Edinburgh Things to Do

There might be more than a few rainy days, but springtime in Edinburgh is still one of the most picturesque times to visit the city. The city’s parks are in full bloom, breezy days and fewer crowds make it the perfect time for sightseeing and the city’s legendary Farmer’s Markets start up in the grounds of Edinburgh Castle – a great way to sample local fare and support homegrown produce.

With the streets ablaze with Christmas lights and one of the world’s most epic New Year celebrations drawing thousands of revelers to the city, winter makes for an atmospheric time to visit Edinburgh.

Bringing in the New Year is done a little differently in Scotland and the Scottish capital is well known for hosting some of the liveliest New Year’s Eve events in the world. Called Hogmanay by the Scots, the New Year is preceded by four days of festivities (a tradition dating back over 400 years), with crowds of 250,000 descending on Edinburgh for one of the biggest and wildest parties of the year. Whether you’ve got your tickets booked for the Hogmanay events already, or just want to hear what you’re missing, here’s a breakdown of the festivities.

It’s a festival known for making stars—since 1947 this has been where so many of Britain’s great comedians first tested out their jokes; the ones who got the biggest laughs are the ones we now see hosting all the awards nights on TV.

But don’t get the wrong idea that The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is some kind of a talent show—it’s not.

I don’t know about you, but I am a complete sticky beak when it comes to looking inside buildings, especially those not generally open to the public. I don’t usually go as far as pretending I’m going to buy a house to get inside – well, I only have once or twice – but I do love a good open day.