Shopping in Edinburgh and visiting its free Parks

Edinburgh city centre is only a 5 minute bus ride away from the Hotel: you can walk it in around 10 – 15 minutes. Most famed for Princes Street with its big department stores including Edinburgh’s own Jenners store (which has a new Hamleys toy-store in its basement). Two streets back, George Street has a selection of more fashion conscious boutiques, while at the end of George Street, on St Andrews Square sits Harvey Nichols – if you can afford nothing other than a coffee; it’s definitely worth a visit.

When it’s time for lunch, weather permitting, buy some sandwiches and do what the locals do, head to Princes Street Gardens where there are plenty of benches and scenic spots away from the hustle and bustle of the shops. Just beware of the 1 o clock gun, fired from the Castle, which can give you quite a fright if you’re not prepared for it.

If you’re still keen to experience the local shops, take the bus or start walking north away from Princes Street and down to Frederick Street, where you’ll eventually come to Stockbridge – long famed for its quirky boutiques and second-hand vintage shops. There are numerous little gems to discover down here, St Stephens Street in particular is worth a visit.

Just north of Stockbridge you can take some time out to enjoy the “Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh”, The ‘Botanics’ as they are known locally were founded in the 17th century as a physics garden. Now over 4 Gardens in total, they are world-renowned as a centre for plant science and education. Discover the Glass House, which makes use of its humidity and high temperatures to grow a variety of tropical plants and trees or visit the Botanics’ cafe just beside the West Gate. Entry to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is free.

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