Tourism-raw Or Ridiculous?

Travel tips around Edinburgh are either a hit or miss, in this guide we’ll tell you what is or isn’t worth it.

It’s easy to get lost when travelling to Edinburgh; finding the best places to visit can add to that stress. A city with lots to offer, this will narrow down some of Edinburgh’s Dos’ and Don’ts’.  

Tourism in Edinburgh is rife. Being the most popular city in Scotland to visit, are these tourists really getting to explore Scotland in the best way? What are they seeing and what are they missing out on?  

I have worked full time in a hostel in cowgate for two years now and during that time I have met people from all around the globe coming to explore.  

There are a couple of clear hotspots that people come here to see – the ties with Harry Potter, the viral ‘One Day’ steps, the castle and Arthur’s seat are just a few of the infamous tourist spots in Edinburgh.  

Without mentioning the festive seasons which have their own niches people miss out on – which I will get to later – the few main hotspots aren’t truly showing the raw and local experience that Edinburgh has to offer.  

As someone who has been working in the travel industry for a significant amount of time I’ve seen many, I even run events that showcase the city. I run pub crawls taking tourists around the pubs and clubs in the Old Town, I know the city and its tourists like the back of my hand. 

Where I work is nestled in the centre of Old Town, so it’s a very popular holiday destination. I love it, meeting people and making friends is a passion of mine and I’ve gotten to know places that I’d want to visit in the future.  

I’ve met people from every corner of the world, from Australia to Argentina, India to Italy and everyone has things they wanted to see. Things that they heard of before coming here, the main tourist attractions are well known, but are they actually worth it? 

I cannot overestimate how many Harry Potter fans I have met through work. They all come to Edinburgh to experience Harry Potter in a ‘new light’, whatever that means. I love a spell and a broomstick as much as the next guy, but Edinburgh isn’t just Harry Potter IRL – no matter how many tourist shops try to tell you it is.  

The shops on Princes Street, Victoria Street and the Royal Mile may speak against my opinion, Harry Potter sprinkled on each, I mean there was a reason why the author cherry-picked the architecture and added it to her novels, but the fantasy world doesn’t necessarily express what Scotland is.  

The vast majority of bus tours and walking tours show tourists around certain areas of the city. Some exaggerating the possibility that there is a paranormal underworld running rampant in Edinburgh – all the while charging you £19… to sit in an ancient and rickety bus… These tours give tourists a mere window into Edinburgh, a restricted view. 

When it comes to the Old Town there are landmark destinations that everyone goes to one of these is St. Giles Cathedral. The massive cathedral towers over the city’s skyline. It’s a popular tourist spot, it’s free to enter the Presbyterian cathedral but it is recommended you donate £10 to help keep the landmark running.    

When it comes to towering monuments you can’t not mention the big one; Edinburgh Castle. Though interesting and not to be missed by all who visit, the £21.50 fee to enter scares away most frugal travellers.  

There are very few people I know who would shell out that much money for an attraction abroad unless their heart was completely set on seeing it. But it does come with its benefits, actors inside play the roles of medieval people adding to the beautiful view from above. Due to the actors exaggerating the history it may not be the best way to get an accurate picture of the city – though they’ll teach you something new, the theatrics may distract more than other destinations.  

Grace Brown – a solo traveller from Brisbane, Australia came to Edinburgh for a trip while living in London. She fell in love with the city instantly and decided to move here for a year.  

I sat down with her and asked about her opinion of the tourism industry in Edinburgh, especially because she herself, came here initially as a tourist.  

 “I feel like anyone coming to Edinburgh needs to be aware that it is a heavily touristic city, so large crowds come with the experience, but it was definitely nice after living there for a while to know of spots outside of the city centre that were less directed at tourists.”  

She told me that after a while of being here she found some spots that she wouldn’t have found if not being in a hostel “I would recommend checking out Leith and Crammond also taking a day trip out to the Pentland hills is always a good shout”. She expressed how she believes the spots that are big tourist spots are popular because of the Victorian aesthetic of the city, guaranteed they are nice, but there are more niche spots to be found.   

When people ask me at work: what hidden gems do you recommend, I try to not give them the same advice 12 people could’ve told them prior.  

The places that I recommend are much less known and show the Scottish experience far better than other more popular tourist spots.  

These are a couple places in Edinburgh which are tourist spots but are much less known and I believe they show the Scottish experience much better.  

Dean Village is my favourite suggestion. Just down from New Town and along the water of Leith, Dean Village is a quaint and scenic village nestled in the middle of town.  

The village was a former mining hamlet, its history explained in the plaques all over the area. The town has been around since the beginning of the 12^th century with wonderful architecture it is a must-visit, in my opinion at least.  

Just along from Dean Village is Stockbridge, not many people travelling ever hear about it. The small neighbourhood is rife with amazing local businesses and a market every Sunday. It’s a great area to explore if you’re looking for more local and less touristy shops. You can support local Edinburgh businesses and get the proper Scottish food experience.  

Going in the opposite direction, located in Old Town is The Meadows, known for being a popular hangout spot for university students in the summer you can find people barbequing, playing games or even enjoying the sun and the beautiful cherry blossom trees that surround the centre walkways.  

Another very hidden spot is Crammond beach. The beach has a causeway to visit Crammond Island, which is only accessible when the tide is low. Something I hadn’t even heard of as a local – but after a visit I can confirm it’s a must to visit.  

My favourite way to discover the city is through its local breweries and business, establishments run by Scottish people for their community. By the water of Leith especially my favourites can be found. Moonwake.Co and Campervan brewery are both located there. Down in Leith these breweries show you a new and exciting way to experience Scottish culture, along with learning how these companies came to be.  

Coming from a family of craft beer lovers, my family has always experimented with new breweries, and it really makes you see the culture of a place. Getting to know the people, speaking to locals at these taprooms gives you an insight into how much they love these businesses and ideas on how to support their community further.  

Next to Leith you can find Portobello, and its beach, Portobello beach. The beach is the most accessible beach near Edinburgh and is a must when you visit. Food stalls, pizza shacks and the activities dotted along the shore make Portobello the perfect place to visit on a sunny day, and if the weather gets less bearable you can take refuge in the arcade.   

But there is of course the one month out of the year that locals dread. August. The Fringe festival brings millions of people to the city, pushing it beyond its seams. 

Hundreds of performing arts acts happen all day, every day, throughout the entirety of August. The population of the city triples for just one month every year, bringing all the tourists out and making all the locals retreat.  

The city makes millions of pounds through the festival and with so many acts it can become very overwhelming when deciding what to actually do. There are hundreds of big shows and even more, smaller, underground shows that sometimes get missed so what ones are a must?  

The best comedy show rated by The Stage was a show called Baby Doomer – creator Sam Nicoresti won the award for best comedy show, however as a local who saw many comedy shows this Edinburgh Fringe I would say there are a lot more shows that people missed out on.  

My personal favourite was from a comedian called Michael Shafer.  It was a well-crafted yet moving show about his journey through chemotherapy. Shows like these are upstaged by ones in bigger venues or with more known names but shouldn’t be missed. 

There are so many things to see across Edinburgh that truly highlight Scottish culture far better than the usual touristic things. For a city that is known for tourism, it makes sense that there are a lot of tourist targeted sights. However, there is so much history and culture to see, it’s a shame that the bigger spots have taken away from the chance to really see raw Scottish culture.