Enchanting Edinburgh

The beautiful city of Edinburgh is an enchanting place to visit with so much to see that you will be spoilt for choice. Located in the south east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast near the North Sea. More than 6,200 miles long and with over 760 islands, the jagged Scottish coastline is one of the most dangerous in the world. This is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, draped across a series of rocky hills overlooking the sea. It's a town intimately entwined with its landscape, with buildings and monuments, almost in a poetic manner. The city offers a constantly changing perspective. And it's all small enough to explore easily on foot. Edinburgh is a capital in miniature compared to the other famous European capitals. It's not even the largest city in Scotland. With population of only 500,000, everything is within reach. Traffic congestion is not as bad as in bigger cities like London either. Edinburgh's unique features include two extinct volcanoes, one of them right in the City Centre onto which Edinburgh Castle is built.  Also known as Athens of the North, a name inspired by the great thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment, is a city of high culture and lofty ideals, of art and literature, philosophy and science. The return of a devolved Scottish parliament to Edinburgh in 1999 marked a growing confidence and sense of pride in the nation’s achievements. The UNESCO World Heritage Site at the heart of the city combines the medieval Old Town, the Georgian New Town and award winning modern architecture. Explore Edinburgh at your leisure, you’ll see views that make for perfect picture postcards, mysterious winding streets, elegant terraces and an abundance of shops, bars and restaurants. Edinburgh is a great base from which you can explore the rest of Scotland. Edinburgh is only an hour's drive from Glasgow, Scotland's largest City and 2-3 hours from the Highlands and that says a lot of the size of Scotland.  The bottom line about the city is : great food, great music, great shows, really great pubs, incredibly friendly people and above all, enough attractions to keep even the most energetic tourist busy.

 

Some General Information

Country : Scotland

Official Language : English

Religion : Christianity

Currency : Pound Sterling ( GBP )

Time Zone : + 1 Hour GMT

Temperature : Given Edinburgh's position between the coast and hills, it is renowned as a windy city. May, June and September are generally the best months for dry, sunny weather, but you can expect rain at any time. The weather changes quickly, too - a rainy morning can often be followed by a sunny afternoon. A distinctive feature of Edinburgh's weather is the 'haar', a dense, chilly fog that often blows in from the North Sea when the wind is in the east. You can usually escape it by heading just a few miles inland.

Sightseeing : In terms of visitor numbers, Edinburgh can be quite busy during the summer season when tourists literally flock in. The same can be said about the winter holidays. Edinburgh is famous for throwing one of the most memorable New Year's parties in the world - the Edinburgh Hogmanay. Edinburgh's hills and volcanoes are excellent natural vantage points and not just for photography but for the city's fireworks displays in August and New Year. But that said, the sights not to missed are the Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace and Arthur’s Seat, Scott Monument on Princes Street, Royal Scottish Academy, National Gallery of Scotland, Calton Hill, Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh Zoo.

 

Getting There

Edinburgh Airport (EDI)  

Edinburgh Airport is Scotland's capital airport. More than 40 airlines serve 100-plus destinations and some nine million passengers a year pass through the airport – figures which are set to grow as Scotland's international connections develop. It is located at Turnhouse, 8 miles west of the city. It was busiest airport in Scotland in 2010 and the 6th busiest in UK. Edinburgh airport has one terminal. The airport and tourist information desk is in the international arrivals area. Staff are available to help with any enquiries you may have about your journey, the airport or the local area. Visit Scotland provides information about events, travel, accommodation and places of interest around Edinburgh and Scotland. You can also pick up your last-minute souvenirs of Scotland, including tartan hats and bags, haggis, shortbread, soft toys and more. It has an accommodation desk, left-luggage facilities, lost luggage, ATMs, currency exchange desks, shops, restaurants, lounges, Internet access and car-hire agencies.

Address : Edinburgh Airport, Scotland, United Kingdom, EH12 9DN

Tel: +44 (0)844 481 8989

Website : www.edinburghairport.com

 

Tourist Information

Tourist Information Centres

There are a number of tourism and tourist information offices and outlets throughout Edinburgh and these provide useful tourist information, such as brochures, maps, attractions information, opening hours, directions and general Edinburgh tourist information. The main tourism and tourist information office in Edinburgh is situated in Princes Street, in the New Town area of Edinburgh. There is also a useful tourist information desk available at Edinburgh Airport. The Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Information Centre provides an extensive range of services, including a ticketing service for Edinburgh theatres, a bureau de change, travel information, maps, tourist attraction leaflets, Edinburgh festival information and general Edinburgh tourism and tourist information.

1. Edinburgh & Scotland Information Centre, 3 Princes Street. Tel : 0131 473 3800.

2. Edinburgh Airport, Airport Tourist Information Desk, Main Concourse. Counter enquires only

 

Travel Tips

1. One of the most common social customs associated with drinking in pubs is that of buying a 'round' of drinks when drinking socially with a group. Members of the group take their turn, in no particular order, and as people's glasses empty it is a good idea to reciprocate and offer to buy the next round.

2. Smoking in Edinburgh, and England as a whole, is not as fashionable as it once was, so it is always worth exercising discretion and sensitivity when selecting a place in which to smoke, although in general, smoking is more permissible in Edinburgh than many other parts of the United Kingdom. The best advice would be not to smoke unless others around you do so.

3. There are no 24 hour pharmacies in Edinburgh, if you need over the counter medicines or prescriptions filled, Boots at 48 Shandwick Place (0131 225 6757) is open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and on weekends.

4. Banks are mostly open from 9.30am to 4 or 5pm. Shopping hours are Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm, with some late night shopping on Thursdays. Some stores do trade on Sundays as well. General business hours are usually 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.