City guide · Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Scotland's capital on volcanic rock: the castle, the Royal Mile and the August festivals
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, a city built on volcanic rock. As you walk down the Royal Mile from Castle Rock, where the castle stands, past St Giles' Cathedral and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and on to George Street and Princes Street in the New Town, you will see the Firth of Forth to the north and, by climbing Arthur's Seat to the south, a panorama of the whole city. The medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town were jointly inscribed as World Heritage in 1995. The weather in Edinburgh changes quickly, so please bring a windproof jacket. Also worth visiting in the city: St Giles' Cathedral, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Scottish Parliament Building, Arthur's Seat, Calton Hill, Princes Street Gardens, Scott Monument, National Museum of Scotland, Scottish National Gallery, Mary King's Close, John Knox House, Nelson Monument on Calton Hill and Leith port area.
History
How the city came to be
Edinburgh is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in Europe. Its settlement grew around Edinburgh Castle on the volcanic Castle Rock; the fortified settlement on Castle Rock dates back to the Iron Age, and the oldest surviving building in the castle, St Margaret's Chapel, was built in the 12th century. David I established a royal burgh here in the 12th century, and the Royal Mile became the main road connecting the castle and Holyrood Abbey. In the 16th century, the Old Town was one of the most densely populated areas in Europe, with buildings up to 14 storeys high and narrow closes and wynds linking the streets; the city was bounded by the Flodden Wall and the Nor Loch (the area of today's Princes Street Gardens). During the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, David Hume, Adam Smith, and others walked these streets. The Nor Loch was drained in the 1820s and turned into gardens. In 1995, the Old Town and the New Town were jointly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and Edinburgh is also a UNESCO City of Literature.
- Iron Agea fortified settlement already stands on Castle Rock.
- 12th centuryDavid I establishes a royal burgh, and the Royal Mile takes shape.
- 16th centurythe Old Town is densely populated, with buildings up to 14 storeys high and the Flodden Wall as its boundary.
- 18th centurythe Scottish Enlightenment, with David Hume and Adam Smith active in the city.
- 1820sthe Nor Loch is drained and turned into Princes Street Gardens.
- 1995the Old Town and the New Town are inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Stories
Stories of the city
Eight uninvited companies
History · Edinburgh Festival Fringe
When the first Edinburgh International Festival opened in 1947, eight theatre companies that had not been invited turned up anyway. With no place on the official programme, they found spaces on the festival's fringe: seven performed in Edinburgh, and one crossed the Firth of Forth to stage the medieval morality play Everyman in Dunfermline Abbey. These self-organised shows returned year after year and grew into today's Fringe.
The cannonball in the wall
Legend · Royal Mile
A cannonball set in the wall of Cannonball House on Castlehill is often said to have been misfired from the castle. In fact it marks the elevation of Comiston Springs, about three miles to the south, which fed a cistern built on Castlehill around 1755, one of Scotland's earliest piped water supplies.
The Heart of Midlothian
History · Royal Mile
The heart-shaped pattern beside the west door of St Giles' Cathedral marks the site of the old Tolbooth, the town prison, which Scott called the Heart of Midlothian. Locals traditionally spat on the centre of the heart.
The World's End
History · Royal Mile
The World's End Pub at the street corner takes its name from the neighbouring World's End Close. The close was the last in Edinburgh before entering Canongate, hence its joking name.
Royal celebrations in the street
History · Royal Mile
In 1507 Edinburgh goldsmiths organised a Passion play procession for James IV and Margaret Tudor. On 3 July 1558 celebrations were held at the Salt Tron and elsewhere for the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, to the French dauphin; the wedding itself had taken place in Paris on 24 April that year.
The vanished Netherbow Port
History · Royal Mile
The Netherbow Port was a fortified gate in the Flodden Wall. It was demolished in 1764 to improve traffic, and brass studs in the road surface now mark its former site.
Stories of Edinburgh Castle
Legend · Edinburgh Castle
The rock beneath Edinburgh Castle is the neck of a dead volcano, solidified more than three hundred million years ago, and humans have fortified it for at least thirteen centuries. The castle's most moving story is hidden in a tiny birthing room: in 1566 Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth there to her son James — the baby who grew up to inherit the crowns of both Scotland and England as James VI and I, planting the seed of the union of the islands. The castle's other treasure has an even more legendary fate: the Stone of Destiny, said to be the sacred stone on which Scottish kings were crowned, was seized in 1296 by Edward I of England and wedged beneath the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey, where it stayed for 700 years; on Christmas night 1950, four Scottish students broke into Westminster and stole the stone back to Scotland, making headlines across Britain; in 1996 the British government formally returned the stone to Edinburgh Castle, on condition that it still be lent back to London for a British monarch's coronation — for the coronation of Charles III in 2023 the Stone of Destiny travelled south once more, completed the ceremony, and returned to display in the castle. The castle also keeps a military tradition: the One O'Clock Gun, set up in the 18th century so that ships in the harbour could set their time, is still fired daily, and its veteran gunner, with the watching crowd, has turned a war fortress into the city's timepiece.
History of Edinburgh Castle
History · Edinburgh Castle
Castle Rock has seen human activity since the Iron Age, and from the 12th century it became a fixed residence of the Scottish royal house and the seat of the treasury and archives. The castle's oldest building, St Margaret's Chapel, dates to the early 12th century and is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. Commanding the throat of Scotland's central lowlands, the castle was besieged again and again through the Wars of Scottish Independence and successive Anglo-Scottish conflicts, changing hands more than a dozen times; its walls and batteries were mostly rebuilt in the artillery age of the 16th–18th centuries. The castle now displays the Honours of Scotland (the crown, sceptre and sword of state — among the oldest surviving sets of crown regalia in Europe), the Stone of Destiny, the Scottish National War Memorial and several regimental museums. The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh were inscribed as World Heritage in 1995, with the castle as their core landmark; it is managed today by Historic Environment Scotland and is Scotland's most visited paid attraction.
Must see
Places you shouldn’t miss
.jpg?width=800)
Local life
Food and local daily life
Edinburgh Castle
Must-try
- Haggis
Haggis (Scotland's national dish: a savoury sheep's offal and oatmeal pudding, served with mashed potato and turnip and a whisky sauce); Scottish salmon; Scottish beef pies and mince with mashed potato; shortbread biscuits and a single malt whisky (tasted in a pub)
| Where to eat | Pubs line the Royal Mile, several old ones serving haggis and pies; inside the castle there is a tearoom for a simple meal with a city view; for proper Scottish cooking, try a traditional restaurant in the old town, and for whisky tasting, the Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile |
|---|---|
| Dining etiquette | Scottish pub culture is warm and informal, and ordering at the bar is the norm; when tasting whisky, locals often add a few drops of water to "open up the aroma", and drinking it neat or with ice is equally acceptable; tipping in restaurants is not compulsory, bills often include a service charge, and change left in cash serves as the tip |
| Typical price per person | About £18–32 per person (roughly RMB 165–295, reference prices); pub main courses about £14–22 |
| Tips | For a first taste of haggis, choose the version with a whisky cream sauce, which is more approachable; during the August festivals every restaurant on the Royal Mile is packed, so book ahead or shift lunch to after 14:00 |
Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.
Before you go
Rules to know in Edinburgh
UK: Check the signs before taking photos; most venues ban flash and selfie sticks
Do
- Read the signs at the entrance and beside exhibits; rules vary by venue
- Take photos for personal, non-commercial use only
- Follow any separate no-photo signs at special exhibitions or for loaned works
- Apply to the venue in advance for commercial filming, following its official procedure
Don’t
- At the National Gallery and Westminster Abbey, don't use flash, tripods or selfie sticks
- Don't take photos during services at Westminster Abbey or in its restricted chapels
- Don't photograph other people, especially children, without consent
- Don't block paintings or walkways for long, and don't touch exhibits
Staff will stop you if you break photography rules, and you may be asked to leave if you ignore them.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Official site: National Gallery visitor photography
UK: Greet with a handshake and follow how people introduce themselves
Do
- Greet new people with a firm handshake and eye contact
- If someone introduces themselves by first name, use it
- With older people or in traditional settings, start with title and surname
- Address peers below duke as "Lord" plus their title, and a duke as "Duke"
- Use please and thank you freely
Don’t
- Don't go in for a cheek kiss with someone you have just met
- Don't offer a limp handshake; it can suggest you are holding back
- Don't ask new acquaintances intrusive personal questions
Nothing happens if you get it wrong, but a surprise kiss may make people recoil, and being either too stiff or too familiar makes others uneasy.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Commisceo Global: British business etiquette
UK: Tipping is optional, so check the bill for a service charge first
Do
- Check whether the bill already includes a discretionary service charge, often 10%–12.5%
- If there is none and service was good, leave around 10%
- In cafés, rounding up is a welcome thank-you
- If service was genuinely poor, you may politely ask to remove the service charge
Don’t
- Don't tip again when a service charge is already on the bill
- Don't feel obliged to tip for fast food, takeaway or drinks at the bar
Tipping is entirely voluntary and nobody will chase you for it, but tipping on top of a service charge means paying twice. Since 2024, UK law requires employers to pass all tips and service charges on to staff.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Official site: Visit London tipping guide
UK: Join the back of the queue and never jump it
Do
- Join the back of the queue: first come, first served
- Leave a comfortable gap to the person in front
- If unsure where the queue ends, just ask "Is this the queue?"
- If someone pushes in, a polite word is enough; there is no need to argue
Don’t
- Don't jump the queue
- Don't save places for friends arriving later or wave others in ahead of you
- Don't talk loudly while waiting
Queue-jumping is not punished, but it is seen as one of the worst breaches of British manners. People rarely confront you directly, yet the whole queue will mutter and glare.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Explore: The unspoken UK queuing rule
UK: Order at the bar and take turns buying rounds
Do
- Order and pay at the bar; British pubs rarely offer table service
- In a group, take turns buying a round of drinks for everyone
- Name the drink and size, such as a pint of lager, not just "a beer"
- To thank the bar staff, you can add "and one for yourself" to your order
Don’t
- Don't keep accepting drinks without ever buying a round
- Don't dither when ordering; others are waiting behind you
Nobody will penalise you, but drinking without buying is seen as freeloading. If you leave before your turn, make sure you buy the first round next time you are out together.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Matador Network: English pub rules
UK: Dress modestly in churches and remove your hat
Do
- Dress modestly; avoid revealing tops and very short shorts or skirts
- Take off your hat, silence your phone and keep your voice low inside
- Dress more formally for a service, wedding or funeral than for a visit
- Where a church posts its own rules at the door or online, follow them
Don’t
- Don't treat the church as just a sight or talk loudly
- Don't walk around or take photos during a service
UK churches rarely turn visitors away over clothing, and Westminster Abbey asks only for modest dress suited to a working church. Revealing clothes, or moving around and taking photos during a service, are still seen as disrespect toward a place of worship.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Official site: Westminster Abbey FAQ
London Underground escalators: stand on the right
Do
- Stand on the right on Underground escalators and leave the left for people in a hurry
Don’t
- Standing still side by side on the left of the escalator
There is no penalty, but you block people behind you. The habit dates back to 1921, when Underground announcements first told passengers to 'stand on the right'.
Not yet verifiedSource: Wikipedia: London Underground
.jpeg?width=800)