Lothian Buses Edinburgh
Hop-on hop-off for less
All major cities have bus tour companies, many of which have open-top varieties and take you around the tourist sites. However, Edinburgh is renowned for its efficient, local bus service, Lothian Buses, and given the weather, you may prefer to take one of those. Day tickets, where you can jump on and off as many as you want, are £4.40 per adult if you use your bank card to tap in, which is great value.
The Lothian Buses number 1 will take you to Gorgie City Farm (live animals for all the family), the Usher (concert) Hall which is opposite the fantastic, independent Filmhouse, the whole length of Princes Street and Seafield Cemetery with its Commonwealth War Graves.
Number 16 will take you from Edinburgh city centre to Leith, the Shore, Ocean Terminal, Britannia, Newhaven Harbour and Wardie Beach.
The 35 begins at Heriot Watt University Campus with its famous lawn, left over from the 18th-century pleasure gardens of Riccarton House. It passes Burton’s Biscuit Factory, St Michael’s A-listed Parish Church, goes along Bread Street where the milk wagons once rattled over the cobbles, and through Pubic Triangle (guess the establishments there!). It then takes you past the Museum of Childhood, the Canongate Kirk and Scottish Parliament where you can alight for Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags.
There are 40 Lothian Buses in all, special deals on night buses (midnight - 4.30 am), and the Lothian Country and East Coast buses will take you right out of town to our neighbouring beaches and castles.
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Lochend Park
Birdwatching bounty
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Newhaven Harbour
Fish and chips by the sea
Cute, quaint "Newhaven Harbour" is a hidden gem in Edinburg. Try walking around the area - it will take you about an hour...
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Starbank Park
Gardens with a view
"Starbank Park" in Edinburgh offers cracking views over the Firth of Forth - it's such a peaceful, beautiful place to sit and sun yourself in the sea air!
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Water of Leith
River through the city
The "Water of Leith" is a river that runs from one side of Edinburgh to the other, and it runs through some of the city's most scenic & interesting sites...
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Wardie Bay
Wild swimming in the city
"Wardie Bay" in Edinburgh is a bijou beach on the Firth of Forth and my favourite spot for wild swimming in the city...
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Dance Base
Dance your heart out
"Dance Base" is an award-winning building in Edinburgh established to provide classes, workshops & performances. Please do join me in dancing!
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Dovecot Studios
Watch the weavers at work
The "Dovecot Studios" in Edinburgh were once public swimming baths where I'd swim every morning - now I can have a bird's eye view of weavers & looms...
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Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
Art and good coffee
The "Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop" is a bit of an institution. Going regularly means I can keep up with the artist’s work and enjoy a scone & jasmine tea.
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Granton Hub
Community arts
"Granton Hub" (aka Madelvic House) in North Edinburgh is a community centre in a prosaic, truly historic building with a rich industrial heritage...
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Inverleith Park
Green space and games
"Inverleith Park" is kind of a mirror-image of the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens: one is lauded for its unusual trees, the other for its wide-open spaces
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Japanese Garden Lauriston Castle
Peace
"Lauriston Castle" in Edinburgh is fairly well known to tourists, but its Japanese garden is not. All is perfectly balanced here...
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Silverknowes Esplanade
Seaside walk
The "Silverknowes Esplanade" in Edinburgh is simply a wonderful strip of wildish landscape by the sea. Dress up warmly, as it's often very windy!
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