Things to do in Edinburgh this weekend
Stockbridge market on Sunday, Leith for lunch, a hill in the afternoon and the Old Town after dark.
25 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park
Holyrood
An extinct volcano in the middle of the city, an hour’s climb to a view of everything.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Calton Hill
New Town
A ten-minute climb to the unfinished Parthenon and the best sunset in the city.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
National Museum of Scotland
Old Town
Dolly the sheep, dinosaurs, Scottish history and a free rooftop terrace.
Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
- 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.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Edinburgh Castle
Old Town
The fortress on the rock, with the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the one o’clock gun.
- Over £25
- In and out
- Half a day
- Good with kids
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.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
Grassmarket and Victoria Street
Old Town
The curved street of coloured shopfronts and the square of pubs beneath the castle.
Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
National Galleries: Scottish National Gallery
The Mound
Titian, Turner and the Scottish painters in a neoclassical gallery on the Mound, free.
Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Portobello Beach
Portobello
Two miles of sand and a Victorian promenade, twenty minutes from the centre by bus.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Inverleith
Seventy acres of garden with glasshouses and a skyline view across the lawns.
Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Garden free; glasshouses ticketed
Royal Yacht Britannia
Leith
The Queen’s former yacht, moored in Leith with every deck open to walk through.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- 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.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Cramond and the tidal island
Cramond
A Roman fort, a harbour village and a causeway to an island you can only reach at low tide.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Old Town
The graveyard of Greyfriars Bobby, the Covenanters and, allegedly, some Harry Potter names.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
New Town
A red sandstone palace of Scottish faces, from Mary Queen of Scots to Billy Connolly, free.
Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Castlehill
Five floors of optical tricks, a mirror maze and a Victorian camera obscura at the top.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Dynamic Earth
Holyrood
A journey from the Big Bang to the ice age, with an earthquake floor and a planetarium.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Edinburgh Zoo
Corstorphine
A hillside zoo with penguins, koalas and a daily penguin parade.
- Over £25
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Holyrood
The King’s official residence in Scotland, with Mary Queen of Scots’ chambers and the abbey ruins.
- Over £25
- In and out
- Half a day
Stockbridge
Stockbridge
A village within the city: delis, charity shops and a Sunday market by the river.
- 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.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
The Scotch Whisky Experience
Castlehill
A barrel ride through the making of whisky, then a tasting beside the world’s biggest collection.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Pentland Hills
Day trip
Proper hill walking half an hour from the city, with reservoirs, ridges and views to the Highlands.
Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- A full day
The Writers' Museum
Lady Stair’s Close
Burns, Scott and Stevenson in a seventeenth-century house off the Royal Mile, free.
Free.
- Free
- 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.
Comes alive in the evening.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Good to know
What is on in Edinburgh this weekend?
Stockbridge market on Sunday, Leith for lunch, a hill in the afternoon and the Old Town after dark. This list has 25 weekend-friendly picks, including the markets that only run on Saturdays or Sundays, ranked for the forecast.
Which of these need booking for the weekend?
Ticketed attractions sell out on weekends. Where a place is bookable, the card has a tickets and tours link so you can check availability before you go.