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Before You Visit Edinburgh: 12 Things to Know Before Your First Trip · UK Travel Planning

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: What's buried under the Royal Mile that most visitors walk straight over without knowing it's there?
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: Why do locals wince every time somebody says Edinburg?
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: And what is the world's largest art festival?
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: And should you be there for it or as far away as possible?
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: Today I'm sharing 12 essential things to know before you visit Edinburgh.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Your host is the founder of the UK travel planning website, Tracy Collins.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Each week, Tracy shares destination guides, travel tips and itinerary ideas, as well as interviews with a variety of guests who share their knowledge and experience of UK travel to help you plan your perfect UK vacation.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Join us as we explore the UK from cosmopolitan cities to quaint villages, from historic castles to beautiful islands, from a picturesque countryside to seaside towns.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: Before we get started, we'd like to thank our sponsor, Walks and Devour Tours.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: If you're planning a trip to London, you'll already know the challenge.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot you want to do and only a limited amount of time to fit it all in.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: That's where the right tour makes all the difference because you want experiences that are the best use of your time with more access, less waiting, and a deeper sense of the city.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: That's why we recommend Walks and Devour Tours.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: They offer walk-in tours and food tours designed to make your time count, often with early or after hours entry.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: You'll also be with exceptional local guides who add the stories and context so you leave with a richer understanding of what you're seeing and a trip that feels genuinely memorable.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: If you're visiting London as a couple with family or you simply prefer a more intimate experience, walks and devour tours also offer private tour options.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: To learn more, you'll find the link in the show notes.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: Now let's get into this week's episode.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: Hi everybody and welcome to this week's edition of the UK Travel Planner Podcast.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: Now I'm recording this episode in London and I'm actually going to be heading to Edinburgh very soon.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, when this episode actually comes out, I'll have just been in Edinburgh for a few days.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: So each episode I'm going to take one UK destination and share 12 things I genuinely wish someone had told me before my first visit.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: So these hopefully are things, well there will be things the guidebook glosses over, or maybe even doesn't even mention.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: And as you know, myself and Doug want you to have the best trip to the UK.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, that's what we do, that's what our websites are there for, that's what our podcast is all about.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: So we want you to have the best time possible.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: So this new series, before you visit, um, we're gonna be going basically all around the UK and giving you sharing those tips.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: So um, because I'm kind of planning this to trip to Edinburgh, um, I will mention that I've been to Edinburgh, I can't even count how many times I've been to Edinburgh because actually uh my mum had a very good friend who lived in Edinburgh.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: So from when I was a young child, we used to drive up because I lived in Northumberland, so it wasn't very far.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_01: Used to drive up to Edinburgh and spend um weekends there very, very often.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a city that I have been visiting for nigh on 60 years, um, and it's one of my all-time favourite cities, and I know it's one of yours as well.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: It it genuinely um is a city that deserves to be in your itinerary and generally is in most people's itinerary.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: I know we talk a lot about London and a lot about Edinburgh.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: Now we do have an episode already, uh, which is episode 58, that I think I did that one with Doug, um, and we share kind of all the practical essentials and things that you should know before you visit Edinburgh for the first time.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna link to that in the show notes, um, and that's actually the perfect companion to this episode.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it covers things like what to book in advance, how to get around, what to pack.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: But today's episode, I'm gonna go deeper into some of the things that still catch first-time visitors out.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and as we're gonna thro go through as well, I'm gonna kind of point and directly direct you to um be able to find out more information through the website or on our YouTube um and through other episodes of the podcast as well.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because honestly, planning your visit to Edinburgh well will really make a difference to your trip.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what we're here to do.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: So um, should we go into it?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: Are you ready for the 12 things um that will help you before you visit Edinburgh?
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: So the first one, um, how to say it.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: Now, you will notice that I say Edinburgh.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so I am from the Northeast, um, and that's how we say Edinburgh, but actually it's Edinburgh.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I just say Edinburgh.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: But the main thing not to say um is Edinburgh.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, and we we hear that a lot a lot of the time.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: So we do consults in a lot of time when we chat to people that say Edinburgh, um bit like Glasgow.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's not, it's Glasgow, and it's um Edinburgh or Edinburgh, that's what I say Edinburgh.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so say it my way if you want.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: You'll probably have a Geordie accent and sound like you're from Northumberland.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but Edinburgh, um, not Edinburgh.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so that'll make everybody a much happier uh because I know it's one of those things that kind of oh it's look honestly, a lot of pronunciations of British uh places catches even me out and I'm British.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um but this is just such a common one that we hear uh mispronounced.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: So you do yourself a favour and say, you know, Edinburgh, Edinburgh or Edinburgh, just don't say Edinburgh.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's the best one.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: The other one, um, and this used to catch me out when I was a kid actually, because I used to think, why is this?
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: But it's uh Princess Street.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: So P-R-R-I-N-C-E-S, Princess Street.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: So that is the um main street in the new city of um part of Edinburgh.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um now it's Princess, not Princess Street.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's named after the Princess of Scotland, not a princess.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: So just remember it's Princess Street.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: So those are the two main things I want to talk about because there are other ones that um uh get most mispronounced, but to be honest, I'll probably mispronounce them as well because I'm not Scottish and I'm not from Edinburgh.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: So uh but I thought these are the two main things that I kind of I've learned and I know um since I was a kid to make sure that I pronounced those correctly.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: So hopefully that'll help you out.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um we do have on the website we do have a um article uh which is Edinburgh Tips, so 20 essential Edinburgh tips, so it's worth having a look at that article.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_01: Again, I'll share that in uh in the show notes.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it's got a bit more information on that sort of replacenames and how I pronounce them.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: Now, second one is how long you actually need.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um Right, well, how long do you actually need, to be honest?
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: You could go you could spend years, months living, months and years living in Edinburgh.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's just a fabulous city to visit.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: Now, um I we do get asked if it's possible to do it on a day trip from London.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and honestly, if you were and I know we've actually had a podcast episode previously where somebody did that, they went up in the morning, stayed the day, and then they took the um Lowlander sleeper back down to London that evening.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: So you absolutely could fit in in a trip to Edinburgh, you can do it that way.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but honestly, I would make sure that you plan at least three days based in Edinburgh if you can, uh, because there's a lot to see and do.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's a wonderful city.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and also there might be things that you might want to see when you're in Edinburgh that may be closed.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: So, for example, one of the top places people want to see is Holyrood House.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_01: Now that is closed on a Tuesday and Wednesday outside the peak summer months, and also closes for a week in late June, early July.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's actually I need to look at my phone because I did just check that before uh I jumped on the podcast.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_01: So basically, this year it's actually shut Tuesday the 12th to Wednesday the 20th of May, and it's also closed uh Monday, the 8th of June.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure why, I just said it's closing early at 4 30, and then it's that week, Friday the 26th of June to Friday the 3rd of July, and I think that's because the king goes for a visit.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's where he he it's called Holyrood Week and he pops up and and um visits Scotland and stayed in that's his official residence um in Edinburgh, so he stays there.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: Now I'm not sh quite sure why it's shut um in May, so when this episode comes out actually, um and it's actually called because I'm actually gone up to Edinburgh with a friend um who's flown in and she specifically wanted to go to Hollywood House, and when we looked it's actually sort of short.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: So if it's that if that's what you want to do, I would check.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, in particular if outside of the peak months, uh if Hollywood House is something absolutely want to go and visit, um, that it's actually open.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: Now, as I say, I wouldn't recommend a day trip from London because it's going to take you four and a half hours to get up uh to Edinburgh, so only give you the afternoon really to explore, and then you'd have to get the sleeper train back.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: Honestly, stay at least two or three nights.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I would stay three nights, that's my favourite, um, because there's so much to do and see, and even with the three nights, you can probably maybe take a day trip out as well because there's some fantastic places to visit um outside of Edinburgh.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I'm actually spending or I have just spent three nights in Edinburgh, and hopefully I will share that itinerary with you.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're interested in wanting to know what I got up to with the three-day itinerary in Edinburgh, which I will have just come back to from when this episode comes out, um, I will share that.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh now tip three is old town and new town.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: That they're completely different uh parts of the city of Edinburgh.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so choosing which one you want to stay in can make a difference to your trip.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: Now, the old town is the medieval part of Edinburgh.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: It's dark stone, narrow, close, uh dramatic, atmospheric.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's a fantastic place to stay.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_01: It's where you'll find the Royal Mile.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: So that kind of is a spine up the actual old town, and that's runs from Edinburgh Castle at the top all the way down to Holyrood House at the bottom.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: So that's Royal Mile, and that goes basically that's a spine of the old town.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: And as it sounds, that is that's the old town that was built um on top of that kind of volcanic plug where you'll see Edinburgh Castle, and that's the there's so much history to that part of Edinburgh, it's absolutely incredible.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: Now, the new town is still old, but it's just not as old.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's where you'll find um wide streets.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's Georgian, it's just um you'll find some beautiful houses, um, you'll find a lot of really nice restaurants, it's a bit quieter there.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and in between the old and new town, you'll get you've got Princess Street Gardens, um, which are lovely and they're very popular.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: When the sun's out, you'll see lots of people sitting in the gardens enjoying the sunshine.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and also in that in that kind of dip between kind of if you think of the new town and then going up to the um the old town, um, you've got you've got the the gardens and you've also got um Waverley train station.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: So that's kind of in the middle between the two.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um so that whichever one you choose to stay in, they're basically about 10 minutes walk from Ray Waverley train station.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're catching the train in, um it doesn't really matter, it's up to you what where you want to stay.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: Now, generally Doug and I stay in the new town.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but this last trip I actually booked a um an apartment on the Royal Mile.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: So um yeah, if you want to know about that, I'll check check on my uh Instagram because I would have shared some some pictures of and some information about that.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um so wherever you choose to stay, honestly, it's they're both fantastic areas of of Edinburgh to stay in.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: If you want the atmosphere and kind of the immersion, then stay in the old town.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um if you want sort of a little bit more kind of breathing space, um, you've got the shops of Princess Street and some pretty good places to eat as well, um, then choose Newtown.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's where where our favourite um afternoon tea is in Edinburgh, which is um the Georgian tea rooms at the dome.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's in the Newtown.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: Now, whichever you choose, neither is wrong.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but just kind of decide what what you want, whether you want a kind of that older medieval feel, or if you want um something a bit kind of a bit more Georgian style.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's all really lovely, so you you can't really go wrong.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: Uh now number four is the fringe.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: Haha, now um if you're wondering what it is and how to decide if you want to go, I think there's a few things I need to just mention about the fringe is that um it's basically, if you haven't heard about it, um it's around 53,000 performers across 300 venues throughout August in Edinburgh.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: So you get performers from all over the world, and the whole city is transformed.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it's you know, it's basically the world's largest arts festival: theatre, comedy, music, dance, everything you could possibly imagine.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, every pub, church, car park, everything becomes a venue for the um fringe.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um at the same time as the fringe, but separate to it, you've also got the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which is really, really uh popular, and where you can see the performance on the castle esplanade, so basically in front of the castle itself.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I've been there in from about May when they start putting up the the um scaffolding and everything for for the actual uh tattoo.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: I'll have to say I have not been to it.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but if you're gonna go in August, so if you fancy going for the fringe festival, um, because you're into theatre, comedy, music, all that sort of stuff, um, or you want to go for that tattoo, the important thing to know is that it is incredibly, incredibly busy, and the prices can be two to three times what you would expect at other times of year.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: Now, if you want to go book 12 months ahead, really you need to book well ahead if you're planning to go um during the uh fringe festival.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_01: Now, as I say, if you love art the arts, um you you want to be somewhere that's really, really busy, because it is going to be really, really busy, then then the fringe might be a time that you um you want to go.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh if you want something a bit more calm, not as busy, then really you need to be looking at kind of May, June, or September.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's always popular at Edinburgh because British people love going to visit Edinburgh as well.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, another time that's extremely busy, and again, when accommodation can be really expensive, is Hogmoney, which are the Edinburgh New Year's celebration.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so again, if you plan to go there um either in August or at Hogmoney for the New Year's celebrations, make sure that you book your accommodation um well in advance.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, in fact, just gonna give you a little story about this.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: Doug and I were have been desperate to go experience Hogmoney for years, and we actually did a house sit um in Edinburgh at the end of 2024 into 2025, and we're very excited because we're gonna go and experience Hogmoney, and for the first time, I think ever, it was cancelled.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: It was cancelled because there was a threat of a massive storm and they were worried about safety, so they cancelled Hogmoney.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: We didn't get to go to it, and actually the storm never really came out as anything, so we just missed it.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: So that was a bit of a downer for us.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, okay, so the other thing to know is um the hills, and I know we we've mentioned about the hills and the cobblestones in our uh episode 58, um, but I think it really is worth mentioning because Edinburgh is built on an ancient volcanic rock.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so the roll mile is a continuous slope from the castle down to Hollywood House, so it's and then like as you go off the roll mile, you'll find that there's all these cloisters that have fantastic names, so they're worth exploring, but they kind of go steeply off um the side of the royal mile.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so you know, you need to be considering A about um being able to get around, um, because you know, walking uphill to the castle from the bottom of the Royal Mile is is is a bit of a workout.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: Also, there's cobblestones, and there is lots and lots of steps, lots of steps in London, in Edinburgh.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry, take that out, Ryan.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: So there's lots of steps in Edinburgh.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it's just worth bearing that in mind.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so take it easy.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, plan your days because you're going to be doing a lot of walking.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: Now, there are a couple of great places um for some great viewpoints.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: One is Arthur's Seat, uh, which is um an extinct extinct volcano.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: It takes about two hours to get up there and back down.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_01: I haven't done it, Doug has.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I had toothache the day that he went up to climb it, but to be honest, even if I didn't have toothache, I wouldn't have done it.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's Doug's sort of thing, and if you want to do that, a lot of people do it, you get some fantastic views up there.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: So he really enjoyed it.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the other viewpoint which is really, really good, um, and this is one that I've done, is the Calton Hill, um, which you get a really good um look out, and that's much easier.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it's free, doesn't cost anything, you get fantastic views.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's one that I would I would do if you're less adventurous and don't fancy do an Arthur's seat.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, certainly Calton Hill is more accessible, and you do get a fantastic view of the castle, and you get a view down um to Leith as well and to the uh Royal Britannia.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, as I mentioned, Doug did Doug did Arthur's seat and he's very proud of it, so he tells everybody.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_01: So um if you if you do Arthur's seat and you've climbed it, let me know.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: Leave me a message on Speakpipe when I pass that on to Doug because he he is he loved it, he thought it was absolutely fantastic.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, as you probably know, like hiking up up um extinct extinct volcanoes is probably not something that I particularly do um or have an interest in.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: Anyway, um other thing that I'd say is um so it's point six is to get off the Royal Mile because there are some fantastic uh places to visit, not only just to explore, but also to eat as well.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so some of the places to to visit are Victoria Street, it's curved, beautiful, colourful, um, cobbled street.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's sighted as being a kind of inspiration from for JK Rowland for Diagonale, but I mean there's so many places in the entire of the UK that are supposed to be the inspiration, so I don't know if it if it really is.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_01: But those the closes of the Royal Mile are absolutely fantastic.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: Don't walk past them.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um check out the names of some of them.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not gonna tell you, I just want you to check out the names of some of those closes.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: I actually did a historic walk in tour of the Royal Mile a few years ago, and it was fascinating.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: Just learning how people lived in the kind of 16, 17, 1800s and what it was like.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: It was pretty awful.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, do do that and also have a look at down through some of the closest.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: One of the closest you'll get a fantastic um view of the Scott Monument, but I'm not gonna tell you which one.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, they're worth visiting.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: The grass market is a lovely square which's got a lot of character and some good pubs and restaurants, and that's at the foot of Castle Rock.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: Again, New Town has some really good independent dining, uh, lots of different options.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: Every time we go to Edinburgh, there's new restaurants uh opened up, so definitely worth um visiting.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I will say, um, if you're looking for souvenirs, just avoid the Royal Mile because there are a lot of tourist shops with a lot of kind of imported, um, not very nice stuff.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so just avoid those, they're not particularly good.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, or do what I would do recommend um they do is make uh the bag.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_01: I made a Harris Tweed bag um when I was in Edinburgh the last time, um, and I love my bag, and um a lot of people like to to do that.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: I actually have an article about um the the bag making workshop, so I'll link for that as well and put some photos in because I just know that every Wants to go and make make a tweed bag when they're in um in Edinburgh, so that's something to do.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, number seven.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: Now, this is something that Doug has done.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I get a little bit claustrophobic, I don't so I haven't done this.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's Mary King's Close.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: Now it's the underground city that most visitors walk straight over.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I mean it's consistently is mentioned in um you know the best of things to do in Edinburgh, um, and a lot of people miss doing it.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: Now, I, as I say, have missed it myself.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: I just get a little bit claustrophobic, so I sent Doug to do it.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_01: So, Mary King's Close basically is a medieval street which is buried under the Royal Mile.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, was put there when the city built the Royal Exchanger of it in the 1700s.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so now the rooms have been unchanged for centuries.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so uh Doug really enjoyed it.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: He said it was it was worth doing.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um basically uh you get a guided tour through the rooms that haven't changed in centuries, um, and it's not there's nothing else like it in Edinburgh.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it's associated there were um apparently there's associations with with plague, the plagues when it when it uh were outbreaks in Edinburgh as well.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but do book ahead for that because they do um sell out in summer.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_01: Again, I'll put a link in the show notes to to book if you want to do the tour of the real Murray Kings close.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, now tip eight is the daylight factor.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because Edinburgh seasons are more extreme than you may expect.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um now one thing I will say about Edinburgh is the weather can change rapidly.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: I have got pictures of myself in arriving in it was a Sunday in early May, and I was basically a little bit sunburnt because it was so hot, and then the next day I'm standing and I've got basically jumpers and layers on, and I've got my raincoat on because it was pouring down my rain.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it can really impact um the weather.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_01: And as I say, Doug and I actually house sat for six weeks at the beginning of uh 2025 in Edinburgh, and we had everything from snow to a massive storm.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: Doug actually got stuck in Inverness, um, so it was dark, so winter can be can be quite quite challenging.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh dark by 3:40 in the afternoon.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um now Edinburgh sits on a similar latitude to parts of Canada.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um now in the summer it's fantastic.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: Sunsets around 10 um and it can be still light at 11, but in the winter it's dark early.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_01: So as I say, it's um the same latitude is at 56 degrees north, so it's similar to parts of southern Canada, um, but it's actually further north than Moscow.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: Now in the summer, sunsets around 10.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so you can fit in a whole load of stuff because you've got this long, long day of beautiful, hopefully, sunshine but daylight.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_01: Now in the winter, it's dark, as I say, by 3:30, 3.40 in the afternoon.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're gonna do anything outdoors, do it in the morning because after in the afternoon you're gonna be sitting indoors.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they also do get a kind of coastal fog that comes in from the North Sea as well, uh, which can change the atmosphere.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but honestly, if you're there in summer, um, and you go up Calton Hill or Arthur Seat at night at like 9 pm, you're gonna get a beautiful light over Edinburgh.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and in the winter, the nice thing about the winter is there's the Edinburgh Christmas market, snow, because I say we got snow in January and it was lovely, and just the cozy pubs, and obviously for fewer crowds.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so the advantages of the different seasons, but just be aware that it can change very rapidly.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it may be colder than you expect in winter.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so make sure you you plan accordingly.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but summer the fantastic thing about summer is you've got this great big long day of daylight to just do and pack in loads and loads of stuff.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: So, point number nine, getting to Edinburgh.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, now Doug should really be doing this one, but the train from London is an experience, not just a journey.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_01: And um, Doug actually has a YouTube video about um how to get from London to Edinburgh by train and shows you the different uh train options.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: So do check out the video, I will link to that as well.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, it's just a fantastic journey.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_01: So LNER is my favourite from King's Cross.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you go through um York, you go up through the Northumberland coast, make sure you sit on the right hand side in direction of travel.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: You can see Holy Island visible from the train.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you cross into Scotland at Baricop on Tweed and you know arrive at Waverley Station in the heart of Edinburgh.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_01: So it's absolutely uh fantastic.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_01: Takes about four and a half hours on LNER, and honestly, arriving right into the centre of Edinburgh is that's always an advantage of a train, isn't it?
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you drive trying to get parked in Edinburgh, good luck.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_01: So, to be honest, um, if you're gonna stay in Edinburgh, take the train in because it you don't need a car when you're in Edinburgh at all.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, so it's it's a perfect trip to do.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's a really pretty fast uh trip to take as well.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_01: If you decide to take the train from London up to um Edinburgh, stop off in York.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's my tip, actually, as well.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: Don't just go straight through.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you can give yourself a couple of hours at the very minimum, go and have a look round York because it's probably one of the most beautiful and wonderfully historic English cities.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, now when you if you fly into Edinburgh, so you decide that you don't want to take the train, you're actually flying in.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_01: I know a lot of the uh flights from um uh America and from Middle East fly in directly to Edinburgh, you can get the tram directly into the city centre, um, which is again really easy.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: And Doug also has a um YouTube video about how to use the Edinburgh tram.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I'll link to that.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um now to get around Edinburgh, there's buses, trams, use contactless.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I believe that's just come in recently, so you don't need any cash or any pre-book tickets.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: You can use contactless to tap um on.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure if it's on and off.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_01: Doug would probably know that, so it um I would check out his video um to get around on the trams.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's fantastic because we the tra we were actually in Edinburgh um a couple of years ago when the tram to Leith opened, um, which was kind of the extended bit.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_01: And uh unfortunately I got sick, so I wasn't able to go down to the Royal York Britannia, which is really what I wanted to do.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_01: So we did that um in September 2024.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: Took the tram um from accommodation straight down to Leith, straight down to go and see the Royal York Britannia.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_01: And as I say, there's now also the tram.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, I guess that was done beforehand, but the tra the tram was running from the airport as well into Edinburgh.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_01: Now it goes all the way down to Leith.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it caused a bit of havoc when they were doing or putting all the tram lines down, but it's definitely uh worth it.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, so as I say, we've got a YouTube video how to get from London to Edinburgh by train.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so you can watch that if you um into YouTube want to prefer to watch a video, also have a look at how to use the Edinburgh Sharp to get around um Edinburgh.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we've also got um other podcasts that just if you're planning any trips around, we've got Edinburgh Inverness by train as well.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're planning to go and do a few trips from Edinburgh as well, um you can you can do that.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_01: You can take the train out and go and uh go and explore a bit more of Scotland.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, number 10 is the Palace of Hollywood House, and now that is the attraction at the end of the Royal Mile, and often um visitors underplan about visiting there.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um now it sits at the foot of the Royal Mile, so the castle's at the top, Holyrood's at the very bottom.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: Now it's a working royal palace, so King Charles stays there during Hollywood week, which is I say late June, early July.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_01: So what is worth um spending a bit of time exploring at Holyrood House?
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_01: So you can see Mary, Queen of Scots apartments, her bedchamber is said to be the most famous room in Scotland.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the David Rizio murder, her secretary was stabbed 56 times in her presence in 1566, and supposedly a stain remains on the floor of her outer chamber.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: I must check that out when I go back.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_01: I have been before.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there's also the great gallery with 111 portraits of Scottish monarchs.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you also can see the ruined Hollywood Abbey, which is included in your ticket, which is um really beautiful.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_01: Now notice that you can't take photography inside um Hollywood Palace uh itself.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but give yourself a good couple of hours um to explore Hollywood Palace.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's definitely worth visiting.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I've been once before.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_01: Actually, what stuck in my mind is there was a dress that belonged to Queen Victoria.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it was just how tiny the dress was.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_01: I think it was a dress she won she was about 19, but it's so tiny.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um she really, really was tiny.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that always sticks in my mind.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but as I say, if you're planning to go to Hollywood House, always, always check um if it is open, um, especially outside of um the main um summer season, it's not open on a Tuesday and Wednesday.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: Now, tip number 11 is Leith and the Royal York Bretagna.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's a place that a lot of first-time visitors don't reach.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm gonna make a confession is that Doug and I went for the first time in September 2024 to the Royal York Britannia and absolutely blew us both away.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_01: We absolutely thought it was fantastic.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: It took about 15 minutes by tram um down to to the actual um harbour district in Leith.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and honestly, we just thought it was absolutely fantastic.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_01: Apparently, it's the Royal York Britannia is um quite often um the number one UK attraction, apparently.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um a coordinate trip advisor.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um I'm surprised, but that's what's come up.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_01: I and maybe I would say in Scotland, but um it it really is fascinating to go.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_01: So it was actually the late Queen's um um ship, yacht, uh shared for 44 years.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_01: It's now permanently docked and open to visitors, so you can go and have a look around.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um the royal apartments, this little dining room, the state dining room, her bedroom, her crew quarters, engine room.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's it's really, really good.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, so definitely go and include that into your trip.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there's also a tea room, which I'm sure Doug I can hear Doug saying to me, tell them about the tea room, tell them about the tea room.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_01: So we did go into the tea room um on the Royal Britannia and um had a nice cup of tea, but had some very nice Victoria Sponge Cake.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_01: You kind of knew I was gonna say that, Junior.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, so it's definitely worth going down there.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: And also uh at Leith as well, you've got some nice waterfront pubs and restaurants, um, and again, some some really good places um to eat.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you've only got three nights in Edinburgh, give yourself like half a day to go down to Leith, go and have a look at Britannia.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because honestly, I've I've spoken to a lot of people about it, and uh everybody I speak to absolutely loved it.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um just said how much they enjoyed going to see the Royal Yet Britannia.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_01: It was just not what they expected.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, so if you've been let me know, get in touch with me and let me know what you thought.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_01: Now, um tip 12 is to um leave some space.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I know we all get very tempted, and I do the same to put a crammed itinerary together.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but honestly, just go and don't overschedule it.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um just walk around Edinburgh.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, give yourself an afternoon, maybe a free afternoon, where you just go and have a stroll, stroll through the old town, go and check the closes out, go and sit in a pub, um, you know, enjoy the atmosphere.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, talk to the locals.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of people will chat to you.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, Edinburgh people from Edinburgh are genuinely warm, they're really proud of the city.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I have to say that um most people I talk to who've been to Edinburgh want to go again.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, it really is an extraordinarily amazing city.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's one that I return to again and again and again uh because there's so much to do and see.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I mean, if you're gonna stay, you know, longer than three nights, there's things that you could do, like for example, Rosslyn Chapel.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_01: That's 30 minutes by bus.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's it was mentioned in the Da Vinci Code, um, and it's just a beautiful, um, beautiful building, beautiful chapel to go and visit.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, there's just some fantastic things that you can do and see.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you stay longer, you can obviously take some day trips out.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's very easy by train to get to numerous places.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_01: For example, St.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_01: Andrews isn't particularly very far away.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_01: I actually have got a YouTube video that I did um just telling you how to get from Edinburgh to to St.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_01: Andrews.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_01: So if you've got an interest in the home of golf and you're gonna go and check that out, that's something you could do.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_01: But you really need to give yourself, I would say, you know, give yourself those three nights if you're gonna include that.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_01: Otherwise, you're gonna find just that you're rushing to do a lot of stuff.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you you may find um that you're just A, you're gonna be exhausted because you're gonna be walking up and down steps and up and up and down hills.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but honestly, you'll want to go back.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_01: It just is one of those places that just calls you back.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_01: Now, I hope these 12 things have given you some kind of um angles on Edinburgh you haven't considered before.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I'm gonna in the show notes uh there's gonna be booking links, the website articles, and the YouTube videos that I've mentioned.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so go and check those out.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_01: We have a lot more on the website to help you plan Edinburgh and Scotland.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I want to make sure that you know it's all there.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_01: So that's uktravelplanning.com where you'll find um loads of resources um to help you plan your trip to Edinburgh and Scotland.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_01: Also, um we've got lots of podcast episodes about Edinburgh as well, which I'll link to in those show notes.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, I've mentioned YouTube as well.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_01: We've got quite a few YouTube videos and more coming.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_01: So please go and check those out.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you're not part of our Facebook group, um come and join us, ask your Edinburgh questions in there.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um we we love to hear what it is that you what did you enjoy, uh, what do you want to do, what are your planning, have you been before, all that sort of stuff.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um and remember as well that if you want help putting your full Scotland itinerary together, um Doug and I are available for consultation, and that's what we love to do.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_01: That's what we um we absolutely love to meet you, we absolutely love to do consultations.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's just an absolute joy, and we have made so many friends around the world from consults, um, which just makes us so happy.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_01: So if you want a bit of a bit more help and you want to, you know, firm up that Scotland or Edinburgh itinerary so you can make the best out of your time.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, do check out for um a one-to-one consult with uh myself and Doug.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, now um I hope you enjoyed this episode.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_01: As I say, this is the first um the first in our new um um before you visit episodes of podcasts.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um let me know what city you'd like me to talk through next.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_01: Where would you like me to talk about?
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_01: Which city would you like me to do a series of kind of 12 points of things to know before you visit?
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm interested in it to know is it you want must do you want us to do one in York?
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_01: Do you want me to do one Oxford, Cambridge, Liverpool, Manchester?
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_01: Where would you like to know about um tips on before you visit?
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, anyway, that's enough for me from this week.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you've enjoyed the episode.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_01: As I said, get in touch with Speakpipe.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_01: I'll love to hear from you.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_01: I'll put a link to that in the show notes as well.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but as always, um, from me until next week, happy UK travel planning! Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of the UK Travel Planning Podcast.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_01: As always, show notes can be found at uktravelplanning.com.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_01: If you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favourite podcast app?
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: We love to hear from you, and you never know, you may receive a shout out in a future episode.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_01: But as always, that just leaves me to say until next week, happy UK travel planning.