Andy Mossack offers up his guide to 5 alternative Edinburgh attractions as he prowls Scotland’s ancient capital for something different.
Edinburgh Castle has sat proudly atop Castle Rock for almost 1,000 years and has no doubt seen its fair share of life both grim and gorgeous. Oh, the stories it could tell us. However I suspect it might be climbing its own walls on the comings and goings around it these days. There’s no doubting Edinburgh’s deserved popularity as a true tourist magnet.
Yet, as I strolled along Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile, the sheer number of potential ways tourists could spend their money was mind-boggling. Walking tours led by guides dressed as all manner of Scottish characters from William Wallace and Rob Roy to Harry Potter, or why not grab a photo opportunity holding a bird of prey or perhaps standing with a uniformed piper. Good luck to them all I say.
I prefer to stay a little outside the Royal Mile hubbub but still within touching distance, and the Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge is a good example. You can thank me later.
Perhaps you are suffering guide fatigue and fancy visiting places needing a little less information processing? Here are my 5 alternative Edinburgh attractions that just might make your day even better.
A little taste of Italy
Tucked away in Elm Row just below the castle you’ll find Valvona & Crolla, the oldest Italian delicatessen in Scotland, founded in 1934. But don’t think for one minute it is just a deli. This is a place of food and drink wonder. Stacked high with authentic foods, oils and wines imported directly from Italy every week. These days Olivia and her sister Francesca are at the helm. They are the great granddaughters of founder Alfonso Crolla, himself an immigrant from Lazio, who in 1934 together with Benedetto Valvona, began importing Italian food and wine to give the city’s Italian community a taste of home.
Today the shop has been expanded to include an impressive wine cellar and a fabulous café where you can feast on authentic Italian fare for breakfast, lunch and supper. The family also runs regular wine tasting events with food throughout the year. I’ve tried a tasting and the lunch and wines were outstanding. Booking essential.
Dive down into ancient streets and alleyways
The Real Mary King’s Close is about the nearest you’ll get to experiencing what life was like in 16th century Edinburgh. A warren of real streets, alleys and houses frozen in time below the Royal Exchange when they were used as the basis for its foundations during construction. Many of its former residents are historically documented including a royal connection when Mary Queen of Scots spent a night in captivity here after being defeated at the Battle of Carberry Hill against rebel Protestant Lords.
It is a remarkable tour along original uneven surfaces, steep inclines and mood lighting. However, rather than seeing it during the day, (which is still an excellent experience every 15 minutes) the nighttime lantern tour in near darkness is an altogether different encounter. They only provide these tours on selected dates, so hopefully your city visit will coincide with one of these.
A wee dram or three
Regardless of your own favorite tipple, you can’t come to Scotland without sampling tasters from the home of whisky. Johnnie Walker’s iconic tasting tour is head and shoulders above the kind of tasting sessions you’ll find at distilleries. This the Hollywood version, a slick state of the art delve into the history of Johnnie Walker and how whisky is made.
You’ll get to try a High Ball cocktail made to your own taste preferences thanks to a brief digital flavor quiz at the start and some proper drams at the end from a couple of Johnnie Walker brands. Bearing in mind Johnnie Walker and its owner Diagio own more than half of the distilleries in Scotland, there are plenty to choose from at the shop afterwards which is whisky lover heaven.
Speaking of which, a whisky flight tasting session at The Snug in the Glasshouse Hotel is a wonderful journey around some of Scotland’s best distilleries in Speyside, the Highlands, the Islands and along the West Coast. Or, for a different type of whiskey adventure, you could try some rare, limited edition flights courtesy of the wonderful Saoirse, the Glasshouse’s resident whiskey expert.
I had the great pleasure of sampling a few flights and one or two other extraordinary variations that materialized at my table. “Prepare yourself for something different Andy” Saoirse joked “this is Tullibardine 225, a whiskey finished in a Sauterne cask”. Blimey, this was a first. It was whiskey but not as I knew it. A sweet Sauterne finish that was worth an experience but perhaps not for the fainthearted!
The Snug is a wonderful setting and you can enjoy some fine food too, essential to soak up all that alcohol. The Glasshouse is just a few minutes’ walk to Edinburgh’s Waverley Station a fitting send-off if you’re leaving Edinburgh by train.
Alternatively, if you fancy some award-winning cocktails, you might want to pop up to Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge’s rooftop Lochrin Bar, which recently won Best Hotel Bar of the Year 2024. The views are outstanding as are the cocktail choices in this parlor speakeasy. Some personal recipes from Callum, Lochrin’s master cocktail maker.
So five alternative Edinburgh attractions that just might ease your guide fatigue and make your visit to Scotland’s wonderful city even more memorable.
Tell me more about this guide to 5 alternative Edinburgh attractions
Valvona & Crolla Elm Row, Edinburgh, EH7 4AA T: +44 (0)131 556 6066
The Real Mary King’s Close 2 Warriston’s Close, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1PG
T: 0044 (0) 131 225 0672 Tours from £22.50. Private and special tours are available too.
Johnnie Walker Journey of Flavour 145 Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 4BL
T: 0044 (0)131 376 9494 E: reservations.jwps@diageo.com
Tasting and Tours from £30
The Glasshouse Whiskey Snug : The Glasshouse Hotel, 2 Greenside Place, Edinburgh EH1 3AA T: 0131 525 8200
Whisky flights from £20. The Glasshouse runs regular ‘Whisky of the Month’ experiences which include bespoke whisky cocktails and events. This month’s whisky partner is Dalmore. As part of this,The Glasshouse will be running a Whisky & Chocolate Tasting Event on the 23rd October.
Fancy a reccomendation on where to eat in Edinburgh?
DulseLeith is the new fine dining fish and seafood from Masterchef The Professionals finalist Dean Banks who is setting a very high bar for seafood dining in the city.
Getting to Edinburgh on the Caledonian Sleeper
If you’re traveling from London, why not travel in style on the overnight Caledonian Sleeper in a Club En-Suite Room. Twin bunk options with Glencraft mattresses. Private en-suite with shower. Breakfast included on the Caledonian Sleeper.
Combining travel to and from the heart of London with comfortable overnight accommodation, prices for Seats start from £50, Classic Rooms from £190 for Solo or £240 for Shared, Club Rooms from £250 for Solo and £320 for Shared and Caledonian Doubles from £360 for Solo and £425 for Shared. Accessible Rooms are priced separately.
