It’s horrible being broke all the time, which is me almost all of the time. The good thing about living in a city is that there is never any need for loads of dosh. If you want the top shops and expensive, lavish restaurants and bars, then yes, you need lots of money, but a bit of cash and creativity can go a long way, just by taking a look around you! Here are a few fun countdowns of cheap fun finds in Edinburgh City.
10. Arthur’s Seat
If you’re from Edinburgh, you’ve probably heard of it. I haven’t made it to the top, but I have been halfway there and seen the swans and a small lake.
Bring some friends, food, and a beer (or just a drink) and take some fun selfies at the top on a hot, sunny day. According to what I’ve heard, the view is surreal, and you also feel pretty good about yourself! Although it’s not exactly Mount Kilimanjaro, it sure feels like it!
9. Water of Leith Walkway
This fairy-tale urban wildlife site has woods, wildflowers, herons, kingfishers, and roe deer with many squirrels. A lovely under-the-city walk with the stream and silent cobbled roads. A must-try sometime when you want a small city break.
8. Do almost anything at Summer Hall
There is always something going on, from business events and start-up meetings to art exhibitions, theatre performances, gigs, clubs, films, talks, workshops—there’s very little you can’t do at Summer Hall, It even has its own microbrewery—the tasty and refreshing Barney’s Beer. Keep checking the site for current updates and fun workshops, as there is always something to do.
7. Explore the calm of the city at the Meadows
Basically, a small version of London’s Hyde Park. On a nice day, grab some friends, drinks, and a BBQ and head to the meadows with a ball and a dog if you have one.
Such a great atmosphere with loads of opportunities to meet people and it can bring the child out in you. You plan to spend an hour or two, and before you know it, the sun is going down and the air is getting chilly.
6. Surgeons Museum
You need to pay for this and it is only open now and again, mainly throughout the festival, so check the opening times and deals online; the last weekend of every month is FREE!
Great place to go if you love the body, a bit of gore, how your brain functions, and what they did in the olden days! There are eggs in jars.
5. The biggest bargain in Edinburgh Lothian Busses
The buses in Edinburgh are amazing, clean, and safe and at your service all the time. You can get a day ticket and hop on and off any Lothian bus for the price of £3:50.
One time me and my boyfriend just got a ticket and had no clue where the bus was going, but we wanted to see where we would end up. We ended up in North Berwick, which is a lovely little village along the coast and we spent the day there
! You see, you just never know where your day will take you! Got all day and no commitments; just pop along Princes Street and the first bus that comes, jump on! (Then tell me where you ended up!)
4. Grassmarket and Castle Terrace markets
The amazing markets, which are held at the Grassmarket and Castle Terrace every Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm, have a wide range of fruits, vegetables, Caribbean specialities, and other goods. Excellent ambience.
I always leave with a loaf of bread and a box of strawberries, while my boyfriend always orders the roast pork with apple sauce on a bun! I feel very mature!
3. Stockbridge
Only a ten-minute walk from Princes Street, Stockbridge is a lovely suburban-like town with shops, galleries, cafés, bars, and restaurants. I love spending my Sundays there during the summer, which has such a different out of the city atmosphere as well as great little walks and treats, great for charity shopping too.
Then settle in for a drink and a meal, or shop and eat your way around the Sunday market (stockbridgemarket.com)
I do love this place it feels like you are so out of Edinburgh, but in fact, you aren’t. Scotland has that fantastic effect—how everything changes around you all the time—perhaps it’s because of the weather!
2. Greyfriars Bobby
Almost everyone knows the story of Bobby, the faithful little dog who remained by his master’s grave for 14 years. His statue is at the top of Candlemaker’s Row; opposite the gates of the Greyfriars monument, the first reformed church in Scotland, lies the spooky graveyard.
Free entry and a chance to go round the spooky haunted graveyard. They also have a special pub dedicated to the dog where his statue stands. From fish and chips to a nice cold brew.
1. Zomato App for food and drinks
Come down to Zomato to round out the best free things in Edinburgh; download this amazing foodie app that tells you where you are and what’s good, cheap, exciting, and within your price range. From expensive upper-class tries to cute independent underground pubs.
Instead of walking from place to place or seeing what’s around the corner, check it out for constant new updates and your own personal food journey!
I am always excited to see which hidden gems there are, as well as who is following me with my true food journey to tasty cuisines. What makes this even better is that this is brought around with you through all the top 10s!
