72 Hours in Edinburgh Scotland

Are you interested in ghost stories, history, Harry Potter, hiking, and/or drinking? If so, Edinburgh is the place for you! Next up in the 36 hour series is Edinburgh, Scotland. Read on for the perfect itinerary for a weekend in the most charming city!

EDINBURGH HISTORY

Edinburgh is Scotland's capital city and is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With several UNESCO World Heritage sites and a rich history, it's no wonder this is at the top of many travelers' bucket lists.

It's the birthplace of Harry Potter with many of the early books having been written in cafés around town. There are many nods to Edinburgh in the books, including many character names coming from a cemetery in town.

Edinburgh is also the birthplace of the Encyclopedia! Aiming to provide accurate descriptions of everything in the world, this was a revolutionary idea at the time. For you Gen Z'er's, this is essentially the precursor to Google!

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, grave robbing was big business and Edinburgh was home to two of the most prolific grave robbers in history - Burke and Hare. With colleges across the UK paying hefty sums for cadavers (Including Edinburgh’s Royal College of Surgeons), Burke and Hare even resorted to murder to generate new product to sell. They were eventually caught and Burke's body was sold to the anatomy school after death. You can still see a wallet made of Burke's skin in Edinburgh’s Surgeons’ Hall Museum. Ew!

There is actually a city under the city in Edinburgh. You can take a tour of these underground tunnels and vaults if you're brave enough! Of course with a history like this one, it's bound to be haunted. Edinburgh is actually considered one of the most haunted cities in the world! If ghost stories are your thing, there's a haunted tour on this itinerary! Notable haunts also include Edinburgh Castle (haunted by its former prisoners), the Tolbooth Tavern, and Greyfriars Kirkyard. The Kirkyard tops the list as the most haunted of all! There have been hundreds of supernatural experiences and sightings at George Mackenzie's mausoleum.

If this history has you hooked on Edinburgh, read on and start planning your trip!

WHERE TO STAY

You'll want to stay in the Edinburgh city center for this quick trip. If you're looking for 5 star accommodations, stay at the Balmoral Hotel or The Glasshouse.

If hostels are more your speed, I recommend CoDE Pod - The CoURT. I stayed here and absolutely loved the privacy the pods provided! Plus there are tons of events if you're looking to socialize.

There are also many great AirBNBs. I linked a few of my favorites for you here!

If you want a one page printable for this itinerary, fill out your email below for immediate download!

DAY ONE

Start the day off with a full Scottish breakfast - it's a must! Just don't ask what everything is until you've tried it and I promise you'll like it all! Locals recommend Southern Cross Café. This is a very central location so it'll be a perfect launching point for you!

Full Scottish Breakfast - Haggis and all!

Next you will want to explore The Royal Mile. Some sights you can't miss are: St. Giles Cathedral, the Edinburgh Castle (you'll visit up close later!), The National Museum of Scotland, The Heart of the Midlothian and the Scotch Whisky Experience. The mile runs between two historic monuments in Scotland’s history: Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyrood, so you will see many picture perfect Edinburgh spots. While you're in the area, you are going to want to tour The Real Mary King’s Close, AKA the streets hidden beneath the Royal Mile. These have only opened to the public within the last 15 years! You will tour the hidden streets with a guide. Prepared to be a little spooked - but totally worth it! Buy your tickets in advance here. These are likely to sell out! This was the highlight of my trip to Edinburgh!

Next you will want to make sure these are on your must see list as well:

Armchair Books - this bookstore is chock full of secondhand books and it's truly amazing how many great titles they can fit into a small space. It is one of the most charming little book stores I've ever seen.
The Elephant House - Where JK Rowling wrote much of the early Harry Potter books. Sadly, you can't enter this building (as of October 2022) due to fire damage. It sounds like they're fixing it up and will reopen! In the meantime, it's still fun to see the façade and the plaque dedicated to JK Rowling on the building.
Greyfriar’s Kirkyard - This haunted cemetery is the subject of many paranormal documentaries and the history is d-a-r-k. Do some research before you go so you can explore the most haunted corners. This is also around the corner from the Elephant House and is said to be where many of the famous Harry Potter characters got their names. I visited Thomas Riddle's grave while I was there and you'll see Potter, McGonagall, Moody, Scrymgeour, Cruikshanks, and Black. BONUS: you'll be able to see George Heriot School (the unconfirmed inspiration for Hogwarts). The school is divided into 4 houses and Rowling’s children went there. While I was in the cemetery, I saw some school children walking to the school in uniform. I was a little star struck!
Greyfriar’s Bobby - this little statue (and gravestone in the kirkyard) memorialize a little terrier who patrolled the streets with his owner (a nightwatchman for the Edinburgh City Police in the 1850s). After his owner’s death, Bobby sat by his grave day and night for 14 years, only leaving once a day to get food. The people of Edinburgh eventually built him a little house next to the grave and brought him everything he needed to live on site. After Bobby’s death, he was buried near his owner and to this day, people leave sticks and toys for him to use in the afterlife. There is a statue and a pub of the same name just outside of the Kirkyard’s walls and it’s said rubbing his nose will bring you good luck!
Victoria’s Street - This is said to be the street Diagon Alley is based on. This charming street has some of the cutest shops in Edinburgh and is very photogenic! It's a must see!

For the best sunset views in town, visit Saint Anthony’s Chapel Ruins and Arthur’s Seat to hike to the top just in time to watch the sun go down. It's absolutely gorgeous!

DAY TWO

Start the day off with a visit to the Milkman on Cockburn Street for coffee and a pastry with a view. After fueling up, you will head to the Scott Monument to climb four different viewing platforms. Be careful if it's been raining recently as these steps can be very slick!

After that, you will explore the Palace of Holyrood and Holyrood Abbey. This is the tail end of the Royal Mile and very picturesque. The abbey was closed to visitors as of October 2022, but you can still see if from the outside. It's a gorgeous place to just explore and spend a slow afternoon. You can also use this as a launching point to walk the entire royal mile to the castle. It's a fun (and slightly challenging!) walk and there are tons of shops to stop in on your way.

Tonight, you'll be going on a ghost tour of the Underground Vaults in Edinburgh. This is one of my favorite things we did in Edinburgh and I highly recommend! Get your tickets here. It was amazing to see the underground vaults beneath the city and learn about the dark history in the area. Perfect activity for the Halloween season!

DAY THREE

Today is going to be dedicated to seeing the Edinburgh Castle up close. You will book tickets in advance and get to actually step foot inside this historic monument. It's absolutely gorgeous! I recommend getting these tickets in advance! It's a guide (given in English) that allows you to skip to line and get into the castle quickly! These tickets always sell out, so make sure you get them early.

After your tour, head back to Old Town and shop for some souvenirs to take back from your trip. There are some classically Scottish gifts (for yourself or someone at home) to peruse here. I recommend treating yourself to a cashmere (or cashmere blend) scarf in your favorite tartan from Tartan Weaving Mill and Exhibition. You also may want to bring a Scottish Highland Coo stuffed animal for a little one - you can find these all over and they're darling! Tweed is a fabric that is quintessentially Scottish. You can get an entire tweed outfit, or if you want something small and memorable, I recommend a tweed flask to hold your Scottish whisky.