The best things to do in the Scottish capital

By Neil Yakubu


Scotland's capital Edinburgh welcomes hordes of visitors every year, who come to see its fantastic architecture as well as its scenery and intriguing historical monuments. Before deciding what to do and see though, visitors need a base of operations and this is where Edinburgh hotels city centre become useful.

With its selection of 99 rooms, the Ibis Hotel Edinburgh is one suitable destination within the category of Edinburgh hotels city centre. The Ibis Hotel Edinburgh offers reasonable rates and is pretty close to historical sites and restaurants as well as the International Conference Centre. Visitors looking for accommodation of a different nature will also find plenty of options in Edinburgh.

Offering some magnificent views over the city of Edinburgh as well as being an architectural marvel in itself, Edinburgh Castle rests on a site atop a volcanic hill. This hill was first fortified during medieval times and has been occupied by both the English and the Scottish, having been the site of many battles and sieges. Visitors can head into St. Margaret's Chapel, still use in the 21st century for weddings.


Another famous attraction in Edinburgh is Holyrood. Here, sightseers will find the Holyrood Abbey, an ancient place built in 1128 and suffused with myth and legend. The Abbey was developed over the years but today much of the building has been destroyed. Visitors can still view the nave and get a glimpse of the place's long history.

Another famous part of Edinburgh is the Royal Mile, home to St. Giles' Cathedral. It's here that visitors will find a Chapel devoted to the Order of the Thistle, a band of Scottish knights. Outside the Cathedral, sightseers can look upon the crown spire.

Elsewhere, more modern architecture can be found in the form of the Scottish Poetry Library, while visitors interested in the renovation of old sites should go and look at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This structure integrates a 15th-century building, the John Knox House and updates the Netherbow Theatre into a new piece of architecture.

It can be thirsty work visiting so many outdoor and architectural attractions, so tourists should head to the Scotch Whisky Centre, one of Edinburgh's multiple establishments devoted to this quintessentially Scottish drink. There, visitors can chat to whisky advisors and take a tour through the corridors of a replica whisky distillery before buying a few souvenirs at the well-stocked whisky store.

Tourists who prefer their tours a little scarier can head down into the abandoned streets of Mary King's Close. This area is stuck forever in the 17th century, having been closed off following a plague centuries ago. Now, tour guides lead parties underground to visit these labyrinthine streets. Also spooky are the City of the Dead tours that traverse the streets of Edinburgh after dusk. Meanwhile, visitors who like more relaxing strolls can hike around the winding alleys of the city, possibly guided by a tour company if they wish.




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