Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, is home to a fantastic selection of free things to do, including museums, art galleries, parks and landmarks. This guide will tell you about some of the best free attractions so you can get the best out of your visit to Edinburgh without breaking the bank. Here are some free things to do in Edinburgh.
The Royal Botanic Garden
Arboretum Place, Edinburgh EH3 5NZ
Set in over 70 acres of landscape and a mile north of the city centre, the Royal Botanic Garden offers panoramic views of the city skyline featuring Edinburgh Castle. Garden highlights include the Rock Garden, the Alpine Houses, Woodland Garden, Pond, the Arboretum, the Chinese Hillside, the Rhododendron Collection and the Scottish Native Plants Collection in the Heath Garden. The gardens are free to enter.
Please visit the website for further details.
St Giles Cathedral
https://www.stgilescathedral.org.uk/
High St, Edinburgh EH1 1RE
St Giles’ Cathedral, founded in 1124 by King David I, has been a working church for almost 900 years. A short worship service takes place from 12 noon to 12.10pm Monday to Saturday, during which visitors are asked to be silent. Admission is free, although donations are encouraged. The Cathedral has a cafe which is situated below the main building.
Please visit the website for further details.
The Scottish National Gallery
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/
The Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL
The Scottish National is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. It is one of Scotland’s top free visitor attractions. The gallery houses Scotland’s national fine art collection from the early Renaissance to the end of the nineteenth century. This includes Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Constable, Turner, Monet, Van Gogh and Gauguin masterpieces.
Please visit the website for further details.
Dean Village
https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/dean-village-p1419651
Dean Path, Edinburgh EH4 3AY
Dean Village has a tranquil stream, gardens, 19th-century buildings and a museum. It is very pretty with its cobbled streets and colourful Mews houses. Although there aren’t loads of things to do in Dean Village, it is still worth a stroll around while visiting Edinburgh.
Museum of Childhood
https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/museum-childhood
42 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1TG
The Museum of Childhood is a museum which houses a collection of children’s toys and playthings, situated on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Amongst the displays, you will find toys, games, clothes, books and dolls dating from the 1800s to the present.
Please visit the website for further details.
The Writers Museum
https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/writers-museum
Lawnmarket, Lady Stair’s Cl, Edinburgh EH1 2PA
The Writers’ Museum, housed in Lady Stair’s House at the Lawnmarket on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, presents the lives of three Scottish writers: Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. This free museum is easy to locate and has many stories and objects. You don’t need to read these writers’ works to enjoy the fascinating life stories in the Writers’ Museum.
Please visit the website for further details.
Pentland Hills Regional Park
https://www.pentlandhills.org/
Braid Rd, Edinburgh EH10 6JF
The Pentland Hills Regional Park has a stunning range of medium-sized hills stretching from the City of Edinburgh down to Carlops. Reservoirs dot the landscape, and you are likely to see wildlife, such as birds and mammals. With 10,000 hectares of countryside and 100 km of paths, the Regional Park is a great place to go walking, cycling, horse riding, fishing and orienteering.
Please visit the website for further details.
The People’s Story Museum
https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/peoples-story-museum
The Royal Mile, 163 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8BN
The People’s Story Museum is a museum housed in the Canongate Tolbooth, which houses collections telling the story of the working-class people of Edinburgh from the late 18th century to the present day. Several significant objects relate to Edinburgh trades, including a Lockit Buik and documents from the guilds.
Please visit the website for further details.
Royal Mile and Grassmarket
Grassmarket EH1 2JR
The Royal Mile runs through the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, connecting Edinburgh Castle with the Palace of Holyroodhouse, resting in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat. Towering tenements overlook the Mile, between which cobbled closes and narrow stairways interlock to create a secret underground world. The Royal Mile offers much to see and do. Once a medieval marketplace and site for public executions, the Grassmarket area is now vibrant with lively drinking spots and eclectic shops.
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh EH1 2QQ
Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh. It is undoubtedly one of the most famous graveyards in the world and attracts visitors day and night. It has been said that some of the gravestones here may have given Rowling inspiration for some of her famous Harry Potter characters.
Please visit the website for further details.