The Edinburgh & Lothians Travel Guide provides visitor information on the attractions and places of interest of the region, entertainment and contains useful tourist information for travellers. Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital, an internationally renowned world heritage city and hosts one of the world’s largest international arts festivals. Within a few miles are the Lothians, characterised by a beautiful coastline and lovely countryside that is also rich in history. The two combined offer the best of town and country ensuring there is plenty to see and do in the area no matter what your interests are.
Overview and Attractions
There are some historic towns and villages in the Lothians such as Haddington, a Royal Burgh that has over 250 listed buildings. There are also some traditional seaside resorts such as North Berwick and Dunbar for those that like fun by the seaside. History fans are in for a treat here as there are numerous churches, castles and country houses to explore, with such variety visitors are spoilt for choice as to which ones to visit.
The great outdoors is one of the hallmarks of the Lothians, boasting a landscape that has sandy beaches, parks and hills the terrain is ideal for outdoor activities enthusiasts. Many activities are catered for including sailing, riding and pony trekking bird watching reserves, many quality golf courses and many miles of cycle ways and footpaths it leaves plenty of choice on what to do.
The town of Livingstone was a small village up to the 1960s when it became a new town, it is located close to Edinburgh. South Queensferry is located between the two bridges over the Firth of Forth, the town acted as a royal link in the 11th century. Roslin is one of Scotland’s most famous places, thanks to the book the Da Vinci code, there is Roslin Chapel, the burial place of the St Clair family. There is also a 14th century castle, Roslin Castle.
From a visitors perspective the City of Edinburgh has plenty going for it, including famous visitor attractions and tours and a wide variety of cuisine is available to suit all budgets. The city is home to some of the best galleries and museums in the UK, art aficionados and culture vultures will be especially at home here. The setting for the city is striking, the city is perched on a number of now extinct volcanoes and rocky crags which rise from the flat landscape of the Lothians. Whilst there is history and tradition to be found here there is also a capital city that prides itself on being modern and dynamic. One that attracts international festivals with some of the world's leading performers, galleries with avant-garde art and the thriving Edinburgh restaurants & dining, bars and clubs scene that all combine to create a cosmopolitan atmosphere with a noticeable Scottish flavour.
Dominating the skyline in the city is Edinburgh Castle and with over a thousand years of history it is not surprising it is a big tourist attraction, over a million people visit each year. Views from the top of the castle are a joy to behold, there are truly stunning views of the city in all directions. Looking north the mountains of The Kingdom of Fife are visible in the distance, looking below you will see the famous Princes Street Gardens. Further up from Princes Street is George Street the one of the original Edinburgh Georgian New Town Streets - with shops. The city currently has the most intact Georgian city in the whole of Europe. Edinburgh has had World Heritage Site status since 1995.
History is one thing Edinburgh is renowned for its origins back to the dark ages Edinburgh city centre can be thought of as divided in two, there is the Old Town that is situated in the area between the hilly terrain between the castle and Holyrood Palace and for a number of years the city was confined to these parameters. Later other development took place outside of the Old Town with a lot of building upwards instead of outwards. Edinburgh's New Town is the other main area of the city that has areas such as George Street and Princes Street shopping areas.
The Old and New Towns form the basis for the Edinburgh World Heritage Site, an acknowledgement to the historical, architectural and planning importance of the city.
It also has the National Galleries of Scotland, exhibiting both Scottish and international art and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. The Royal Botanic Garden is here too, a guided tour is a great way to enjoy and appreciate this attractive attraction. The New town also hosts Edinburgh Zoo, the daily penguin parades are among the more famous things to see, it is guaranteed to be a hit with the children
The compact nature of Edinburgh means it is possible to do a lot in a relatively short time span. Visitors to Edinburgh are unlikely to be short of things to do. During the day looking and the world-class art galleries and museums are popular with visitors, the city is also famous for its shopping so shoppers can indulge themselves here. At night, there are a number of theatres, restaurants, cafes and clubs. Edinburgh has an enviable reputation internationally as a Festival City, as its incredible calendar of annual events clearly shows.
The Walter Scott Monument is located at East Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, in honour of the famous Scottish literary figure. The monument opened back in 1846 and since that time millions of people have climbed the 200 foot structure and are rewarded with some wonderful views of the city to admire.
St. Giles Cathedral contains 1,000 years of history and is located in the heart of the capital. The church is renowned for its stained glass and the beautiful Thistle Chapel. For visitors there are guided tours, concerts, a cathedral shop & restaurant. St Giles’ is a living church with a congregation who reside in the city and further a field. St Giles is Edinburgh’s 'town church' and hosts the annual Kirking of the City Council and other national and civic events. There is a lot of history and a unique atmosphere to experience for visitors.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh was founded in the 17th century. The first garden was the size of a tennis court, it has grown considerably since then and now extends to four sites namely Edinburgh, Benmore, Logan and Dawyck and boasts among the richest collection of plant species in the world. The Garden is primarily a scientific institution that is dedicated to discovering and describing plants and their relationships, evolution, conservation and biology. There are internationally renowned collections of living and preserved plants, a large specialist library, and by modern well-equipped laboratories.
The four gardens are popular attractions for visitors to Scotland and provide a place where visitors can relax, admire the gardens and gain some inspiration. At the Edinburgh site, the grounds feature a rock garden, peat and woodland gardens, herbaceous borders, and specialist collections that include Chinese plants too. The Benmore site benefits from its milder climate helps to grow tress and shrubs. The Logan site is one of Scotland’s most exotic gardens with nearly a sub-tropical climate, and provides fantastic growing conditions for southern hemisphere plants and others. The Dawyck site is suited for hardy plants from the world’s cooler areas. Education plays a big role here informing many people of all ages about horticulture.
The Scottish Seabird Centre is located in the heart of southern Scotland in North Berwick and has some magnificent views overlooking the sea and islands of the Forth. The centre is an award winning wildlife visitor centre and one of Scotland's best attractions. There are live action cameras at the centre that allows visitors to zoom in and observe very closely the great wildlife here. This allows visitors to see the smallest details and enables them to observe many nesting seabirds and marine mammals, and ensures the animals are not disturbed unduly as a result. The centre contains an environment zone and migration flyway, a café and gift shop and summer evening restaurant. In addition there are boat trips, fish feeding and other activities to enjoy at this popular centre.
The John Muir Country Park is located to the west of Dunbar, and contains some spectacular East Lothian coastline including the remains of the historic Dunbar Castle. The park covers an area of over 730 hectares, it is a place where families can come and enjoy a day out in the open. The park offers bird watching and natural history enthusiasts a variety of habitats to explore. The park stretches from the Castle Ruins in Dunbar all the way to the Peffer Burn around six kilometres away. The park contains the Cliff Top Trail, containing great views of the sea and the Bass Rock, Belhaven Bay and areas of grassland, woodland and saltmarsh among others. There are a number of different habitats that are supported in the park these include upwards of 400 species of plants.
Located in the heart of Edinburgh in George Street Brown’s Restaurant, offers diners the chance to enjoy quality British cuisine. The restaurant offers a relaxed and stylish environment for diners and has become a favourite over the years. Signatures dishes include Mushroom and Guinness Pie and the famous Browns Steak. The menu alters according to the season to help ensure the freshest ingredients that are in season are used. There is a wide selection of drinks available at the bar, including a number of cocktails such as the renowned Browns Mojito. The restaurant is known for its good service and offers a mix of classic and modern dishes and good value for money.
The Liquid Room is located in the heart of Edinburgh and is a renowned nightclub and live music venue. The venue has built up a good reputation for providing music fans with exclusive performances and has been at the cutting edge of the music scene in the city for many years. The venue relies on some of the best sound and lighting facilities that ensure the live music experience is a memorable one for visitors. There have been some big names who have at the venue they include Stereophonics, Travis and Coldplay. The nightclub has a number of different themed nights catering for varying tastes where visitors can dance the night away.
Edinburgh attracts many visitors and has a wide array of diverse attractions to offer, whilst the surrounding Lothians are sometimes missed by visitors, they have much to offer too. The Lothians epitomise the best Scotland has to offer, stunning countryside and coastline mixed with great history and is an outdoor activities paradise. The region has good road, rail and air links via Edinburgh Airport making it easily assessable to visit this charming area of Scotland.
Disclaimer: The information given in on this website is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. If there are any discrepancies in no way do we intend to mislead. Important travel details and arrangements should be confirmed and verified with the relevant authorities.
