Lauriston Castle
16th-century tower house in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
It stands apart from the other stops in the north-west, so treat it as the day's true first stop and let the route work back toward the centre.
Morning · 2 hrDay 1
From a tower house to the botanic garden
Edinburgh Zoo
Zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
The grounds rise from the entrance; climb to the upper paths first and drift downhill through the enclosures.
Morning · 2 hr 30 min
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Part of National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Afternoon · 2 hr%2C%2073%20Belford%20Road%2C%20Edinburgh%20(side%20view).jpg?width=800)
Modern Two
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Two.
A short walk from Modern One across the grounds; treat the two galleries as a single afternoon and cross between them freely.
Afternoon · 2 hr
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Botanical garden in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Save it for the last daylight. The long May evening turns the woodland walk into a calm close to a full day.
Evening · 1 hr 15 minModern One and Modern Two sit beside each other on Belford Road, so they read as one afternoon. Keep the botanic garden for the end of the day, when the light drops.
Day 2
The gardens, the gallery and the monument
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Princes Street Gardens
Park in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Morning · 1 hr 15 min
Scottish National Gallery
Part of National Galleries Scotland in Edinburgh.
Morning · 2 hr
Scott Monument
Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott.
Afternoon · 45 min
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Art museum in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Afternoon · 2 hr
St Mary's Cathedral
Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Evening · 45 minThe Gallery and the monument both front Princes Street Gardens; cross the gardens between them. From the Portrait Gallery, Queen Street runs west toward St Mary's Cathedral.
Day 3
Castle to mosque across the Old Town
Edinburgh Castle
Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Go as the day opens and take in the view from the esplanade first; nearly every stop after this lies downhill.
Morning · 2 hr.jpg?width=800)
Grassmarket
Market square in Edinburgh.
Morning · 45 min
National Museum of Scotland
Combined museum in Edinburgh.
Afternoon · 2 hr
St Giles' Cathedral
Church of Scotland cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Afternoon · 45 min
Edinburgh Central Mosque
Mosque in United Kingdom.
Evening · 45 minFrom the castle esplanade the day steps down through the Grassmarket to the museum. St Giles' is a few minutes away, and the mosque closes the loop nearby.
Day 4
Theatre, hill, parliament and palace
Edinburgh Festival Theatre
Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Morning · 1 hr
National Monument of Scotland
Monument in City of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
An open colonnade on a hilltop rather than a building to enter; the point is the view out across the city and down toward the palace and park.
Morning · 45 min
Scottish Parliament Building
Home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh.
Give the exterior a slow circuit before going inside; the palace lies next door, so the two sit naturally in one stretch.
Afternoon · 45 min
Holyrood Palace
Official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.
Afternoon · 1 hr 30 min
Holyrood Park
Park in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Evening · 1 hr 30 minThe Festival Theatre opens the day on the Southside; from there it is a short walk up to the National Monument before everything drops downhill toward the palace and the park.
Good to know
How far apart are Edinburgh's National Galleries?
Modern One and Modern Two share Belford Road in the west, two minutes apart on foot. The Scottish National Gallery sits in Princes Street Gardens and the Portrait Gallery on Queen Street, so the city-centre pair fits naturally into one day.
Is four days enough for Edinburgh?
Enough for a packed tour. In four days this trip covers the castle, the national museums, both modern galleries, the palace and Holyrood Park, with each day built as a walking loop from one part of town to the next.
What time of year suits this trip?
May, chiefly for its daylight. The evenings stay light enough to finish the day outside, at the botanic garden or up in Holyrood Park, without rushing.
How do the days move across the city?
West to centre to Old Town to Holyrood. Day one covers the north-west fringe, days two and three walk the New and Old Towns, and the last day finishes on the eastern hill above the parliament and palace.
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