Discover Edinburgh
Take an extinct volcano, an Old Town straight from medieval times, and elegant Georgian townhouses.
Book your flight to Edinburgh
Add in Michelin-starred restaurants, vibrant nightlife and a packed calendar of festivals, and you've got a city that genuinely has universal appeal. Edinburgh, you’re spoiling us.
Nightlife
Edinburgh was built on breweries; they’re one reason behind its Auld Reekie nickname. They’ve mostly gone, but thankfully the traditional pubs remain.
Let’s drink to the Sheep’s Heid Inn in Duddingston; there’s been a pub on the site since the 14th century, and the current one has its own skittle alley.
Music, whisky and a good old singsong go hand-in-hand in Edinburgh’s Old Town bars. Sample a well-aged malt and challenge your toes to stop tapping at Sandy Bell’s (Forrest Road) and the Royal Oak (Infirmary Street). There are traditional music sessions every night – sometimes during the day too.
The Grassmarket is home to centuries’ old pubs that have stood their ground amid uprisings, executions, a World War I zeppelin raid and all those Fringe performers.
Cross to the New Town for style bars and cocktails. Look down — some of the best bars are tucked in basement venues below street level. The Stand Comedy Club brings the laughs.
Join the party at the ‘pink triangle’ around Greenside Place, the heart of Edinburgh’s lively LGBT scene. Kick up your heels at CC Bloom’s (Greenside Lane).
Need a break? Settle down in a reclining armchair at the family run Art Deco-style Dominion Cinema.