3 nights in Edinburgh... St. Andrews too ?

I went to St. Andrews as a golf widow (I got the toddler while my husband played the Old Course and the jubilee) and I loved it. One of my favorite small towns. The university supports a lot of smaller shops since it isn't just reliant on tourism. The walk along the. North Sea was pretty. It had castle and cathedral ruins. We really enjoyed it.

I think you could easily fill up 2.5 days in Edinurgh. Just plan to stay there. Or you could always tentatively plan a day trip that last day and just not take it if you want to spend more time in Edinburgh.

I did a day trip tour to the Highlands and I would not recommend that as a way to see them. Too much ground to cover in a short period of time. I was on a crowded bus for most of the day. Not worth it.

With only 2.5 days, I really would recommend staying in Edinburgh. There is plenty to see and do there. You probably resign yourself to the fact that you will need a second trip to Scotland. :) Certainly, there are people who are big fans of the Rabbie Tour of the Highlands. And if you can accept the fact that you will be spending a lot of the day in a bus or van, and you don't have a problem with that and your heart is set on seeing the highlands, then go for it. :)

Other things to see in Edinburgh include:

The Georgian House in New Town.

The National Galleries. There are several art museums. I loved taking the Leith Water Walk to the Modern.

Arthur's Seat. It you have a gorgeous day and want to walk, try this one.

The Royal Yacht Britannia has a great tour. And there are some great restaurants in Leith.

The Royal Botanic Gardens. Nice walks and if it's rainy there are glass houses.

Pam

Thank you Margie. I am going to make the time to get to St. Andrews for a half day at least. I would definitely like to walk around the university and the ruins.

I get your point Kristen. All day in a bus, even a mini-bus, does not seem a valuable use of my precious time. I will plan St. Andrews for the end just in case I don't get my fill of Edinburgh. Thank you for your response.

Hi Pamela. I am going to scrap the tours idea. Thank you for the info.

I definitely want to do the Arthur's Seat walk and see the botanic gardens.

Would the Arthur's Seat walk be better at sunrise or sunset ?

My hotel is in Old Town. Would I walk or bus or taxi to Leith ?

Thanks again.

I would take the bus to Leith. I have no opinion on sun rise vs sunset. I would ask that question on the Edinburgh TA forum if you don't get an opinion here!

If you go to St. Andrew's, try to check out the castle. There is a mine that you can go down into. It's from the time of the Coventers when they were besieging a Cardinal or Bishop in the Castle. It's pretty neat.

They also have a bottle dungeon.

Pam

I'd go; a few days in Edinburgh will give you a good taste of this wonderful city . . . take a bus to Rosslyn to see the fantastic chapel (of DeVinci Code fame, but now no longer under construction, and an amazing little church), and St. Andrews is really picturesque. The golf course, of course, but just wander thru the town's streets. Definitely worth the trip (1/2 day).
Jim