Orientation
Edinburgh
Studded with volcanic hills, Edinburgh has an incomparable location on the southern edge of the enormous Firth of Forth. The Old Town, with its crowded tenements and bloody past, stands in contrast to the orderly grid of the New Town with its disciplined Georgian buildings. Most of the city's sights are contained within these two districts. The largely medieval Royal Mile, running down from Edinburgh Castle - which, perched atop its black, volcanic crag, dominates the central area - to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, is the Old Town's spine. In the New Town, Princes St, though not so architecturally inspiring, is Edinburgh's chief thoroughfare and one of the world's most spectacular shopping streets. To the north of the centre, Leith, Edinburgh's main port, has survived a period of decline to become a fashionable area of pubs and restaurants. Portobello to the east is where Edinburgh's citizens spend time on the beach when the weather is warm enough. To the west, medieval South Queensferry sits in the shadow of the two large bridges that span the Firth of Forth. To the south, near Holyrood Park, is picturesque Duddingston.
Visas Overview
Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA may stay in Britain for up to six months without a visa; however, working is prohibited. EU citizens don't need a visa and can live and work freely.
Customs Overview
The following list of items are illegal to bring into the UK and therefore Scotland: illegal drugs such as heroin, offensive weapons, indecent and obscene material featuring children, pornographic material (other than that which can be legally purchased in the UK);
material depicting extreme violence; counterfeit goods, goods that infringe patents and meat, milk and other animal products.
Goods you cannot import without authority or a licence include firearms, explosives, ammunition and gas canisters; endangered species, alive or dead, and goods made from them; certain plants and their produce; and
radio transmitters such as CB radios that are not approved for use in the UK. Contact the Customs National Advice Service if you are at all unsure whether to bring something with you.
Duty Free
Travellers arriving in the UK from other EU countries don't have to pay tax or duty on goods for personal use. The maximum amounts of tobacco and alcohol that each person can bring into the country duty-free are 3200 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars, 3kg of smoking tobacco, 10L of spirits, 20L of fortified wine (eg, port or sherry), 90L of wine and 110L of beer. People under the age of 17 are not allowed to import any alcohol or tobacco.
Travellers from outside the EU can bring in, duty free, 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 70fl oz (2L) of still table wine; 1L of spirits or 2L of fortified/ sparkling wine or liqueurs; 60mL of perfume; 250mL of toilet water; and 145.00 GBP worth of other goods.
Getting There and Away
There are direct flights to Edinburgh (and Glasgow) airports from England, Wales, Ireland, USA, Canada, Scandinavia and several countries in western and central Europe.
From the rest of the world you will probably have to fly into a major European hub and catch a connecting flight - London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris have the best connections with Edinburgh.
Buses are an inexpensive way to travel between cities in the UK.
International trains leave from the brand-new Edinburgh Train Station.
Trains are often more expensive than buses but can be competitive if seats are booked early or you look out for specials.
Getting to Edinburgh and Away by Plane
Edinburgh Airport has frequent direct flights to Europe, Ireland and other parts of the UK and a limited number of services to Africa, the Middle East and Asia. There are no direct air services from North America. Travelling from Europe you'll often be best off flying to London, then taking the train or bus north. The 4-hour centre-to-centre rail trip takes only about an hour more than flying in actual travelling time. Glasgow, 60mi (97km) west and a 1.5-hour journey by bus, train or taxi, has a wider range of international flights. Edinburgh Airport is 8mi (13km) west of the city centre. The Lothian Buses Airlink runs frequently from Waverley Bridge, just outside the train station, to Haymarket and the airport, taking half an hour. A taxi is considerably more expensive. All UK domestic flights and those from Britain to within the EU carry a departure tax. Other international destinations carry a more expensive tax. This is usually included in ticket prices.
Getting to Edinburgh and Away by Bus
Buses are the cheapest - and most exhausting - way to get to/from Europe or other parts of the UK. Most services now use the swish new Edinburgh Bus Station on Elder Street.
Getting to Edinburgh and Away by Train
Though the bus is usually cheaper, discount rail tickets are competitive (Eurail passes are not recognised in Britain). The main rail terminus is Waverley train station, in the heart of the city. Both Virgin Trains and First ScotRail operate services to Edinburgh.
Getting to Edinburgh and Away by Car
The main routes into Edinburgh from the north and west are the M8 motorway from Glasgow and the M90/A9 from Perth and Inverness. The fastest driving route from London is via the M1 and M6 to Carlisle, then the M74 to Abington and the A702.
Getting to Edinburgh and Away by Ferry
From Ireland the main car-ferry lines are the Belfast-Stranraer and Larne-Cairnryan crossings. A ferry runs from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Rosyth, just north of Edinburgh.
Getting to Edinburgh and Away by Bicycle
For the seriously fit, cycling is an option for getting to and from Edinburgh. The city is included in the UK's National Cycle Network.
Getting Around
The only public transport is buses which have the city carefully covered. Otherwise the best way to get around is on a bicycle. Distances are short and bike lanes and paths are well marked.
Getting Around Edinburgh by Bus
Edinburgh is covered by a good network of bus services run by two companies, Lothian Buses and First Edinburgh. Tickets are not interchangeable. Most services leave from either St Andrew Square or Waverley Bridge.
Getting Around Edinburgh by Train
Edinburgh doesn't have its own separate rail network. Those running through the city are part of the national rail system. Trains heading west and north link Waverly station with Haymarket, but it's cheaper to catch a bus down Princes St. There are regular trains west to Dalmeny and east to North Berwick.
Getting Around Edinburgh by Taxi
Though useful for day trips beyond the city, a car in central Edinburgh is as much a millstone as a convenience. There is restricted access on some streets and many are one-way. Hailing a cab on the street should present no problems and there are numerous central taxi ranks including some at Waverley station.
Getting Around Edinburgh by Bicycle
Although there are plenty of steep hills to negotiate, Edinburgh is ideal for cycling - nothing is more than half an hour away, there are signposted cycle routes and outside the centre the traffic is fairly tolerable.
