Edinburgh is one of the most photogenic cities in Europe and has a bunch of unique photography locations. Even though I have seen a lot of cities in Europe, Edinburgh really took my breath away! When you walk through the streets of Edinburgh, you feel like walking through a Harry Potter world full of magic! Old castles and cathedrals, unique little shops and hidden alleys, surrounded by the sound of Celtic music will make you feel like you just encountered a secret world.
When I visited Edinburgh as a little stop from London to the West Highland Way in Scotland, I immediately regretted that I only booked two nights and decided to extend my stay. There was just much more to see in this amazing little city than I expected.
Still round the corner, there may wait, a new road or a secret gate.
Edinburgh is the perfect place to visit if you love lush green landscapes, old castles, and towns with hidden alleys, that make you feel like you are traveling in time (or into the Harry Potter world). Itโs one of the most underrated cities in Europe and definitely worth a visit. When I discovered Edinburgh on my own, I found some really interesting and photogenic spots that I want to share with you on this post. There are some must-see places you should not miss when visiting Edinburgh!
Top 12 things to do in Edinburgh
EDINBURGH CASTLE
What will catch your attention in the first place is the Edinburgh Castle, a historic fortress dominating the skyline of Edinburgh from its strategic position on castle hill. Inside the castle, you will find the National War Museum, St Margaretโs Chapel and at 1 pm every day the canons are fired! The castle offers you a fantastic view of Edinburgh, but unfortunately, itโs usually crowded with tourists visiting the city. If you want to go for a peaceful walk, I would recommend you to explore the old town with its many hidden alleys.
If you want to take an impressive photo of the Edinburgh Castle, there are various points around the city from where you can capture it. Going farther away from the castle, instead of photographing it close up, will give you the chance to show it in a bigger picture. You will be able to see more of the castle if you see it from the distance and you can show itโs surroundings.
Photography tip: My favorite spots to capture the Edinburgh castle are the Vennel Steps, Calton Hill and Arthurโs Seat. If you want to photograph the castle from Castle Hill or Arthurโs Seat I would use a zoom lens.
Money-saving tip: If you are planning to visit many sights of Edinburgh, you can save money with the Royal Edinburgh ticket.
THE ROYAL MILE
The Royal Mile is one of the most famous streets in Edinburgh with countless photography spots that are worth capturing. Itโs technically not just one street, but five streets that run into each other from the Edinburgh Castle at one end to the Palace of Holyroodhouse on the other.
If you walk the Royal Mile you will get many chances to shoot the length of the mile as well as countless โclosesโ that run off it. A close is an alley or small street that runs between buildings and there are various closes that are worth checking out. I recommend the White Horse Close, Barrieโs Close and Milneโs Court.
As you walk the Royal Mile you will see many historical buildings, little shops and street artists that entertain the tourists and fill the street with Celtic music. Walking the Royal Mile is a great way to get in touch with locals and listen to unique stories. When I walked the Royal Mile I was really impressed by the music, which created a very mystical vibe. I ended up talking to musicians, listening to their stories and purchasing a CD of Celtic music for home. Usually, I donโt listen to this type of music, but I knew that it will bring back the feeling I had when walking through the streets of Edinburgh. So walk into some shops, grab a coffee, chat with people and enjoy the scenery!
Photography tip: Take your time to walk this famous mile and keep your eyes open for unexpected photography opportunities.
PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE
At the far end of the Royal Mile is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the Queen of Scotland. The Palace is one of the most impressive buildings in the city. Built in the 1670s, itโs much smaller than the Buckingham Palace, but has an extravagant royal style. The Queen apparently spends one week here every summer. You might be able to take a good photo from the gate, but to take some really beautiful photographs from different perspectives itโs worth it to pay and go inside.
Photography tip: To capture the palace without a lot of tourists try to visit it early in the morning. Try to compose the photographs with the surrounding gardens.
ST GILESโ CATHEDRAL
St Gilesโ Cathedral, or the High Kirk of Edinburgh is located in the Old Town of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile. Itโs one of the photography spots in Edinburgh you definitely need to see. There is no admission charge, but you are asked to donate $2 if you want to take photos inside. If you decide to go inside โ look up! This 14thcentury church has a pretty blue ceiling thatโs worth paying the donation to capture it.
Photography tip: Walk around the church to capture it from different angles and walk inside to capture the unique blue ceiling.
VICTORIA STREET โ ALIAS DIAGON ALLEY (HARRY POTTER)
Edinburgh has some really picturesque streets, but Victoria Street is by far the most colorful one. This cobblestoned alley curves from the Grassmarket up to the Royal Mile. If you walk the Royal Mile you can simply stop here and capture the stone-built buildings with their colorful facades. This street was said to have inspired Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and apparently where J.K. Rowling took her inspiration. Itโs truly a magical place for photography in Edinburgh.
Photography tip: If you want to capture it without people or cars, I recommend coming back in the morning or bringing a tripod with filters for a long exposure photo.
THE VENNEL STEPS
A little secret location every photographer should know when visiting Edinburgh is the Vennel, a beautiful alley in the Grassmarket area. Count the steps as you walk up to Heriot Place and turn around on the 50th step where you will be rewarded with one of the best views in the city. As mentioned before this is one of my favorite spots to photograph the Edinburgh Castle โ a hidden location many tourists donโt know about.
Photography tip: Visit the Vennel Steps early in the morning or late in the afternoon once the lamps are lit to create a magical feeling in your photos.
CIRCUS LANE
Circus Lane is a very cute cobbled street in the โNew Townโ of Edinburgh. This part was actually built in the 18th century, so in this case โnewโ is a relative term. The rich people decided to leave the poor to the unsanitary conditions of the town center to build new houses in this new part of the town. Anyways, Circus Lane has its own charm with the little cottages and flower pots, creating a perfect village scene only 10 minutes from Princes Street.
Photography tip: Try to visit during the day when the people who live there (and their cars) are at work. Turn around to capture the street with the St Stephenโs Cathedral in the background.
DEAN VILLAGE
Only a few minutes away from the town center you will find Dean Village, a little fairytale of picturesque houses. The โWater of Leithโ is the main river flowing through the town center of Edinburgh to the port of Leith, where it flows into the sea. Over thousands of years, the river has cut a valley into the landscape, which is now surrounded by some of the most beautiful houses in Edinburgh. Dean Village is the perfect place to forget the busy streets of the town center and to enjoy a walk through this little oasis. There is a lot to photograph, but especially the scenery from the 19th-century bridge is simply wonderful.
Photography tip: My favorite photography spots are around the 19th-century bridge. You can take photos from the bridge, as well as from the water level to create a beautiful photo with water reflection.
PRINCES STREET GARDENS
The Princes Street Gardens, a large public park, offers countless photography opportunities. The Gardens run along the south side of Princes Street, right underneath the Edinburgh Castle. Until the 18th-century, this area was used to be occupied by โNor Lochโ, a lake on the foot of Castle Rock. Even though the lake was part of the natural defense of Edinburgh, it was a hindrance to both invaders and town growth. Even worse was the pollution by sewage, household waste and everything that dribbled out of the old town. The draining of the lake was undertaken to create the Princes Street Gardens, which you will find today when visiting Edinburgh.
The park is divided into the East and West Gardens by The Mound, on which the National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy are located. The larger West Gardens is where you will find the Ross Fountain, the Parish Church of St Cuthbert and the Floral Clock alias โgingerbread houseโ (Gardenerโs Cottage). This part of the park is also directly underneath the Edinburgh Castle, so there are plenty of options to capture it. The smaller East Gardens is where you will find the Scott Monument, right next to Edinburgh Waverley, the main train station in the city.
In summer the Gardens are a place of relaxation and entertainment. You will see many people having a picnic here and bands playing music, a beautiful atmosphere so close to the town center. Itโs a beautiful photography spot in the afternoon when the park and itโs surrounding buildings are bathed in golden sunlight.
Photography tip: The Gardens are a beautiful spot to capture some historic buildings around it, including the Edinburgh Castle. If you walk up to the Mount you get a great view of the Gardens from above.
CALTON HILL
Calton Hill is most likely the most iconic photography location in Edinburgh. When the sun goes down, the hill offers an unforgettable view of Edinburgh. When you visit Calton Hill you will understand why people speak about it as the โAthens of the Northโ. The monuments built in the 18th and 19th centuries will remind you of the Greek architectural style. You will see the National Monument of Scotland, which looks like an unfinished version of the Greek Temple of Poseidon. You will also see the Nelson Monument, to remember the victory of the battle of Trafalgar and the Dugald Stewart Monument, devoted to a Scottish philosopher.
The Dugald Stewart Monument will provide you with the most lovely composition you can create. This monument captured in the foreground of your frame with the city in the background is often used to represent Edinburgh in travel magazines, blogs and much more. Itโs a famous photo all over the world and even though it has been captured by many, it hasnโt been captured by you! To Take a stunning photo with your camera, I recommend visiting this place for sunset. This way you can capture the beautiful colors of the golden hour and the blue hour with one of the best views in the city. I recommend using a tripod, your favorite filters and taking a long-exposure shot to get a sharp photograph from the city with soft clouds in the sky.
Photography tip: Calton Hill attracts a lot of hobby photographers, as well as professional photographers when the weather is beautiful. If you want to be able to choose the best spot for your photo, try to be there extra early, so you can save your spot!
ARTHURโS SEAT
Arthurโs Seat is an extinct volcano at the center of Holyrood Park, a huge royal park in Edinburgh, south of the Palace of Holyroodhouse with an array of hills, lochs and cliffs.
Marking the highest point in Edinburgh, Arthurโs Seat has been formed during the ice age by massive glaciers. Hiking up the hill should take about one hour, but of course, if you want to stop every couple minutes to capture the scenery (like I always do), I would suggest planning about four hours for the whole hike. The end of the hike is quite steep, so I would recommend you to wear comfortable shoes (and also donโt forget to bring some water and snacks). The hill rising high above the city provides you with incredible views, so itโs really worth it to go on this hike.
Photography tip: Unless you want to take a long-exposure shot, I would recommend just using your camera including a wide-angle lens as well as a zoom lens, if you want to take a close-up photo of Edinburgh.
SALISBURY CRAGS
The Salisbury Crags are a series of cliffs in Holyrood Park and a photography location in Edinburgh you donโt want to miss out on. If you can only do one hike in Edinburgh, do this one! From here you will get a fantastic view of the skyline of Edinburgh, especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset. The cliffs will create dramatic scenery for your photographs and many opportunities for the composition of your photos.
You can start this hike close to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and it will take you about 30 minutes (or longer if you take a lot of photos on the way) to reach the top.
Useful travel tips for Edinburgh
SUNGLASSES AND UMBRELLA PLEASE!
The weather in Edinburgh is quite hard to predict. Of course, you can check the weather forecast, but what I have learned in Scotland is that the weather can change multiple times of the day! That means sunshine, rain, clouds and wind will change during the day, so itโs best to be prepared for any possible outcomes. I would choose comfortable shoes (so you are able to do a lot of walking and hiking to explore the city), a raincoat (to not let the rain stop you from taking amazing photos) and sunglasses! If you are someone who gets sunburned easily, I would even suggest bringing a little bit of suncream, just in case. To protect your gear I would take a waterproof camera bag, so your gear wonโt get damaged if a lot of rain comes down.
THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM
For some photos, itโs most important to set an early alarm and to be at a location extra early. There are some places in Edinburgh like Calton Hill where you are better off with starting early. The same counts for sunsets, of course. If you want to capture the most beautiful colors during sunset, plan in advance where you want to take photos or leave enough time to wander around looking for it. If you are early you have free choice for the best spot, plus you have enough time to set up your camera and tripod. Some of the best photos I ever took only turned out so well, because of the perfect timing. So plan where you want to take a photograph, what to photograph when you want to be there and leave extra early. This way you are prepared to take some amazing photos!
Best sunrise and sunset locations in Edinburgh: Calton Hill, Arthurโs Seat, Salisbury Crags
WANDER OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Something I love to do when visiting a new city is to take a day just to wander around and see what I can find. I think itโs good to know about the sights of a city, but if you decide to walk off the beaten path, you might find something stunning most people donโt know about. Especially in Edinburgh its’ so interesting to walk through the alleys and explore the lesser-known parts of the city. I remember walking into a little antique shop with old Scottish items that carried the atmosphere of old times with them. If you are curious and open-minded to find something unexpected, chances are high you will explore the city from a very unique angle. You might walk into a rustic little coffee shop, pub, boutique, or fossils shop you never heard about before. Keep your eyes open and leave some time to walk off the path.
LISTEN TO LOCAL STORIES
I did a lot of research before I visited Edinburgh and just gave you a bunch of information about the city, as well as unique tips on how you can make the most of your trip when visiting Edinburgh, but on the other side โ I was just a tourist too. If you talk to locals you might get a good tip about places to visit and things to do most tourists donโt know about. Who is more able to give good recommendations than the locals?
Apart from that, I think that meeting locals and listening to their stories adds something unique and special for every trip. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post, if you have any questions just put them in the comments down below!
