{"id":46731,"date":"2016-08-09T09:44:19","date_gmt":"2016-08-09T14:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=46731"},"modified":"2018-02-27T11:30:40","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T17:30:40","slug":"7-strange-attractions-prove-edinburgh-one-cool-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/7-strange-attractions-prove-edinburgh-one-cool-city\/","title":{"rendered":"7 strange attractions that prove Edinburgh is one cool city"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you have boots on the ground in Edinburgh<\/a>, it’s best to start walking and see what you discover. Surprises and gems line the city streets along the Royal Mile (the main thoroughfare running through the city’s old town) and beyond; if you’ve hit cobblestone, you know you’re in an area worth a second look. Put aside visiting the castle on this trip and stop by these equally worthy locales.<\/p>\n

Related: The 12 quirkiest places you need to visit in Iceland<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Museum

Museum of Childhood | Flickr CC: Martin Moscosa<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Museum of Childhood<\/h3>\n

View playthings of the past at the Museum of Childhood, nestled just off the Royal Mile. Seeing toys of yore might make you feel old, but the warm and fuzzy feelings of nostalgia will make it worth your while. Experience the museum’s wide-ranging collections featuring games, books and more and besure toplay the macabre Sweeney Todd<\/em> machine on the first floor.<\/p>\n

\"Food

Food at MUMS | Flickr CC: Mary Rogers<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

MUMS Comfort Food<\/h3>\n

Fuel is a necessity when you’re traipsing around, and the offerings at MUMS Great Comfort Food will help sustain your wanderings. Located on Forrest Road near the entrance to Greyfriars Kirkyard, MUMS serves hearty and traditional fare at affordable prices and stocks good local beers. As an added bonus, the bathroom decor is playful with nods to British film and television.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"edinburgh

View of Edinburgh from Calton Hill<\/p><\/div>\n

Calton Hill<\/h3>\n

Hoofing it to the top of Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park may not be something you have time or energy for, but you can most definitely squeeze a visit to Calton Hill into your sightseeing schedule. The climb up does require effort, but once you’re at the top, you can see several Edinburgh landmarks from the high vantage point. The National Monument, Nelson Monument and City Observatory all call Calton Hill home.<\/p>\n

\"Writer's

Writers’ Museum | Flickr CC: Katherine<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The Writers’ Museum<\/h3>\n

No shortage of talented writers call Scotland home, but three authors from the country are particularly well known: Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. The three-story Writers’ Museum celebrates these men by displaying various objects associated with their lives and works including manuscripts and personal possessions. What the museum lacks it size it makes up for with charm and character.<\/p>\n

\"The

The Elephant House | Flickr CC: Sondre Bjellas<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The Elephant House<\/h3>\n

Channel your inner witch or wizard and enjoy a meal or cup of coffee at The Elephant House. J.K. Rowling worked on early installments of the Harry Potter<\/em> book series at the caf\u00e9; she sat in the back room with a view of Edinburgh Castle and Greyfriars. Muggle fans of the novels visit the restaurant regularly and leave messages about Hufflepuffs, hippogriffs and everything in between all over the bathroom walls and mirrors.<\/p>\n

\"Mary

Mary King’s Close | Flickr CC: Christopher Thompson<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Mary King’s Close<\/h3>\n

The bubonic plague plagued 17th-century Edinburgh, and one of the worst concentrations of the infected was in Mary King’s Close. Long after The Black Death moved on, the close was emptied and sealed. It has since been re-opened as a commercial attraction with guided tours that traverse hidden underground passages that used to be above ground. You’ll get a taste of 17th-century life, accompanied by a modern caf\u00e9 and souvenir shop.<\/p>\n

\"Wild

Wild West Street | Flickr CC: Magnus Hagdorn<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Wild West Street<\/h3>\n

Howdy, pardner. Prepare to dust off your spurs because you can get a taste of the Wild West in Edinburgh. Bring your sense of adventure and explore behind the Morningside Library on Morningside Road, and you’ll find some Western-themed facades built by Michael Faulkner for his Santa Fe style furniture company. The business is closed, but the site remains bizarrely intact among its surroundings.<\/p>\n

\"Orbitz<\/p>\n

Save<\/span><\/p>\n

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Edinburgh’s quirky charms are why we love this cultured U.K. capital.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":46815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1597],"class_list":["post-46731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-scotland-vacations"],"acf":{"api_active":null,"api_title":null,"api_excerpt":null,"api_featured_image":null,"api_lob":null},"posts_api_cpm_point":[{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, UK","latitude":"55.9503353","longitude":"-3.1862917999999354","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"}],"yoast_head":"\n7 strange attractions that prove Edinburgh is one cool city | Orbitz<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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