A great family day out 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
- Mary Queen of Scots Trail - Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Two days of local crafts - Edinburgh and the Lothians
Make sure you are all up and ready to go nice and early so you can visit all of these fantastic attractions in one day and you’ll be guaranteed a fantastically fun, action packed, family day out.
Trail Map
Skip over Google mapStart the day with a visit to the Gallery of Modern Art situated just 15 minutes from Princes Street. The gallery is set in beautiful parkland and features work from renowned artists from Picasso to Damien Hirst. Be sure to explore the grounds surrounding the museum and try and find all of the stunning sculptures.
Visit time - 1.5 hours
Take a short walk or bus ride along the neoclassical elegance of the New Town’s streets and you will arrive at the city’s beautiful Royal Botanic Garden. Discover many rare and unique plants as you walk along the garden’s pristine paths and keep your eyes peeled as you may even spot a cheeky squirrel. Pack a picnic and enjoy it in one of the many grassy areas dotted around the gardens.
Visit time - 2 hours
From the castle walk about half-way down the historic Royal Mile to Mary King’s Close one of the city’s spookiest attractions. Investigate the fascinating series of underground passages with an eerie tour guide dressed as a former resident of the street and uncover the dark secrets the passages hold.
Visit time: 1 hour
Continue the ghoulish theme with a trip to The Edinburgh Dungeon on Market Street near Waverley Station. Travel back in time and meet some of Scotland’s most famous, and infamous, characters. If you survive meeting body snatchers Burke and Hare and the cannibal Sawney Bean and his hungry family, you can visit the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions which has entertained visitors with its marvellous opitical illusions since the Victorian period.
Visit time: 2.5 hours
Alternatively, if you’d rather a less chilling end to your day, continue down the Royal Mile to Our Dynamic Earth and travel back to the beginning of our planet and watch the Big Bang from the Hubble Telescope. Witness a tropical rain storm and feel the heat of a bubbling volcano ready to erupt as the museum takes you through 15,000 million years of Earth’s history up to the present day.
Visit time: 2 hours.
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Edinburgh and the Lothians sits on the eastern side of Scotland's central belt, in the heart of the country.
