A weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland: from elegant Georgian streets in the New Town to our favourite natural wine bars
Edinburgh is one of those places that never fails to impress. Unesco World Heritage Site, architectural masterpiece and cultural hub (lest we forget, it’s home to the world’s largest arts festival, the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival) – it’s a city of many parts that together create a theatrical whole. But stroll beyond the bagpipers on the Royal Mile, and there is plenty more to discover. From natural wine bars to independent shops and the best place to pore over its grand Georgian buildings, here’s our pick of what to see and do in Scotland’s capital.
SEE
1. Ingleby Gallery
Founded in 1998, this contemporary art gallery shows fine work by established and emerging artists. Housed in the elegant former meeting house of the Glasites, a small Scottish religious sect that began in 1732, art sits serenely within a glass-domed space and former feasting room. Fun fact: the nickname for the Glasite Church was Kale Kirk, due to the fact that kale soup was the delicacy of choice during all-day services.
2. New Town
An obvious choice, but the city’s New Town is an architectural spectacle. The Georgian network of sweeping crescents, wide streets and grand neo-classical mansions was built between 1767 and 1850 in response to the overcrowding of the Old Town. For the best architectural overview of the city, walk up Calton Hill or – if you have a couple of hours on your hands and a good pair of walking boots – up to Arthur’s Seat.
3. National Galleries of Scotland
This actually incorporates four galleries, including the National Museum of Scotland, but we suggest making a beeline for the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, a 15-minute walk from the centre. Consisting of two buildings – Modern One and Modern Two – the galleries sit within a sculpture park and hold a stellar collection of works by the likes of Dali, Hepworth and Miro.
Equally notable galleries include Fruitmarket, just a short stroll from Edinburgh’s Waverley Station, which offers an ever-changing line-up of performances, exhibitions and events, and has recently increased in size, with a new double-height warehouse space. The Talbot Rice Gallery is similarly on the pulse, presenting work by emerging artists within a 19th-century former natural history museum.
EAT
4. Spry Wines
This gem of a wine bar offers a thoughtful selection of small-batch, natural wines (both by the glass and bottle), which are served up alongside plates that range from seasonal pickles to hearty chicken dumplings in a parmesan broth. The peaceful interiors are by design studio Izat Arundell, who featured as part of our ‘My Modern House’ series. Don’t want to leave? Then book a stay at their Porteous Studio, which shares the same pared-back aesthetic.
5. The Little Chartroom
Founded by Roberta Hall-McCarron, this restaurant has just opened its second, ‘more grown-up’ outpost in the port district of Leith, with a smart blue and white interior designed by architectural practice Studio Niro and inspired by the surrounding coastline. The menu is similarly refined, with dishes including beetroot, apple and horseradish, and cod with squash and clams.
6. Timberyard
A family affair – all members of the Radford family are involved – this restaurant serves up seasonal, Nordic-inspired dishes made from local ingredients. Think turbot with cucumber and sea buckthorn, or partridge with pear and spruce. Many ingredients are foraged by co-founder Andrew, who enjoys, as he told us when we visited as part of our ‘The Modern Menu’ series, “making daily escapes from the restaurant to the seven hills that surround Edinburgh to pick a lot of produce.”
7. Noto
Monastic in its design with white walls, brown furniture and dried twigs hanging from the ceiling, Noto is inspired by chef-owner Stuart Ralston’s time in New York. Small sharing plates are complemented by small-batch wines and imaginative cocktails, while much of the food has a distinctly Asian twist – potato dauphine with miso mustard, or aubergine tonkatsu with kimchi and pickled ginger.
8. Fhior
Meaning “true” in Gaelic, this small restaurant lives up to its name, serving up imaginative dishes made from local, seasonal produce. Run by husband and wife team Scott and Laura Smith, they serve up a four-course lunch or dinner (offered as a seven or 10-course affair), with plates including langoustine with kohlrabi and lovage, and cod with chicken butter and sea aster.
9. Borough
Leith is full of street food vendors and great restaurants, but Darren and Aleks Murray’s Borough has to be one of the best. The emphasis is on seasonal, Scottish food – sea trout comes from Loch Etvie, oysters are from the Isle of Cumbrae and Sika venison from the Hopetoun Estate. Considering the quality and provenance of ingredients, the set lunch and dinner menus are surprisingly affordable.
SHOP
10. Kestin
Offering menswear staples, Kestin Hare’s eponymous shop in Leith has an almost cult following. Pieces are classic and clean-lined yet modern: there are jackets, shirts and macs, with a palette ranging from earthy tones to brighter hues. Everything is made in small batches in either the UK or Portugal.
11. Dick’s
Occupying a Georgian terrace in Stockbridge, this shop sells a selection of clothes and homewares by independent brands and makers. Founded in 2012 by Andrew Dick whose motto is “buy less, buy better”, it’s impeccably curated and there is no shortage of things to lust over. The space itself is beautifully minimal with wooden floors, grey plaster walls and Vitsoe shelving.
12. The Bear’s Larder
This food shop began as a lockdown project when founders Kit Binnie and Tim Henshaw found themselves out of work. Describing it as “an urban farm store”, they champion independent producers and offer all the foodie delights you could imagine – from seasonal vegetable boxes to honey from Edinburgh Honey Co and Ocelot chocolate. You may end up leaving with your shopping bags considerably more full than originally anticipated.
13. Golden Hare Bookshop
The best time to visit this Stockbridge bookshop is on a cold day when the woodburner is roaring. Founded in 2012 by Mark Jones, it prides itself on offering a thoughtfully curated, ever-changing selection of fiction and non-fiction. The friendly staff are only too happy to provide guidance. Keep an eye out for their events and workshops too.
DO
14. Arthur’s Seat
Teetering above the city, this ancient volcano is one of Edinburgh’s most famous landmarks for good reason. Just east from the centre, it takes up to an hour to amble up the craggy peak, where you’ll be rewarded with epic views across the city and beyond. There are plenty of paths leading to the top and even on a drizzly day, it’s worth the effort.
15. Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
Enrol on a sculpture course at this brilliant educational facility in the former fishing village of Newhaven. Workshops are available to all ages and they put on a host of events and exhibitions. The building itself, designed by Edinburgh-based architects Sutherland Hussey Harris, is impressive in its own right, with an angular brick tower. It’s a great area for a walk too, with plenty of coffee shops and an unbelievably good fish and chip shop on the front called The Fishmarket.
OUT OF TOWN
16. Little Sparta
Set in the Pentland Hills, this sprawling seven-acre garden is often considered to be poet and artist Ian Hamilton Finlay’s greatest work of art. Created in collaboration with his wife Sue Finlay, it’s a wild space littered with 270 artworks, which range from stone sculptures to wood creations that explore the blurred lines between art, sculpture and poetry.
17. Jupiter Art Land
Opened in 1999 by art collectors Robert and Nicky Wilson, this sculpture park and art gallery is well worth the 40-minute drive west from the centre. Look out for site-specific pieces by artists including Anthony Gormley, Marc Quinn and Anish Kapoor, which punctuate the 100-acre landscape.
18. North Berwick (just generally, but also for Bostock Bakery)
Wide sandy beaches and a 14th-century castle characterise this seaside town, which is under an hour’s drive from Edinburgh. There are plenty of independent shops and cafes to keep you going. Bostock Bakery is the place to grab a croissant; its pizzas, made from 72-hour fermented organic sourdough, are pretty special too.
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