Scotland
City guide · Scotland
Edinburgh
About Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, built across hills and volcanic crags around its famous castle. The medieval Old Town and the elegant Georgian New Town together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site, giving the city a striking mix of history, grand architecture and green open spaces.
Edinburgh Castle, high on its rock, sits at the top of the Royal Mile, which runs down through the Old Town to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Visitors can climb Arthur's Seat or Calton Hill for views, stroll Princes Street and its gardens below the castle, and visit the National Museum of Scotland.
Two to three nights work well. Glasgow is about 50 minutes away by train, Stirling about an hour, and day tours reach the Highlands and Loch Ness. London is about four and a half hours by train, making Edinburgh an easy addition to a UK itinerary.
In August the city hosts the Edinburgh International Festival, the Festival Fringe and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which are very popular with groups; hotels book up early, so plan well in advance. New Year (Hogmanay) celebrations are also famous.
Practical Information
Useful to know before your group arrives in Edinburgh.
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Edinburgh has a cool, changeable maritime climate, and its hills and coastal position make it noticeably windy.
- Spring (March–May): highs rising from about 9°C to 15°C, with bright days and showers.
- Summer (June–August): highs around 18–20°C and very long evenings.
- Autumn (September–November): highs falling from about 16°C to 8°C, with more rain and wind.
- Winter (December–February): highs around 6–7°C, short days, frost at times and occasional snow.
May to September is the best time to visit. Pack warm layers and a waterproof, windproof jacket even in summer, and comfortable shoes for steep, cobbled streets.
- Arriving: Edinburgh Airport lies about 13 kilometres west of the centre. The tram runs to the city centre in about 35 minutes, the express airport bus takes about 30 minutes, and a taxi about 25 minutes.
- Getting around: The centre is walkable, though hilly. Lothian buses and the tram cover the city, and contactless payment is accepted.
- By train: Edinburgh Waverley station, in the heart of the city, has frequent trains to Glasgow and direct services to London.
- Groups: The Old Town streets are narrow and steep, so coaches set down at designated points nearby rather than on the Royal Mile itself.
An eSIM or data plan bought before departure is usually much cheaper for Indian travellers than an Indian international roaming pack. Scotland is part of the UK, which is not in the EU, so an EU plan may not cover it; check that the eSIM includes the UK. Prepaid SIM cards are sold at the airport and in shops; a passport is needed at purchase.
Free Wi-Fi is common in hotels, cafés and on many trains. The UK uses 230 V with Type G sockets; Indian Type D plugs do not fit, so carry a universal adapter.
Edinburgh has a wide choice of Indian and Pakistani restaurants, reflecting Scotland's strong love of curry, along with several South Asian grocery shops. Vegetarian dishes are easy to find, Jain meals should be requested in advance through the DMC, and halal food is readily available.
Scottish food has some good vegetarian options: vegetarian haggis is widely served, often with neeps and tatties (mashed swede and potato), along with porridge, oatcakes and shortbread. Supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Co-op and Lidl are convenient for snacks, fruit, milk and bread.
Itineraries in Scotland
None of our set itineraries includes an overnight stay in Edinburgh yet. These Scotland itineraries can be adapted to include it, or we can build one around Edinburgh for your group.
