A day exploring museums and galleries in Edinburgh
- 48 hours in Edinburgh
- 72 Hours in Edinburgh
- A day exploring Edinburgh’s free attractions
- A day exploring historic houses in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- A day exploring museums and galleries in Edinburgh
- A day exploring the castles of Edinburgh and the Lothians
- A day in the Lothians
- A day shopping in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- A great family day out in Edinburgh
- Edinburgh’s Royal attractions in one day
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Spend a day exploring some of Edinburgh’s fascinating museums and galleries which tell stories of great writers, artists and poets from both Scotland and around the world.
Trail Map
Skip over Google mapIf you’re up early you should be able to visit them all in a day but you can also spread them out over several days to spend hours gazing at great works hanging on the walls of Edinburgh’s finest buildings.
Start the day with a visit to the Writers' Museum located on Lady Stair's Close just off the Royal Mile. This treasure house of portraits, relics and manuscripts celebrates Scotland's three great writers Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Visit Time - 1 hour
Make your way up to Chambers Street to the grand National Museum of Scotland, which has 20,000 exhibits across 36 galleries from whales, dolphins and Tyrannosaurus Rex to the fascinating exhibitions. You're bound to find something new here as thanks to a £46.4 million refurbishment, 80% of objects are on display for the first time.
Visit Time - 1-2 hours
Turning left down The Mound and further down the Playfair steps will take you to the National Gallery Of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy, which has a subterranean link between the two galleries, and a Galleries Restaurant which offers stunning views out across East Princes Street Gardens.
Visit Time - 2 hours
Skirting east along Princes Street past the 200 foot spire of the Scott Monument, built in tribute to the novelist Sir Walter Scott, turn left down Leith Street and marvel at the statue of Sherlock Holmes, whose creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, studied medicine at Edinburgh University. Turn left along York Place to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery where you can view portraits of famous Scots from the 16th century to the present day.
Visit Time - 1.5 hours
Not far from here, look out for the plaque on the wall which tells passing visitors that 17 Heriot Row is the birthplace of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Head west along Queen Street, Queensferry Street and Belford Road to take in some modern art at the Scottish National Gallery Of Modern Art and its sister, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Two, which houses a permanent collection of work by the Scottish sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi, born in Leith, of Italian descent.
Visit Time - 2 hours
From the mound, take a walk down Market Street to Edinburgh's City Art Centre which contains six exhibition galleries and is home to the city's own art collection.
Visit Time - 1 Hour
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Edinburgh and the Lothians sits on the eastern side of Scotland's central belt, in the heart of the country.
