By Simon Bendle, Mercat Storyteller
February is the month of love. Edinburgh is one of the world’s most romantic cities. So here are five wonderfully romantic things to do if you come to Scotland’s capital during the shortest month:
Food of love
Fine dining goes hand in hand with romance, and Edinburgh certainly has no shortage of romantic restaurants. The oak-panelled Witchery, up by Edinburgh Castle, is lavishly decorated, serves great food, and has a wonderful atmosphere. Over in the New Town, Chaophraya offers the best of Thai cuisine with great views across the city. Or you could head to Leith, once the capital’s bustling port, but now home to a lively and impressive restaurant scene.
Climb Calton Hill
Climbing Calton Hill, in central Edinburgh, takes 10 minutes, costs nothing – and offers stunning views across one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In every direction you see something astonishing - the Palace of Holyroodhouse; Edinburgh Castle; the elegant New Town; the volcanic peak of Arthur’s Seat. The hill also boasts the National Monument, a neo-classical structure, inspired by the Parthenon in Athens, which was built in the 1820s to honour Scots who died in the Napoleonic Wars - but was never finished because of lack of funds.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Nestled at the foot of the Royal Mile, beside the picturesque ruins of an ancient abbey, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is home to centuries of Scottish royal history. Mary Queen of Scots lived here. Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed here. Today Queen Elizabeth II uses the palace as her official residence in Scotland and many of its magnificent state apartments are open to the public. Much of the building dates from the late 17th century, but the oldest surviving tower went up in 1529. In short, it’s wonderful. The architect and scholar Charles McKean called it “the Caledonian Versailles”. See it with us on our Treasures of the Old Town tour.
Take a tour
Scotland’s capital is the perfect place to join a tour. And whatever your partner’s interests, you’re likely to find something that suits them. The city offers walking tours, underground tours, comedy tours, whisky tours, and more! Here at Mercat we’re very proud of our ghost and history tours. But we also offer specialist tours such as the Edinburgh Outlander Experience, inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s historical – and very romantic – Outlander novels. Plus for Valentine's Day our comedic Sin in The City tour is always a hit. Get 50% off until February 18th with the code VSDAYSOUT21.
Good buys
If you're looking for a unique gift for Valentine's Day why not stop by Edinburgh's Old Town? There you'll find lots of quirky, small, local businesses such as Mackenzie Leather, Gordon Nicholson Kiltmakers, and The Scottish Textiles Showcase!
Whatever your interests, we hope our list helps you find something to do this February. Stay tuned and follow us on Facebook for next month's 'things to do in March'.