Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a walkable capital built on ridges. The Old Town runs from the castle down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The New Town, below it to the north, is the Georgian grid of squares and streets. Both are inside the same UNESCO World Heritage Site, and both are central, but they do not feel the same at night. Arthur's Seat, the hill in Holyrood Park, is the view you can climb without leaving the city.
The castle rock splits the centre. Waverley station sits in the gap between the Old Town and the New Town, which is why a hotel that says "by the station" can still be a steep walk with a suitcase. Look at a contour, not just a distance.
Where to stay
The Old Town puts you next to the Mile, the closes, and the festival venues. It is also noisier, especially in August, and the streets are cobbled. The New Town is calmer, with larger hotels and townhouse bed and breakfasts around Queen Street, Heriot Row and the west end. Stockbridge, just north of the New Town, is a village-like neighbourhood for food shops and a quieter night. Leith, down by the Water of Leith and the shore, has the restaurants and a tram back up the hill. It is a good base if you care more about dinner than about rolling out of bed onto the Royal Mile.
August is the Edinburgh festivals, including the Fringe. Rooms cost more and the good ones go early. If you are visiting for the festivals, book the room and the shows you care about before you book the trains. If you are not, late spring and early autumn are kinder. Hogmanay, the New Year celebration, is the other week that sells out.
Moving around
You can walk the centre. Buses cover the rest, and a tram runs from the airport through the west end and Princes Street out towards Leith. The airport is west of the city, not in it. Waverley is the main railway station, with trains to London, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness. Glasgow is about an hour by train if you want a second city for a day. The wider country, ferries and rural inns are on the Scotland page.
A useful first day
Walk from the castle down the Royal Mile, then across Princes Street Gardens into the New Town, and decide later whether you have the legs for Arthur's Seat. The gardens and the National Gallery sit between the two towns if the weather turns. Book a castle ticket ahead in summer rather than joining the longest queue on the rock.
Guide me to UK is an independent information site. We do not own hotels or take bookings. Fares, opening hours and timetables change, so confirm them before you travel. Reviewed October 2026.