One of the places that my husband has wanted to visit is Edinburgh after a friend recommended it. I must admit that it wasn’t really a place that was on my list of where I wanted a few days away, but as we had been to North Wales earlier in the month which was my choice, I agreed to Edinburgh.
So I googled and asked around as to what there actually was to do in Edinburgh and managed to find plenty to fill our 3 days.
Accommodation
Again we used AirBnB to find accommodation. We booked last minute and although it was towards the end of the Edinburgh festival and accommodation was scarce, we were lucky enough to find a ground floor flat close to the Royal Mile.
Things to do in Edinburgh
Camera Obscura
Camera Obscura came highly recommended by a number of people so we decided to pay it a visit.
Welcome to the oldest visitor attraction in Edinburgh, delighting visitors since 1853.
An Aladdin’s cave filled with illusions, tricks, puzzles, hands-on experiences, unbelievable effects and the best rooftop views of the city.
If you’re looking for things to do in Edinburgh, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions should be on your list!
The attraction can get busy so probably best to get there early, although the tickets are valid all day so you can come and go as you please. There are a number of floors with lots of optical illusions. If I am honest my husband wasn’t particular impressed with the place considering the price we paid, but the girls, especially Bee, had fun with all the different illusions.
The favourite for us all was the Vortex tunnel which really does confuse your senses, and there were some amazing views from the top of the building.
Camera Obscura is near Edinburgh Castle so you can visit two places together. However we decided not to visit the castle as felt that the girls would not be interested in it but just had a look from the outside and opted to go on a bus and boat tour.
Bus and Boat Tour
There are a number of tours you can do and we opted for a bus and 3 bridges boat tour. On the bus you have digital audio commentary so you can choose to listen if you wish. The bus takes you to the ferry which takes you beneath the bridges before heading to Inchcolm Island. You are able to get off at the Island and have a walk around but we decided not to as it was getting cold and looked like it was going to rain. On the way back we managed to spot some seals.
The Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel at Falkirk
We decided to travel a bit further out to see the Kelpies. Ever since I had heard about them I wanted to see them. The Kelpies are the largest equine sculptures in the world. You can opt for a 30 minute tour to see the Kelpies from inside but we decided to just have a quick look at them from the outside before moving on to the Falkirk Wheel.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. You can pay to go on a boat on the wheel and we decided to experience that. It was a short boat ride but a unique experience.
National Wallace Monument
It is well worth driving to Stirling to see the Wallace Monument. The National Wallace Monument is a tower standing on the shoulder of the Abbey Craig, which commemorates Sir William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish hero.
There is a courtesy minibus to get you from the car park to the monument. However you can walk the ‘Wallace Way’ and see some woodcarvings. We decided to walk to the monument….I would recommend you get the minibus to the monument and maybe walk down…it was pretty steep going up!
There are three exhibition galleries within the monument, with a total of 246. The stairs are spiral, uneven and narrow but if you are able I would recommend going right to the top as the views are breath taking.
Portobello Beach
On the way home from a packed day out seeing the Kelpies, Falkirk Wheel, and the Wallace Monument we decided to stop off at Portobello Beach.
It was the end of the day, and it was cold and windy so we didn’t stay long. However if you are looking for a day at the beach it looked like the perfect beach to relax on with 2 miles of sand.
Royal Yacht Britannia
We couldn’t go to Edinburgh and not see the Royal Yacht. So on our final day before heading home we decided to go on it and see how the Royals lived while at sea. If you are a fan of the Royals then this is a must see attraction…with lots of facts and information provided to you via hand held headsets that looked like really old big mobile phones!
Arthurs Seat
This is one attraction we missed out but had to include it. Arthurs Seat is an ancient volcano, and sits 251m above sea level. So you can get amazing views of the city if you do decide to walk up it..but I can imagine it may be a bit of a hike!
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You may also be interested in my post: Family Friend Activities in Isle of Wight.