Date ideas in Edinburgh
Sunset from Calton Hill, a walk through Dean Village, cocktails on Victoria Street: Edinburgh is built for dates.
14 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
Calton Hill
New Town
A ten-minute climb to the unfinished Parthenon and the best sunset in the city.
Timed right for sunset. Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
The Royal Mile and its closes
Old Town
The spine of the Old Town from the castle to Holyrood, with hidden closes off both sides.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Grassmarket and Victoria Street
Old Town
The curved street of coloured shopfronts and the square of pubs beneath the castle.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Portobello Beach
Portobello
Two miles of sand and a Victorian promenade, twenty minutes from the centre by bus.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
The Real Mary King’s Close
Royal Mile
A guided tour through the seventeenth-century streets buried under the City Chambers.
Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Castlehill
Five floors of optical tricks, a mirror maze and a Victorian camera obscura at the top.
Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
The Scotch Whisky Experience
Castlehill
A barrel ride through the making of whisky, then a tasting beside the world’s biggest collection.
Good in the evening.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
The Stand Comedy Club
York Place
A basement comedy club with shows most nights and a free improv session on Sundays.
Good in the evening.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Dean Village and the Water of Leith
Dean
A riverside village of old mills a few minutes from the West End, and a walkway to Stockbridge.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
National Galleries: Scottish National Gallery
The Mound
Titian, Turner and the Scottish painters in a neoclassical gallery on the Mound, free.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Inverleith
Seventy acres of garden with glasshouses and a skyline view across the lawns.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- In and out
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Garden free; glasshouses ticketed
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
New Town
A red sandstone palace of Scottish faces, from Mary Queen of Scots to Billy Connolly, free.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Stockbridge
Stockbridge
A village within the city: delis, charity shops and a Sunday market by the river.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Under £10
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Surgeons' Hall Museums
Nicolson Street
Anatomy, pathology and the story of Burke and Hare, in the Royal College of Surgeons.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Good to know
What is a good date idea in Edinburgh?
Sunset from Calton Hill, a walk through Dean Village, cocktails on Victoria Street: Edinburgh is built for dates. There are 14 ideas here, ranked for the conditions right now, with viewpoints pushed up around sunset and indoor picks pushed up when it rains.
Are there cheap date ideas in Edinburgh?
Plenty. Look for the "Free" and "Cheap" labels: galleries, viewpoints and walks make good first dates and cost little or nothing.