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London is perhaps the most popular destination in Britain, attracting around 20 million visitors every year, but recently another British city stole my heart.
Edinburgh, Scotland has quickly become one of my all-time favorite solo travel destinations.
I’ve been to London numerous times over the years, as well as other destinations in England, but somehow I’d never ventured further north to Scotland.
So on a recent trip I decided to change that and took the train from London to Edinburgh.
Here’s why the Scottish capital is the perfect city for your next solo trip:
It is small and easy to move
After the hustle and bustle of sprawling London, I was shocked to arrive at Edinburgh’s Waverley train station and realize I was in the middle of the city.
Edinburgh’s compact nature makes it perfect for solo travelers.
You can get almost anywhere on foot, or if you’re tired of walking, you can take a bus that runs around the city.
During my trip to Edinburgh I was hosted by hotels in both the old and new towns. These are the most central neighborhoods I would recommend for first-time visitors.
The Old Town is a little closer to many of the most popular tourist attractions, but there isn’t a huge difference between the two.
I stayed in the old city House of Godswhich was literally a stone’s throw from the Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s main street.
Although this hotel is ideal for a romantic getaway with its decadent atmosphere and moody decor, its cozy rooms and central location also make it perfect for solo travelers.
One of my favorite things about this hotel? There is literally a button you can press to have milk and warm cookies delivered straight to your room!
I stayed in the New Town RÌGH homesluxury apartments with hotel service in a great location.
This accommodation is also ideal for solo travelers who want some extra space and all the comforts of home; each apartment is fully equipped with a kitchen and living room.
I loved staying at RÌGH Residences because I felt like I was living like a local in Edinburgh.
The location was extremely convenient, just a few minutes from Old Town.
Fun things to do for solo travelers
Edinburgh is truly a fairytale city. As I strolled through the old town on my first afternoon, I couldn’t stop taking photos of the charming streets, each more picturesque than the last.
There is plenty to do in Edinburgh for solo travelers, and I was never bored during my trip there.
Edinburgh is full of great museums. My favorites were:
- Scottish National Gallery: A great art museum with a collection of European and Scottish art
- Scottish National Portrait Gallery: A smaller art museum focused on portraits, located in a beautiful historic building
- The Writers Museum: A cool little museum dedicated to famous Scottish writers
- National Museum of Scotland: A large museum about Scottish history and culture with a great roof terrace
And best of all, each of these museums completely is free visits.
Don’t miss a visit to Edinburgh Castle, the iconic hilltop castle that was used as a royal residence from the 11th century.
And one of my favorite things to do in Edinburgh was just strolling around the city.
Two of my favorite areas were Circus Lane (an extremely photogenic street) and Dean Village (a picturesque little neighborhood with a waterfront sidewalk you can follow).
Easy to meet others
Even if you travel alone, you can leave Edinburgh with new friends.
The Scottish people are generally very friendly and hospitable – even more so than the English, at least according to many Scots!
It’s also easy to meet other travelers in Edinburgh. There are several popular walking tours in Edinburgh where you can meet other people, some of whom are also solo travelers.
One of these is a Harry Potter walking tour (a must for any Potterhead!), which shows you the exact places that inspired JK Rowling when she wrote the series. This is the free tip based tour I did.
The same tour company also offers a free ghost tour which is very popular (Edinburgh has a lot of spooky history!) and a fun pub crawl at the weekend.
It is extremely safe
One thing that really struck me about Edinburgh is how safe it felt.
Not that other cities in Britain felt dangerous, but Edinburgh just felt it terribly safe for me as a solo female traveler, especially Old Town and New Town.
The only “seedy” area of Edinburgh used to be the waterfront district of Leith, but even this area has been revitalized and is now a hip and trendy hotspot.
Of course, you should always take basic precautions to stay safe wherever you travel, especially as a solo traveler, but Edinburgh is not a place you need to worry about!
It’s also a great introduction to traveling in Scotland.
Because Edinburgh is so small and easy to explore, it’s perfect for a quick solo trip.
I’d like to explore more of Scotland in the future, but many places further north require renting a car, which isn’t something I’m comfortable with as a solo traveler.
Transport to Edinburgh
While getting to London is easy for American travelers because there are direct flights from so many cities in the US, getting to Edinburgh can be a little trickier.
There aren’t that many direct flights from the US to Edinburgh (New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta and Orlando all have seasonal flights), and sometimes they can be significantly more expensive than direct flights to London.
Your best bet is to fly into London and then take a short 1 hour 15 minute flight from London to Edinburgh.
You can also take the train from London to Edinburgh, which is what I did.
This takes around 4.5 hours and is a great option if you want to combine these two British cities in one trip.
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The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
