Ruggedly beautiful Edinburgh has had plenty of tales to tell in the 900 years since King David I of Scotland named it a royal burgh in 1124. Fall is an ideal time for exploring the ancient warren of the Old Town and the neo-Classical New Town, after the summer’s international arts festivals have ended and before the chill sets in (although the hedonistic Hogmanay festival in late December is worth sticking around for). A newly extended tram line connecting the port of Leith with the city center and the completion of the St. James Quarter, a deluxe shopping mall, are recent peaks of a perpetual cycle of restoration and reimagining. But it is the thriving local scene of creatives — artists, chefs, brewers and more — that ensures the first UNESCO City of Literature always has new stories to share.
With its cobbled streets, village atmosphere, and hodgepodge of cafes and boutiques, the Stockbridge area feels like a miniature, more manageable version of Edinburgh, and is only a 15-minute walk from bustling Princes Street, the city’s main thoroughfare. There, find two of Edinburgh’s best independent bookshops. Golden Hare Books is a cozy, well-curated browser’s paradise. If you have forgotten your reading glasses, there are pairs to borrow provided by the London spectacle maker Cubitts. The nearby Rare Birds Books is Scotland’s only bookshop dedicated to female authors (reclaiming “bird,” a blokey British slang term for a woman) with two bright, airy rooms containing fiction and nonfiction. If you cannot choose a title, be guided by the handwritten description tag on a prewrapped mystery book (10 pounds, or about $13.40).
Seeking out a French restaurant in the Scottish capital may sound strange, but the two countries have a long history. The Auld Alliance was formed in 1295 as a pact against England, their common foe at the time. In a lane north of elegant George Street, in the central New Town area, Cafe St. Honoré, a longstanding locals’ favorite, is overseen by the veteran Scottish chef Neil Forbes. Instead of the small shared plates that dominate modern dining, find hearty dishes of Scottish produce cooked with French finesse, such as a confit partridge leg sourced from the nearby Borders region (£32). Alongside a revolving à la carte menu, there is also a good-value set menu (£28.50 for two courses, £36 for three) at both lunch and dinner.
Whisky is big business in Edinburgh, typified by the glitzy multistory Johnnie Walker Experience on Princes Street. For a more intimate tasting, opt for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society on nearby Queen Street, where one-off bottlings of whisky from a single cask carry eccentric titles inspired by their tasting notes. At its ground-floor Kaleidoscope Bar, a Georgian drawing room refashioned into an elegant saloon, savor the rotating Malt of the Moment (£5.25), or order a flight (starting at £25 for three drams) selected by knowledgeable bar staff in tweed waistcoats. (Walk-ins available, but reservations recommended.) If you prefer cocktails in a laid-back setting, follow the neon signage of the nearby Lucky Liquor Co., where bartenders spin mellow vinyl and expertly prepare drinks.
After a night on the tiles in the New Town, begin your Old Town experience with a pilgrimage to the Greyfriars Bobby Fountain, a bronze statue of the loyal terrier who guarded its owner’s nearby grave for 14 years, according to local lore. Rubbing its nose is thought to bring luck, which explains the healthy shine. Wander south toward Lauriston Place to admire the Victorian clock tower of the Edinburgh Futures Institute. This used to be the old Royal Infirmary, a grand hospital pavilion dating back to 1879 that has been thoughtfully restored and overhauled. Grab a coffee (£3.40) from Canopy Kitchen & Courtyard — a restaurant and takeaway counter reached via the pedestrianized Middle Meadow Walk — and stroll the campus’s piazza.
Cut through Greyfriars Kirk churchyard or follow the downward slope of Candlemaker Row to emerge into the Grassmarket, a broad, cobbled street whose sunken setting makes Edinburgh Castle seem even more imposing. On Saturdays it becomes Grassmarket Market, with two clusters of tented stalls offering a potpourri of goods that might include vintage jewelry, gourmet sausage rolls, vinyl records and handmade Scottish tablet, a sort of sugary, buttery fudge (£5 a bag). Fill up with more sweet treats from Kilted Donut, a compact coffee spot that offers a rotating selection of eye-catching regular and vegan-friendly doughnuts (£4.50) every month. Or have brunch at Hula, a bright and busy cafe with outdoor seating that is ideal for people-watching and an avocado toast elevated by a scattering of chile flakes, chia, sea salt and sesame seeds (£12.50).
Head toward the Mound, a steep thoroughfare linking the Old Town with the New Town, where two temple-like neo-Classical structures dominate. One is the National Gallery of Scotland, rebranded the National in 2023 after a £38 million refurbishment. The other is the Royal Scottish Academy. Enter the National via the landscaped paths of Princes Street Gardens, which lead directly to a dozen revamped galleries of historical Scottish art; head for Room 3 to compare Alexander Nasmyth’s 1825 paintings of Princes Street with the contemporary view out the window. Cue up the free downloadable audio guide for insights from diverse voices, including the English stand-up comic turned fine-art student Phill Jupitus. Keep one eye on the time and return to the gardens for the ceremonial firing of the One O’Clock Gun from Edinburgh Castle, a regular ritual since 1861.
The sprawling dockside district of Leith has been reinventing itself for decades as a collaborative place for artists, and even though the Edinburgh tram line was recently extended there, it has maintained its grit. A tram or bus ride to the Shore, a cobbled Leith wharf populated with cafes and pubs, will bring you into the vicinity of Coburg House Art Studios, a former granary and seed storage site turned into studios for more than 50 craftspeople. On weekends, the ground floor opens as a gallery space and shop showcasing the art, jewelry and textiles produced on-site. Independent craft brewers have also made the industrial area home: Campervan Brewery, which operates the Lost in Leith Bar & Fermentaria in a nearby converted warehouse, pays tribute with a fruity session I.P.A. called Leith Juice…….