons, an all-day and dog-friendly brunch restaurant in a redeveloped civic square. If you have been holding off on sampling a famous Scottish fry-up, the Loudons Full Breakfast (£15; vegetarian £14; vegan £13) features quality ingredients and house-made baked beans. But the Scottish smoked salmon on toast with celeriac remoulade, harissa hummus and pickled cucumber (£14) is perhaps a zestier pick-me-up.
10am | Hike up a volcano
Follow the Royal Mile down to the sprawling Scottish Parliament and the stately Palace of Holyroodhouse, the British monarch’s official residence in Scotland. Both buildings are dwarfed by Salisbury Crags, the jutting basalt cliff that heralds Arthur’s Seat, a roughly 249m-high extinct volcano. Foot traffic to the peak seems to have increased since it was featured in Netflix’s romantic drama One Day this year, but the panoramic views over Edinburgh Castle and out across the Firth of Forth waterway remain spectacular. Despite variable terrain of grassland, dirt tracks and volcanic rock, the climb is not too taxing if you follow the visibly gentler routes. Fortify yourself first with a vanilla cone (£4.50) from the soft-serve van commonly parked at the beginning of the trail.
Noon | Tuck into a roast
Descend the eastern slopes of Arthur’s Seat to reach a steep set of steps leading down to the village of Duddingston and its picturesque loch. The Sheep Heid Inn, in a 19th-century building believed to be the site of a drinking den since 1360, has a homely mix of traditional pub fixtures and more contemporary decor. The expansive menu offers up to six different roasts on Sundays (walk-ins available but reservations recommended): The duo of beef (£21.75) features boneless beef rib and sirloin aged for 21 days plus all the trimmings, notably a substantial, savoury Yorkshire pudding. Skirting the courtyard leads to another retro treat: a well-worn two-lane bowling alley (from £3 per person, per hour) dating back to 1880, although the balls look rather more modern.
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Edinburgh with one stopover with Qatar Airways and Emirates.
DETAILS
Greyfriars Bobby Fountain on George IV Bridge is a tribute to the devoted 19th-century terrier who guarded his owner’s nearby grave for 14 years, according to lore.
The free-to-enter National (formerly the Scottish National Gallery) has unveiled a series of revamped rooms spotlighting Scottish art from 1800 to 1945, complementing the gallery’s wider collection.
The elegant Kaleidoscope Bar, within the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, serves one-off bottlings of single-cask malts.
Eleanore is an intimate, in-demand restaurant with an artfully executed menu and relaxed, impeccable service.
Cafe St. Honore is a cosy French bistro serving hearty dishes of Scottish produce.
Canopy Kitchen & Courtyard is a restaurant and takeout counter in a former Victorian hospital-turned-state-of-the-art university campus.
Kilted Donut, a coffee spot on the cobbled Grassmarket street, features a rotating and often whimsical range of regular and vegan doughnuts.
Ka Pao, a Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant in the new St. James Quarter, dishes up fast, flavourful small plates.
The Jazz Bar, an atmospheric music space since 2005, reopened this summer as a non-profit social enterprise.
Loudons, near Waverley Station, is an all-day brunch spot with zingy house-made lemonade (and cocktails).
The five-star W Edinburgh opened in late 2023 in the middle of the new St. James Quarter; its central Ribbon Building has added a distinctive spire to the Edinburgh skyline. A rooftop deck offers 360-degree views of the city. Rooms start around £400.
A one-time pleasure yacht, the Ocean Mist Leith has been docked at the Shore area of Leith for decades. An overhaul in 2018 restored its 1920s glamour and turned it into a 17-bedroom floating hotel. Rooms start around £200.
Next to Waverley train station, the Market Street Hotel offers city-centre convenience, modern suites with understated design touches and a rooftop Champagne lounge with views over the New Town. Rooms start around £160.
This article originally appeared in the New York Times.
Written by: Graeme Virtue.
Photographs by: Robert Ormerod.
©2024 THE NEW YORK TIMES
The Cambridge graduate and rower is a career intelligence officer.