As huge fans of the Georgian era, in which some of our favorite novels are set, visiting the…read moreGeorgian House in New Town was high on our list of must-do's in Edinburgh. We happily watched the informational video and then wandered through the house, from the lavish dining and living areas on the upper floors to the functional bedrooms on the lower floors to the kitchen and wine cellar in the basement. Take an hour to stop by next time you're in town - you won't be disappointed.

An interesting visit. The museum gives you a sense of Edinburgh when the city expanded. The docents…read moreare knowledgeable and engaging, they bring the house to life! Be sure to watch the video at the start of your visit and spend time speaking with the docents in the dining room and kitchen.

This theatre makes me feel cultured as $%&#. They should put that sentence on a t-shirt and sell it…read moreas merch... I would buy that. But all high brow/low brow t-shirt genius aside, Traverse is a decent theatre in the heart of the city that placates my PASD - Post Art School Disorder. You see, i'm a Fine Arts kid. One of the cheerfully idiotic few who wave their BFA proudly and wax poetic about Russian literature and experimental film at any opportunity. After four years immersed in the world of post secondary fine art education, I require frequent injections of artsy fartsy stuff to keep me balanced and my life long dream of becoming a world famous poet quietly ticking away in the background. Sure, Usher Hall steps in to hoist this burden every so often, but when it comes to pretentious theatre that I unapologetically adore: Traverse wins. The staff are lovely, the drinks are fairly priced, the steps in the theatre space have this "I could go down at any moment" grunge aspect to them and they always have an interesting mix of indie shows throughout the year. From children's magic shows to dance to a one woman show retelling a complete novel in one act (nod to A Girl Is A Half Formed Thing) - you might not always love it, but it will always be something worth talking about. Definitely keep an eye on this space in August for some the the Fringe festival's most unusual work.

The Traverse has quite captured my heart. I've not been there during the year, I'm afraid (not…read morebeing a permanent resident of Edinburgh, sob) but during festival season the Traverse can be trusted to put on the most impressive array of shows, most of which are amazing. Granted, I'm a 'theatre person' so my opinion is probably a bit biased, but I'm usually very impressed by the offerings at the Traverse. Even if I don't like a show, it's never all bad - there's something good to each show, whether it's the writing, the acting, or the technical aspects. The Traverse focuses on new Scottish playwrights, although during the festival many international companies come through as well. It probably hosts the largest concentration of Fringe First winners of all the venues, and each show is on a highly professional level. As for the venue itself, there are two theatres - a bigger, traditional space and a smaller black box theatre, and there's not a bad seat in either house. There's a coffee shop upstairs and a bar downstairs, and one can usually hobnob with the actors in the bar after a given show, which makes theatre that much more accessible. As far as quality goes, the Traverse is hands-down my favorite venue in Edinburgh.

We arrived in Edinburgh from London via the overnight Caledonian Sleeper and had a few hours to…read morekill before our airBNB cottage was available, so we decided to stop by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. And what an excellent decision that was! Uncrowded, full of history, and with an excellent cafeteria to boot! Some of our favorites were: -- the main rotunda room: with busts and statues of Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and several others. Make sure you look up at the magnificent ceiling. -- extensive rooms devoted to the history of the Scottish Royal Family. -- busts of Invictus poet Henley and the Duke of Wellington. -- portraits of Churchill and Carnegie. Will happily return next time we are in Edinburgh.

This is one of the 4 national galleries. I think it is small but cozy and full of fantastic…read moreportraits. It is free and not too crowded. We enjoy walking around and saw portraits of many people from the past to present. The gallery is free and the cafe is really nice serving delicious food.

Nice place for a short walk. Will be honest, haven't been inside the Palace but landscape is…read morebeautiful enough. Short woodland path leads us on the top of small local hill, where you are finding small observation tower. Despite the fact that tower's door are locked, we can not enter to inside, it's worth to go, place is peaceful and quiet and view is amazing.

I visited the House of the Binns 18/9/19;with a group of people from RNIB Scotland. I found it…read morevery fascinating to knew about the House of the Bins and the family that have stayed there. It was nice to learn more and to learn something new about it

I am so envious of people who live in the UK and have access to all of these incredible museums and…read morefree too. This is another stunning museum. You can easily spend a day here. I would recommend coming here when you are not rushed so you can fully take in the experience. They had Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Cezanne, and Monet all just casually laid out everywhere. I was like..."where are the armed guards??"

Visited the National Galleries of Scotland while in Edinburgh. The layout was easy to navigate, and…read morethe exhibits were well-presented and fascinating. Highlights included works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Raphael, and many other notables. Staff were helpful when needed, and entry was free. Overall, a great way to spend a few hours -- a must-see for art lovers. Saluti.

You can find the Museum tucked away in Lady Stair's Close within the aptly named Lady Stair's…read moreHouse. If not paying attention, you can easily missed the entrance from Royal Mile According to the Museum, the house was built in 1622. Different well-off families lived there until it was given to the city in 1907 for use as a museum. If you visit the Museum, make sure to take the time to appreciate the beautiful house that has its own fascinating history. The museum is dedicated to just three famous Scottish writers: Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson, and contains books, manuscripts, portraits, and the odd statue, along with information giving insight into each writer's life story In the area devoted to Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) there is a precious first edition of his novel Waverley, a printing press, a chess set, an inkwell, and the rocking horse he used as a child. Yup, same Scott whose memorial is the only the second-largest monument to a writer in the world   The mansion has gone through many renovations since then and has a writerly ambiance to it.

We visited the free museum in Edinburgh. writer museum is one of them. The museum is kind of tucked…read moreaway. This museum is a three writer giants. It is Scottish best. The museum is at old buildings close to the college. Building itself is already a museum. The display is at the first floor, second floor and basement. Each floor has one writer. The museum space is tiny. It is not fit for many visitors. The visit only takes 30 minutes. Ok to visit. Exhibition is good.

Saughton Gardens are one of those places you can only really stumble upon by accident as you rarely…read morehear anything about it and is one of those hidden gems that you never expected to find. The gardens themselves are very well done and clearly laid out by someone who knows what they are doing with a large proportion of it highly influenced by traditional Tudor styles and includes a large rose garden. Really this is your typical show garden broken down into the standard components and the old house really finishes it off. What does stand out a bit is the tropical greenhouse area and that is certainly worth a visit while you are here. It doesn't get very busy here making it very peaceful so it does offer a great place to relax and enjoy your surroundings.

This is some gem to be found! And I'm kicking myself to why I've not visited this little haven…read morebefore. Uh huh! Why on earth would I pass this so often and not venture into these gardens ... Why why why??!! The tropical plant house is small compared to botanical gardens but is packed with bird of paradise flowers and other wonderful flowers. Follow through and you have the walled gardens, which I have yet to explore due to time commitments. But I will be back, oh yes! Toilets need a proper clean sand one does not have a lock! It's council run and has a wee cafe too.

This is an excellent bingo hall, they are one of the larger clubs and have 3 sessions per day apart…read morefrom Sundays (2 sessions). You have a choice or playing traditional bingo books or you can have a go at one of their new electronic bingo books called Wiz and Wizard, where you can play up to 24 books at a time just by touching a screen!. They have a reasonable arcade and a cafeteria as well which sells the usual sandwiches, chips and a few meals as well. The staff are helpful and attentive to your needs. There is a carpark attached to the club and if it is full at night time Gala have a deal with the Tesco next to the hall, bingo players can use the Tesco car park free of charge after 6.30pm.

Great place to go great staff, great food,and sometimes you might even win some money.read more