What you are looking at right now is the key to unlocking Edinburgh. Have fun with this key to find all the hidden treasures in this wonderful city.

2. 2
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3. RESTAURANTS
3
INTRODUCTION
Unlocking
Edinburgh
What you are looking at
right now is the key to un-
locking Edinburgh.
To provide you with some
essentials that you might
find useful when exploring
the city, there is a surviv-
al guide at the beginning
of this book. It offers you
some helpful advice be-
cause some things are dif-
ferent here in Scotland and
it will hopefully help you
avoid any awkward situa-
tions.
The next section of this
book will take you back in
time for a brief history of
Edinburgh. This city has
such a well-preserved his-
tory, you are fortunate to
be able to see what is left
of days gone by, by visiting
the selection of monuments
and sights to see, as sug-
gested in this guide. If you
are interested in arts there
is a huge amount of muse-
ums and galleries which are
– in most cases – free of any
admission charge.
You might be lucky enough
to have some sunshine
during your trip, but even
if you do not Edinburgh’s
outdoor space are definite-
ly worth visiting. There
are many parks and also a
beach where you can relax
and recover. Check out the
Out in the Open section for
a few top picks. Is that not
enough for you to re-ener-
gise yourself? Do not wor-
ry, in the next, and largest,
section of this book you
will find various cafes, res-
taurants and pubs to choose
from. If you are looking to
experience Edinburgh’s fa-
mous nightlife, you could
round off your day in one
of its buzzing bars or clubs,
many of which are recom-
mended in this guide.
If you do not want to ex-
plore Edinburgh on your
own, you might want to
join a tour. There are nu-
merous guided tours of all
different kinds, depending
on your particular interests.
There is usually a guide
who will be able to give you
background information
about where you are and
what you are seeing.
Like every other city, Ed-
inburgh has some curious
features which will be pre-
sented in the last chapter of
this city travel guide. Look
out for these Curiosities and
Oddities around the city, as
there are some surprising
stories to learn about.
Have fun with this key to
find all the hidden treas-
ures in this wonderful city.
Kimberley Hindmarsh, Megan
Green, Nicole Grziwa,
Elisa Tinnemeier,
photos by Friederike Kühn

4. Survival Guide 6
History 12
WELCOME
Monuments 16
Sights 18
Museums 28
Galleries 34
THINGS TO
SEE
Streets 38
Shops 42
Green Areas 50
OUT IN THE
OPEN
Entertainment 58
Tours 66
PLACES TO
GO

5. Cafes 72
Restaurants 82
Pubs 88
Hostels 90
WHERE TO
REFUEL
Bars 92
Clubs 98
WHEN THE
NIGHT CALLS
CURIOSITIES
AND ODDITIES
AUTHORS

6. 6
SURVIVAL
GUIDE
Keep the Heid!
So you have booked your
travel and are ready to ex-
plore Scotland’s capital.
Still, you do not know what
to pack, where to go, or how
to get from A to B?
Do not stress! This guide
provides the most essential
secrets on how to unlock
Edinburgh.
Step one: It is NOT pro-
nounced Edin-borrow or
Edin-burg, it is Edin-burra!
What to Pack
Spring, summer, autumn,
winter ‒ Edinburgh pro-
vides it all...in one hour.
So do not forget to bring
an umbrella, solid shoes, a
raincoat and warm clothes
with you. Furthermore,
remember that the United
Kingdom uses 3-pronged
plugs. Therefore, it is rec-
ommended to buy an adap-
tor and maybe even a mul-
tiple socket before visiting
Scotland.
However, most shops in
Edinburgh sell them as well
and if you are staying at a
hostel or hotel, simply ask
the front desk if you can
borrow or rent one.
Money
There are many ATM ma-
chines located throughout
the city, but be aware that
some providers will add a
charge for withdrawal. Card
is accepted almost every-
where, and contactless is
now available in Scotland
if your card is compatible.
Some shops and restau-
rants will not accept Amer-
ican Express, however.
Groceries
The streets of Edinburgh
are filled with convenience
shops and grocery stores, so
youwillneverhavetogotoo
far when you have no more
milk for your cup of tea!
If you are on a low budget
for your stay, it would be
worthwhile seeking out the
nearest Aldi or Lidl, both
of which are at the low
end of the price spectrum.
In the middle of the range
are Tesco and Sainsbury’s,
while the Co-Op and Wait-
rose are more expensive.
Furthermore, most of those
places provide self check-
out. That way you do not
have to wait in line and can
simply pay by using cash or
credit card.
Health
Caught a cold after getting
stuck in the rain? Or need
something for a headache?
In Scotland you do not have
to get these medicines from
a pharmacy.
Most stores have a small
section where you can buy
painkillers and decongest-
ants yourself.
6

7. RESTAURANTS
77
photos by Friederike Kühn

8. 8
Transport
Although Edinburgh is a
beautiful city to explore
on foot, it is also help-
ful to know which types
of public transport are
available, and how to use
them. Generally speaking,
there are four main meth-
ods that you might use
whilst you are here: buses,
trams, taxis, and trains.
Buses
As with all large cities,
Edinburgh is extensively
covered by numerous bus
routes which run frequent-
ly and provide services for
Edinburgh and the sur-
rounding areas.
The service provider is Lo-
thian Buses, and you only
need to go to their website
‒ www.lothianbuses.co.uk
‒ to find routes, schedules
and a full price list. Day
tickets can be bought for £4
which allow you to travel
on any route all day; a really
low cost option for getting
around the city. If you only
need to go one way, single
journeys cost £1.60.
Bus drivers do not issue
change, so be sure that you
have the correct fare on you
ready to hand over to the
driver. Expect a grumpy
driver if you hand over a
£10 note and ask for your
change! If you plan to stay
for a while, you might want
to consider downloading
the Transport for Edin-
burgh app from the Lothian
Buses website, which allows
you to pre-pay online for
future journeys.
A minimum spend of £10
is required and once your
ticket is activated in the
app, simply show your
smartphone to the driver.
Useful Tips:
The destination
of the bus is written in large
letters on the front with all
stops for that route listed in
smaller letters, so be aware
of this to make sure you are
heading in the right direc-
tion!
Remember to
put your arm out to indi-
cate to the bus driver you
would like to get on, other-
wise they may drive straight
past.
When on the
bus, the stops are not an-
nounced so make sure you
know your desired stop and
push the button to alert
the driver in plenty time.
Trams
The trams are also pro-
vided by Lothian Buses,
with services running fre-
quently throughout the city
from the airport to York
Place. The timetable and
fares can be viewed at ed-
inburghtrams.com, where
tickets can also be pur-
chased. Not to worry if you
forget to book in advance
however, as you can always
get tickets on the day from
the machines on the plat-
form.
Prices range from £1.60-
3.20 depending on whether
you want a single or return
ticket. The mobile app can
also be used for tram ticket
purchases.
Taxis

9. RESTAURANTS
9
If you need to get some-
where quickly, there is also
the option of taking a taxi
to your destination. Prices
will vary depending on the
time of day, the distance
you want to travel and of-
ten the number of people
in your party. This option is
obviously more expensive,
but may be useful if you
do not fancy waiting in the
rain – which is very like-
ly! If you are heading out
with a large group, it is also
worth remembering that
taxis with up to seven seats
are available if requested.
Not all taxis are equipped
with card machines, so be
sure to request this over
the phone in advance. Best
keep some cash ready just
in case.
Uber also operates in Edin-
burgh and can be accessed
by downloading the app
from the App Store. Please
note that payment by credit
card is required.
Further Afield
The main station in the city
centre is Edinburgh Waver-
ley and offers direct servic-
es to most of the major UK
cities as well as Edinburgh’s
surrounding areas. It can
be found on South Bridge,
EH1 1BB.
Train fares increase the
closer it gets to your
planned departure date,
so if you intend to explore
other areas of Scotland it is
best to book your tickets as
far in advance as possible.
This can be done online at
thetrainline.com, the Na-
tional Rail Enquiries web-
site, or directly from the
ticket office at the station.
Pre-booked tickets can be
collected from the self-ser-
vice machines at any UK
train station using the
booking reference in your
confirmation email.
Buses to neighbouring
towns and cities depart reg-
ularly from the bus station
on Elder Street, EH1 3DX.
Tickets can be purchased
online from citylink.co.uk,
as well as at the station.
Airport Links
Heading home? Be sure to
familiarise yourself on how
to get back to Edinburgh
Airport. The tram route
from the city centre is a
fast and efficient method,
with numerous stops along
Princes Street and Haymar-
ket before arriving at the
airport. From the city cen-
tre, the journey is estimated
to take around 35 minutes,
departing every 8-12 min-
utes, and costs £5.50 one
way.
The Airlink 100 service
departs opposite Waverley
Station and makes several
stops along Princes Street
and Haymarket. It will take
you directly to the airport
in around half an hour,
with buses departing every
10 minutes. Tickets can be
purchased online, at the
bus stop, or even from the
driver on the bus, so no
need to panic if you forget
to book in advance.
photosbyFriederikeKühn

10. 10
“Awa’ an bile
yer heid!”
(Don’t be
ridiculous!)
During your visit you may
hear a few typically Scot-
tish words and phrases.
Have a go at pronouncing
them yourself - you’ll sound
like a local in no time!
Word/Phrase
Aye
Naw
Haud yer wheesht!
Sláinte mhath
Ah dinnae ken
Dreich
Numpty
Meaning
Yes
No
Be quiet!
Cheers!
I don’t know
A wet miserable day
Silly, stupid
Pronunciation
Eye
Naw
Hud yer wheesht!
Slahn-chuh vah
Ah din-nay ken
Dreech (the same ‘ch’
sound as in ‘loch’)
Numpt-tay
10