24 Hours In

Lined with pubs and restaurants, the Grassmarket is a great place to eat and relax.

If shopping is your bag then there is of course the heart of the city. Princes and Rose Streets or the up-market George Street are filled with all the major outlets, and plenty of tacky tourist shops so you can buy Uncle Bob that novelty set of bagpipes he’s never wanted.

Broughton Street is full of trendy clothing stores including the legendary Joey D’s, which sells handmade urban clothing with a Scottish twist. For vintage items, look no further than Armstrongs in the Grassmarket, a wonderfully cluttered shop which has more classic clothing than you could ever hope for.

If you have even a passing interest in all things chocolate, then take the bus to Coco of Bruntsfield. It’s a tiny shop on the southern side of Edinburgh full of incredible and unusual flavours, possibly the world’s happiest staff, and the smell is simply the best. Go there.

Cockburn Street, which winds its way down towards Waverly Station from the Royal Mile is full of cool and quirky stores, though the best would have to be Avalanche Music, its walls crammed with new and second-hand CDs.

Speaking of music, for hunters of fine sounds, visit Vinyl Villains (grumpy staff, but great selection of rare vinyl), and Elvis Shakespeare’s (a ramshackle shop where music and books run into each other, head on) which are both on Leith Walk

On the other side of Edinburgh’s main drag, the very green Ripping Records is THE place to find out what concerts are coming up and to buy tickets, While Coda music shop does traditional folk music better than most.

Speaking of which, not catching some traditional folk music at a pub in Edinburgh is like not drinking a Guinness in Dublin, so get on down to one of these pubs and catch a local session in action. The Antiquary in Stockbridge is a personal favourite, with a good Thursday night session there, while the Tass on the Royal Mile has music on a Wednesday from around 8pm. Sandy Bells, the tiny but legendary folk venue, usually has a group of musicians tucked away in the back corner by the bar most nights of the week.

Alternatively, if you don’t love the nightlife, then perhaps relax and take in a movie, but if you’re looking for somewhere with a bit more character than the Omni Centre at the top of Leith Walk , bus it across to the other side of town. Your best bet is either the Cameo Theatre (a classic old-school cinema where you can enjoy a drink afterwards) or the Filmhouse on Lothian Road, which hosts the Edinburgh Film Festival every July and shows all the best alternative films from around the world.

Another great option is comedy, and the Stand Comedy Club is a must. It’s a tiny sweat box, with an equally small bar and stage, where a selection of amateurs and professional comedians (and the occasional superstar) deliver the laughs thick and fast. It’s open seven days a week, but the best night to go is a Monday, when about a dozen amateurs brave the stage, with hilariously mixed results, for the ‘Red Raw’ evening. And for only two pounds, it’s the cheapest fun you can have on a weekday, but make sure to book ahead.

After all this, you’re probably thirsty for a quiet drink, and these pubs will be right up your alley. In the New Town (on the other side of Princes Street) the Cask and Barrel, and the Cumberland are both great pubs which serve good, simple pub food. The Cumberland is an absolute hidden gem, with a great beer garden in its side courtyard.

The Counting House and Pear Tree, near Edinburgh University also has a great beer garden, and the occasional outdoor acoustic gig. Across the road, the Mosque Kitchen serves up huge and delicious lunchtime curries for dirt cheap that should keep you going for another 24 hours.

View 24 things to do in Edinburgh in a larger map