Top 10 Things to Do in Edinburgh (or so I'm told...)

There is a lack of Top Ten things to do in Edinburgh. So here, I present you with the Top 10 things [the internet has told me] to do in Edinburgh. [Note: Also see my Edinburgh Personal Top 10 List.]

The Top Ten List

1. Visit Edinburgh Castle
2. Take in a Festival
3. Enjoy Historic Scotland
4. Take a Free Tour
5. Take a Ten Pound Ghost Tour
6. The Scotch Whiskey Experience
7. Get Yourself Cultured
8. Look up a Kilt
9. National Portrait Gallery
10. Leave Edinburgh

Before we go to far, I'll just add this youtube video, and let you watch it. I want you to press play and really focus on what they're suggesting, because there will be a debriefing afterward.



So did you catch it? Did you see what they suggested were the best things to do in all of Edinburgh? Eating and drinking! That's is. That's all there is. You eat, and you drink. And you leave Edinburgh! Ohh, you've had some food, and you've had some beer - well that's great. Now it's time to go and see the castles, and climb hills, and take pictures, and - so help me, but one of them actually said - get out of Edinburgh! This is not filling me with confidence. Luckily, I am not the type of person to be led astray by one video made by who knows whom.

I will reload, double back, and get my nose to the grind stone. That, and I will also start playing an MP3 play list with the 19 songs I saw the Police play a year and a half ago at the Air Canada Centre. This will fill me with energy, I'm sure. The Police were a band I knew nothing about, and didn't think I would like all that much, before deciding to drop silly amounts of money on concert tickets, just to try it out. As it played out, I found it one of my favourite shows of all time (see the potential connection to my Edinburgh journey here? High hopes!)

The list of things to do... [in no particular order]

1. Visit Edinburgh Castle
This is the one thing that all the internet seems to agree upon. Apparently it's beautiful, and fantastic, and wonderful, and my goodness if you miss this castle, then why did you even bother coming in the first place? Wikipedia can tell you even more!

(Police subnote: the song Synchronicity II just mentioned a Dark Scottish Loch so I feel that this is even more of a fantastic sign.)

2. Take in a Festival
This isn't very helpful, as who knows when festivals might be happening, right? Wrong! The internet, my friends, is your most useful of all tools. And here I happen to be with just the link for you! As it turns out, I will be there during the Edinburgh Film Festival, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I just bought tickets to watch Romeo and Juliet vs. Zombies! Things are looking up - some say tomorrow's another day, you say I may as well play.

3. Enjoy Historic Scotland
The government's website lists many things to do in and around Edinburgh. Not only that, but it also comes with a handy interactive map that will show you exactly where everything is located. The incredible amount of information located here is - well - incredible. This is definately the first place to check out when trying to find the hotspots.

4. Take a Free Tour
I am not sure why this group offers free tours of Edinburgh, and am somewhat convinced there may be a scam involved. It seems that free three hours tours meet at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm everyday infront of the Starbucks by the Tron Kirk on High Street. I am hoping it is legit, and that they just try to convince you to take other tours with them that cost money.

5. Take the £10 Ghost Tour
This may seem like a cop-out, as it's put on by the same fine folks that have the free tour listed above. But, lets be honest - if they give free tours, the pay tours must be fantastic. And this one includes a free pint of beer, so who can complain? Am I right? But - why I put this on the list is that I'm told that Edinburgh Ghost Tours really are fantastic, and if you don't trust this group, then just search for some of your own.

(Police subnote: Don't Stand so Close is not an accurate representation of your average teacher. Teachers, by all means, keep your students away from your warm dry cars. You'd not want to find yourself in the Blue Pages.)

6. The Scotch Whiskey Experience
I really don't think I need to expand on this. This one really speaks for itself, and if you enjoy adult beverages, then off you go. It does cost 11 pounds, on the off chance that you're wondering. But really - would you rather see a museum, or embrace the Scotch Whiskey Experience? EXPERIENCE! That's how you know you need to see it. How many Experiences have you embraced?

7. Get Yourself Cultured
So you're not much for the Experience huh? But you do like some culture? Well good - me too. And I'll point you right towards it. There are all number of monuments, and museums, and other such delightful things in the city of Edinburgh. Don't let the terrible web design of this site throw you off, the information is quite useful.

8. Look up a Kilt
Look, I don't know how much I Think this is a good idea, but the internet really seems to be pushing it as a viable option. And who am I to argue with the internet? Why, the internet brought us The Game, and Lolcats, and other terrible things. Am I really so powerful that I think I can argue with something on this caliber? So - take heed, take peek, take off running! (I just used a literary device known as asyndeton there - impressed, aren't you?)

(Police subnote: Every little thing she does is magic - and she just happens to be working at item 9)

9. National Portrait Gallery
Now, the thing about the National Portrait Gallery is that it is currently being refurbished, so this isn't the most useful link. But it will re-open in late 2011, so look at your calendar. Is it then, or after then? If so, by all means go and check it out. It will focus on Scottish art. Now if this really did sound fantastic - don't worry, because there are many other galleries in Scotland. Check them out as well.

10.Leave Edinburgh
Look, I said that I'd just be telling you random things the internet ordered me to do, and it seems that I just can not avoid being ordered to leave the city. And you know what, I will be doing just that. Personally, I will be embarking on the three day Haggis Tours Skye High trip. For only 99 pounds you can take yourself on a cross country expedition and see just what the country has to offer. Honestly, the one thing I keep hearing when I mention I'm headed to Edinburgh is how beautiful the country is. How could I pass up a perfect chance to truly experience that country?

(Police subnote: De do do do, De da da da!)

So there we have it ladies, gentlemen, and those who choose to associate as neither. A list of ten things to do in Edinburgh (kind of.) I'll be reporting back on these in the future - explaining my success, and my failures, and how much I'd really advise them having experienced them for myself. Keep your eyes peeled.