Welcome to BEST WESTERN Edinburgh Capital

 Our 12 best things to do in Edinburgh

1          Visit Edinburgh Castle - Wherever you are in the city, this great medieval fortress perched on ancient volcanic rock is visible for miles. It’s a microcosm of local history: this was the site of Mary, Queen of Scot’s home, headquarters of Cromwell’s invading army and today it hosts the military tattoo during the Edinburgh Festival

2          Take an Edinburgh Ghost tour - Edinburgh’s gothic landscape of spooky catacombs, dungeons and dark alleyways of cobbled streets mean that the city is the setting for many ghost stories. The Ghosthunter tour from Mercat Tours is actually one of the best

3          Visit Arthur's Seat - Enjoy the climb up to Arthur’s Seat through Holyrood Park, once a royal hunting ground, and you’re rewarded with sweeping city views. This 251m summit is a dormant volcano which last fizzed into action 335 million years ago, and is also the site of an Iron Age hill fort

4          Visit the Royal Museum - See treasures from the edges of history and trace Scotland's story from fascinating fossils to popular culture

5          Walk the length of Princes Street, and shop till you drop - one of the major thoroughfares in Scotland, with world class shopping and the fabulous Prices Street Gardens

6          Take in one of the Edinburgh Festivals - Festivals include Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Edinburgh Hogmanay, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Edinburgh Mela, the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the Imaginate Festival

7          Go to a show at Edinburgh Playhouse - The Edinburgh Playhouse has 3056 seats and is the largest theatre in Scotland

8          Celebrate New Year with Edinburgh’s fabulous Hogmanay street party – The Edinburgh Hogmanay party is the largest New Year event in the world... a four day festival of fun and festive activities

9          Take the family to nearby Edinburgh Zoo - With the all new Giant Panda attraction, Edinburgh Zoo is the perfect place to visit.  Founded in 1913 by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo is one of the most significant zoos in Europe

10        Enjoy the Edinburgh Nightlife - When the sun goes down, Edinburgh really gets its second wind

11        Take a Timberbush Tour - 5 Star, Highland mini and midi-coach tours of Scotland for individuals and groups departing from Edinburgh daily, all year

12        Admire history on the Royal Mile - the reason to visit the Royal Mile isn’t necessarily for the shopping - visit the Royal Mile for the old town authenticity of the city. This is where Edinburgh really impresses, where the old buildings, untainted by the cold façade of modernism transports visitors into a world of the past