Tourist attractions within 5 miles of Edinburgh

Just one mile from the city centre, this idyllic oasis of greenery covers over 70 acres and features horticultural specimens from around the world. Among these, the Scottish Heath Garden and the Rock Garden are fantastic examples of conservation and…

Sitting atop the volcanic Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle dominates the city skyline and is the most popular paid visitor attraction in Scotland. Events at the castle include regular re-enactments of events from its history, occasional concerts by…

Tucked away behind Waverley Station, the Edinburgh Dungeon is a gruesome entertainment venue that allows visitors to experience the murkier side of Edinburgh’s history. Among the attractions are 11 actor-led shows and two rides: one simulating a…

Beneath the Royal Mile lies a warren of hidden closes where citizens of Edinburgh lived, worked and died in the 16th and 17th centuries. Tours in these subterranean chambers are led by guides in the character of real people who lived in the close. There…

The Royal Observatory sits on top of Blackford Hill, south of Edinburgh’s city centre. Alongside the visitor centre, which allows the general public to use the Victorian telescope dome facilities, the site accommodates a university astronomy research…

The hillside gardens surrounding Inveresk Lodge, just south of Musselburgh, are composed of a series of ‘garden rooms’, each with its own season and theme. Among the main features are a croquet court, a woodland walk, a Victorian conservatory, an aviary…

Dominating the Royal Mile, St Giles’ Cathedral has been one of Edinburgh's religious focal points for approximately 900 years. It is home to some of the best stained glass windows in Scotland, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, and hosts regular…

Located in the Restarig district of Edinburgh, St Triduana's Chapel is a low hexagonal building lying next to St Margaret's Parish Church. The lower part of the chapel houses the shrine of St Triduana, a Pictish saint famed for healing the blind. The…

Situated three miles west of the city centre, Edinburgh Zoo offers much more than the world-famous Penguin Parade and those headline-grabbing pandas. It is home to over 1000 rare and endangered animals, and also contains three eateries and a soft-play…

Located in Edinburgh’s New Town, this elegant late-18th century Georgian town house is typical of the area’s architectural style, and contains a fine collection of furniture, porcelain, silver and pictures from the period. Features include a 'below…

This museum on the Royal Mile, containing many decorations and paintings from the 500 years since it was first built, is reputed to be the home of 16th-century Protestant reformer John Knox. The building is occasionally used by the adjacent Scottish…

This superb example of domestic Palladian architecture is located just outside Edinburgh and demonstrates the amazing survival of early 18th century decorative rococo interiors and collections, as well as an 18th-century designed landscape, woodland…

The Royal Scotsman is the Caledonian branch of the Orient Express, and promises the luxury (and price tag) that name is famed for. Journeys range from two to seven nights, chugging from Edinburgh across the whole country, or looping down for a ‘Grand…

Situated on the Water of Leith, this visitor centre offers many opportunities to learn about the waterway and its wildlife, divided into various zones: the video zone, tall panel zone and interactive zone. In 2010 the sculptor Anthony Gormley created…