Explore Edinburgh

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh was founded in 1670 as a physic garden near Holyroodhouse and moved to its present site at Inverleith in the 1820s. Its 28 hectares hold a living collection of more than 13,000 plant species, with a rock garden, a Chinese hillside and the Temperate Palm House built in 1858.

Arthur's Seat is an extinct volcano and the main peak of the hills in Holyrood Park, about 1.6 km east of Edinburgh Castle. Formed some 340 million years ago and later shaped by glaciers, it rises to 251 metres; several footpaths lead to the rocky summit, which looks over the city, Salisbury Crags and the Firth of Forth.

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art shows art from about 1900 to the present in two buildings facing each other on Belford Road, Modern One and Modern Two. The collection ranges from Matisse, Picasso and the Scottish Colourists to Dada and Surrealism, and the grounds hold outdoor sculpture and Charles Jencks's Landform.

The Lind & Lime Gin Distillery in Leith makes a maritime-style gin with seven botanicals, including lime. Founded by Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher, it released its first gin in 2018 and in 2022 moved into a former sportswear warehouse on Coburg Street, where tours include a tasting, bottle filling and cocktail making.

The Royal Yacht Britannia served the British royal family from 1954 to 1997, travelling to more than 600 ports in 135 countries. Since 1998 she has been moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith as a visitor attraction. An audio-guided route leads across five decks, from the state apartments and royal bedrooms to the crew's quarters.

The Port of Leith Distillery is a whisky distillery on Whisky Quay in Leith, beside Ocean Terminal. Opened in 2023, it stacks its production vertically over nine storeys because of the small plot it stands on. Guided tours follow the process floor by floor and end with a tasting, and a bar occupies the top floor with views over the docks.

Craigmillar Castle is a ruined medieval castle on a low hill about 4.8 km south-east of Edinburgh's city centre. The Preston family began building it in the late 14th century, and Mary, Queen of Scots stayed here in 1566. Visitors can climb the tower house, walk the courtyards and look out over the city.