9 Free Places To Visit In Edinburgh This Year

Last Updated on: 6th March 2023, 06:26 pm

Recently I took Tilly to Scotland for a brief visit. Although my older kids had been to Edinburgh before, Tilly had never been. We travelled down from Inverness and we were running out of money but it didn’t stop us from having a good time. There are many places to visit in Edinburgh that are free or do not cost a lot of money. And I wanted to share them with you all now.

Free Places To Visit In Edinburgh

Greyfriars Bobby Is Our Favourite Of Free Places To Visit In Edinburgh

If you grew up in the 80s, I reckon you will know the story of Greyfriars Bobby. He was a Skye-terrier dog, who was devoted to his master. When his master died, Bobby went and laid on his grave every night until he died in 1872. The statue is placed just outside Greyfriars Kirkyard, where his master is buried.

Legend has it, that if you rub Bobby’s nose, it will bring you some good luck. So naturally, we rubbed that nose hard! We could do with a bit of good luck. To get a really great photo without other tourists, go in the early hours to get a photo without people and traffic in the background.

If you want to find Bobby’s grave, it is just inside the gates of Greyfriars Kirk.

Holyrood Park And Arthurs Seat

Holyrood Park is also called Kings Park, but it changes according to the gender of the current monarch. It is a royal park in central Edinburgh and you can find it about 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) to the east of Edinburgh Castle. It is opposite Holyrood House and is open to the public. The park was created in 1541 by James V and it is full of lochs, glens, ridges and so much open space to spend a sunny day. If you look at the lampposts, you will see some gold crowns, giving it royal approval.

Holyrood park is at the bottom of Arthurs’s seat, an ancient volcano which is the main peak of the group of hills in the park. Arthur’s seat is relatively easy to climb, but it is better to climb from the east. It is the highest point in Edinburgh and the views are awesome from the top. Making it worth the walk on a lovely day. Sadly when we went, it was misty so we didn’t walk it.

The National Museum Of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland is found on Chambers Street in Edinburgh. It opened in 1866 as the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art, renamed in 1904, and for the period between 1985 and the merger named the Royal Museum of Scotland. There are two buildings on the site. The newer building was built in 2006 holding antiquities and sharing the history & culture of Scotland. The older building is home to things from the natural world and world cultures. As well as art, design, science and technology collections.

The museum is open every day from 10-5 pm and it is free to enter. Although you will need to pay for any special exhibitions that are there. At the moment you can visit the Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder exhibition for £12 each. The exhibition is there until May 2023 and you can see some sonic screwdrivers travel through the time travel vortex corridor. This is a must-visit for all Dr Who fans.

You can find the museum behind The Royal Mile and down the road from Greyfriars Bobby. There is also a hop-on-hop-off bus stop.

 The Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is unmissable. You can experience an extravaganza of plants from around the world, you can learn about loads of different plants and you can look at how beautiful they all are in full bloom. There is a lot of history at the Royal Botanical Garden and some of it dates back to the 17th century. The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is open every day and it is free to go into. So it is perfect for a winter stroll or a summer picnic with the family. You can find the Royal Botanical Garden at Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR. You can get there on one of the bus tours that run daily.

Princes Street Gardens

Princes Street Park runs alongside Princes Street, the main shopping street in Edinburgh. At one end of the gardens is Edinburgh Waverley train station, and at the other end is St Cuthbert’s church and the Waldorf Astoria hotel. The gardens started off as closed gardens for residents that paid an annual fee to use them. That’s why there are locks on the gates of the gardens. Eventually, the town council made it open to the public in 1876. Now it is enjoyed by many people daily and you get an amazing view of Edinburgh Castle.

Museum Of Childhood

The Museum of Childhood is found at 42 High Street, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1TG. It was the first museum that is completely about the history of childhood and toys. The museum attracts over 200,000 visitors a year and it is extremely popular. It is free to enter, which helps towards its popularity.  Amongst the displays in the museum, you will find toys, games, clothes, books and dolls. The toys date from the 1800s to nowadays toys that kids play with.

The People’s Story Museum

Another free museum to be found in Edinburgh is THe People’s Story Museum. You can find it at 163 Canongate, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH8 8BN. It is just along the road from The Childhood Museum. The museum tells the story of working-class people from the 18th century to the late 20th century. There are personal stories and accounts of what it was like to live around that time. There are also some original objects from the past to see and learn about too. The museum is another one of the free places to visit in Edinburgh and is open every day except Tuesdays

Fee Places To Visit In Edinburgh Includes The Scottish Parliament

If politics interests you, then you can go to the Scottish parliament building and have a look around for free. You can find the Scottish Parliament building at the bottom of the Royal mile, opposite Holyrood Palace. The address is 64B Canongate, Edinburgh EH99 1SP, and it is open to the public every day except Sunday. You can book a free tour on specific days and also book tickets to watch debates.

Archives

If you are interested in your family history, then you can access so much history at the Archives. You can find the archives at  Level 1, City Chambers, 253 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ, nearly opposite Edinburgh Waverley station. There is a search room where you can look at old records, but you will need to book at least a week in advance. It is well worth a visit to Edinburgh if you are looking into your history.

We also recently visited Inverness, you can read about it here