The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art – also known as "Modern One" – is another must-visit for art enthusiasts. Here, you'll find displays of paintings by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso; surrealistic works by Rene Magritte, Joan Miró, and Max Ernst; and contemporary paintings by Bruce McLean, Callum Innes, and Gwen Hardie. Holyrood Palace stands at the foot of the Royal Mile. Look at the pavement near the entrance, and you’ll notice a row of three brass letter “S”s. These shiny symbols were placed on the cobblestones to mark the boundary of a five-mile area once known as Abbey Sanctuary. Those attempting to evade their debt creditors could seek refuge within its confines. Food and housing were on offer, too—though with a heftier price tag than you’d find in the Old Town. People could stay in the sanctuary indefinitely, and could even leave on Sundays without fearing retaliation from their collectors. Located at the foot of the Salisbury Crags, Dynamic Earth is a five-star museum that takes you on an incredible journey through Earth’s history. Using a combination of interactive exhibits, you can see, feel, and hear the momentous events that shaped our planet. Extending from the Castle and all the way down to Holyrood Palace, the Royal Mile is the name given to the succession of streets that make up the main thoroughfare of the city’s Old Town. The Royal Mile functioned as a processional route for kings and queens and is 1.81 kmlong (1 Scots mile long), thus the name.

The Royal Mile refers to the streets linking Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Lined with charming townhouses, churches, and historic landmarks, this splendid thoroughfare is a great place to stroll for its shops (including kiltmakers), inns, museums, cafés, and restaurants. The ATLAS Edinburgh group worked on the Higgs boson announced in July 2012. The Higgs boson particle is named afterPeter Higgs, Emeritus Professor at the University of Edinburgh. Peter Higgs and François Englert were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics on 8th October 2013, “for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles”. Ten years after the discovery of the Higgs boson in July 2022, we celebrated with a public event at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.For the very best views of Edinburgh and beyond – and for some stunning photos by which to remember your visit – you must take a stroll up Calton Hill. It’s just a short walk from the East End of Princes Street. The walk itself is not too demanding, but absolutely worth the effort. On a clear day, you can see for miles, taking in the city’s skyline and Arthur’s Seat, across to Leith, and the Firth of Forth. The gardens contain 10 different glasshouses. They all have different climatic zones and are filled with exotic plants from all over the world. Highlights include a 200-year-old palm tree in the tropical zone and the massive lily pads which almost look too big to be real! If you’re not feeling up to the challenge to climb all the way to the top, there’s an easier path you can follow. Whilst it may not go all the way to the summit, you will still find countless opportunities to take exceptional photographs of the breathtaking scenery. So in this guide, we selected only the most unique experiences, the very best things to do in Edinburgh. This list features the most famous landmarks and best tourist attractions in Edinburgh that are worth your time the most. Depending on how much time you have, simply start with the attractions on the top of this list, and work your way down. While many of the most popular tourist attractions are along the Royal Mile, which follows the crest of the hill between the castle and Holyrood Palace and Princes Street, be sure to explore the other side of the hill, where you'll find the picturesque Grassmarket. One of Edinburgh's most important market squares since the Middle Ages, it rings with history. In this pedestrian-friendly area of shops and cafés look for the White Hart Inn, where Robbie Burns once wrote poetry.

If you're traveling with kids, be sure to allow them to enjoy dressing up in the costumes in the Family Room; and if you've got time, linger a little longer in the charming café and enjoy a proper afternoon tea. Guided tours are available. Located at the south end of picturesque Candlemakers Row, Greyfriars Church is a must-visit when in Edinburgh. Here, you'll find the city's oldest graveyard, the final resting place for a number of celebrated Scots, including poet Allan Ramsay (1686-1758). Also on this Edinburgh map are Cramond, Currie, Loanhead, Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Millerhill and Musselburgh. Free to visit, this is very much a hands-on, interactive museum, making it just as fascinating for children as it is for adults! Its highlights include the 800,000-year-old iron-type Muonionalusta Meteorite, which weighs 170 kg (375 lbs) and which you can actually touch.

Research interests

Visiting Scotland’s capital city and wondering what are the best things to do in Edinburgh? In this article, we share all the musts-sees. Take a look! The canary-yellow Museum of Edinburgh is a trove of treasures that reveal the city’s past. Among the culinary artifacts, pottery exhibits, and centuries-old human bones are a few models of the Old Town that provide a historic bird's-eye view of the road you’ve just walked. When the Queen is away – which is typically 51 weeks of the year, as she's only here for "Royal Week" each summer – public access is permitted. At such times, access is granted to the stunning Historic Apartments (former home of Mary Queen of Scots) and the State Apartments, famous for their fine furnishings, tapestries, and plasterwork. Despite its city-center location, the Palace of Holyroodhouse – set in beautiful parkland and overlooking Arthur’s Seat – feels a million miles away from Edinburgh’s hustle and bustle. Since the time of European settlement, Satan seems to have lurked around every corner of the Granite State. In the era of witch hunts, terrified townspeople accused their elderly neighbors of speaking with the Devil, and local lore has it that the stones around a frothing waterfall in the woods once served as Satan's kitchen, where he cooked a pot of beans with the flames of Hell.