Unique Edinburgh experiences to try

Some things to do in Edinburgh you really don’t want to miss

Discover something new, make memories and plan some exciting adventures! Here, we’re sharing 5 unique Edinburgh experiences to whet your appetite. So, book a stay with us at Parliament House Hotel and begin ticking these items off your list…

1. Climb an extinct volcano

Fancy kicking off your new year with a healthy fitness regime? Get fit and soak up stunning natural views with a hike up Arthur’s Seat. Once an active volcano, this is the highest peak in Holyrood Park. It has been featured in famous novels, including Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. So, start the two-hour round trip at Holyrood Park. Continue to Arthur’s Seat for dramatic views across the city and Salisbury Crags. Then, return to Parliament House Hotel for a refreshing drink in our lounge.

2. Watch a show at Edinburgh Castle

Fancy seeing a show with a difference in 2023? Edinburgh Castle provides a magical backdrop for concerts and performances this summer. The Lumineers will be taking to the stage on 5th July, as the castle’s esplanade transforms into a concert venue. (Watch this space as more concerts may be confirmed.) Then from 4th to 26th August the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place on weekdays and Saturdays. The Tattoo is an amazing military display featuring traditional Scottish performances such as Highland dancers, massed pipes and drums, and fiddle players. Plus entertainment from military and cultural groups from across the world.

3. Walk the Forth Road Bridge

Stretching from South Queensferry in Edinburgh, over the Firth of Forth to Fife, the three Forth Bridges are regarded as a symbol of Scotland. The Forth Road Bridge, in the middle, has footpaths and cycle paths. So you can take in spectacular views of both the iconic Forth Rail Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing, as you walk across.

The Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge and Queensferry Crossing

4. Climb the Scott Monument

Next, head to one of the city’s most iconic monuments. Constructed to honour the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott, this distinctive landmark on Princes Street is the tallest writer’s monument in the world, at 200 feet high. Here, you can climb the 287 steps of the Scott Monument across four levels for spectacular city views. The blackened spire has 64 figures that represent characters from Scott’s novels.

5. Discover Edinburgh’s underground city

If you haven’t explored Edinburgh’s hidden underground closes and chambers, make this the year you do so. Delve beneath the city streets on an underground tour and discover a world you never knew existed. Mercat Tours run several vault tours, where you can visit the underground chambers within the arches of South Bridge, an 18th-century road bridge. Originally used as storage, these dark chambers became a hive of illegal activity. There were even rumours that the notorious serial killers, Burke and Hare, may have hidden bodies there. You can also visit the Real Mary King’s Close, a network of narrow streets that was once open to the skies, but were sealed off below the famous Royal Mile in the 1700s. Frozen in time, the closes offer a glimpse of what life was like for its past residents, hundreds of years ago.

So, now you have some great ideas for unique and exciting Edinburgh experiences, all you need to do is book your stay. Here at Parliament House, we’re a short stroll from the city’s attractions, theatres, shops, bars and restaurants. So, take a look at our latest offers and start planning your city break in Edinburgh.