How to Spend a Perfect Sunday in Edinburgh

Last Updated on 29th August 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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A Sunday in Edinburgh is best spent exploring lazily and soaking up the charm and magic of Scotland’s fairytale capital. A city made up of two towns, the Old and New Town, which are historic gems filled with treasures. Edinburgh is also close to the beach and sits at the foot of an ancient extinct volcano. From historic tours, whisky drinking and hilltop hiking, here’s how to spend a perfect Sunday in Edinburgh!

Is everything closed on a Sunday in Edinburgh?

Most of Edinburgh’s businesses remain open on Sunday, the only difference you’ll find is that places tend to be open for reduced hours, so be sure to check online in advance.

What if it’s raining?

Often described as a city that never stops raining, you might be wondering how to enjoy exploring Edinburgh if being drizzled on is not what you had in mind. Not to worry as we have compiled a guide to the best things to do on a rainy day in Edinburgh, which is sometimes more enchanting when explored in gloomy weather.

Best things to do in Edinburgh on a Sunday

Go for brunch

The ultimate relaxing way to start a Sunday is to brunch! While you may have heard of a full English breakfast, you may not realise that Scotland has their own version. A full Scottish breakfast has a few extra additions including, haggis, Lorne sausage and tattie scones.

Edinburgh brunch address book:

• The Edinburgh Larder – 15 Blackfriars St, Edinburgh EH1 1NB
• Loudons – 2 Sibbald Walk, Edinburgh EH8 8FT
• Toast – 65 Shore, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6RA
• Roseleaf – 23/24 Sandport Pl, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6EW
• Hula juice bar – 103-105 West Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2JP
• Snax Café – Guildford Arms, 15-17 W Register St, Edinburgh EH2 2AA
• Cairngorm Coffee – 1 Melville Pl, Edinburgh EH3 7PR

There are so many places to choose from, all offering a wide variety of sweet and savoury (as you can see below) as well as plenty of options that are vegetarian and vegan friendly!

Discover a small museum

As the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh is home to the country’s national museums and galleries, but there are plenty of small and unique museums worth exploring too!

One of the most unique spots to visit (but certainly not for the faint hearted) is Surgeon’s Hall Museum, which is a museum dedicated to all things anatomy and is one largest and most historic pathology collections in the UK.

Tucked away just off the Royal Mile, both of which are free to visit, you can see the Museum of Edinburgh and the Museum of Childhood, which was the first museum in the world to be entirely dedicated to specialise in the history of childhood.

Another tiny museum which is free to visit is The Writer’s Museum which is housed in a historic building and showcases the the lives of three of the foremost Scottish writers: Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Head to a market

The most popular market to visit on a Sunday in Edinburgh is the Stockbridge Market, which happens on a weekly basis come rain or shine from 10 AM – 4 PM. With local traders selling handmade crafts, artisanal bread, cheese, meats and baked goods, there are also several food stalls where you can buy hot meals and snacks to munch on as you wander around.

Take a tour of the Old Town

One of Edinburgh’s main neighbourhoods is the Old Town, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, filled with historic architecture that dates back as far as the 12th century. Edinburgh’s famous castle, sits atop a rock and the looms over the Grassmarket, which is one of the oldest parts of the city, historically it was a bustling marketplace but also has a darker past as the site of public executions.

Home to the Royal Mile, which is the length of a Scot’s mile, here you’ll find local pubs tucked away on hidden alleyways, as well as St Giles Cathedral, the biggest sacred space of the city and a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.

The Old Town is so rich with history that the best way to explore it is by taking a guided tour, this way you’ll get to hear the best stories, learn the spooky history and see the hidden spots that aren’t so obvious to those passing by. Book a guided tour of the Old Town like this one.

Visit a whisky (or gin) distillery

Whisky is Scotland’s biggest export and what the country is best known for worldwide, home to over 150 active whisky distilleries! Spend a perfect Sunday afternoon taking a whisky distillery tour, learning the fascinating history and heritage behind this tasty golden liquid.

Holyrood Distillery – A tour around this distillery takes around 1 hour and you’ll be able to sample all sorts of spirits, from their gin to new make (un-aged whisky) and their aged whisky. It’s interesting to learn how a new distillery is pushing the boundaries of experimenting with yeast and malt when it comes to making whisky. Book a whisky tour for Holyrood Distillery here.

Port of Leith – This is Scotland’s tallest vertical distillery, which stands at nine stories high. Unusual for a distillery because of the huge copper stills that are required to make the golden malt, Port of Leith sits proudly at the water’s edge and there’s also a bar on the 8th floor where you can sip on whisky with a view and enjoy delicious food. Book a tour and tasting for Port of Leith here.

Lind & Lime – This locally produced gin has one of the most beautiful bottles! Head to their distillery for a fascinating insight into the world of gin, how they make their spirit and get to taste a G & T at the end. Book a tour and tasting for Lind & Lime here.

Climb Arthur’s Seat

One of the things that makes Edinburgh so special is that you have a world of hiking on your doorstep! Around a 15-minute walk from the city centre is Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano that erupted over 340 million years ago, and today is one of the most iconic walks and boasts of stunning views over the city.

A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Edinburgh enjoying the fresh air of the city’s green spaces! Read our guide on how to climb Arthur’s Seat here.

After enjoying the fresh air and views, head to Edinburgh’s oldest pub, the Sheep Heid Inn, which is tucked away behind Arthur’s Seat. This cosy little spot serves a Sunday lunch too, but they tend to get really busy so book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Explore Harry Potter locations

A world of wizardry awaits in Edinburgh! The enchanting city of Edinburgh was very much the inspiration for much of the beloved story’s setting, filled with Harry Potter locations and spots where J.K. Rowling herself penned her novels, and an ancient cemetery where many characters’ surnames from the books can be found in, Greyfriars Kirkyard.

There’s also a small shop/exhibition of all things Harry Potter found on the beautiful winding row of colourful houses, Victoria Street. Here you can purchase a souvenir and check out some of the wands on display, though there are often queues to visit as the space is so tiny.

Simply walking around and soaking up the Gothic architecture of the city, you’ll soon understand how this city came to inspire such a magical tale!

Enjoy a Sunday roast

A ‘Sunday Roast’ is a very British tradition that began way back in the 15th century and although it can be eaten any day, it’s believed to have become a tradition because certain faiths would abstain from eating meat on certain days during the week. The dish is typically a meat (now there are lots of vegetation options too), roast potatoes, roast vegetables all smothered in gravy.

Edinburgh Sunday roast address book:

• Barony bar – 81-85 Broughton St, Edinburgh EH1 3RJ
• The Bon Vivant – 55 Thistle St, Edinburgh EH2 1DY
• Hawksmoor – 23 W Register St, Edinburgh EH2 2AA
• The Scran & Scallie – 1 Comely Bank Rd, Edinburgh EH4 1DR
• The King’s Wark – 36 Shore, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6QU

Discover Dean Village

Discover the quaint area of Dean Village which is tucked away and not too far removed from the normal hustle and bustle of Edinburgh city life. This hidden little gem is situated along the Water of Leith, and has a history that traces back to the 12th century, for its original purpose as a milling settlement.

Walk the Water of Leith

If the weather is good, one of the best walks in Edinburgh you can take is via the Water of Leith, which is the city’s main river and flows right from the Port of Leith all the way into the  Firth of Forth (around 12 miles).

There are pedestrian and cycle paths which follow the water almost all the way, along you can stop off at different parts of the city and enjoy the different neighbourhoods of Edinburgh. You’ll also come along several bronze cast statues of Anthony Gormley situated along the river, these act as a mark of the water’s height as well as bearing witness to the change in seasons.

Take a chocolate making class at The Chocolatarium

Just off of the Royal Mile is a world of chocolate! Spend your Sunday exploring this history of how cacao is turned into the edible delight we all know and love so much, tasting some and then trying to make chocolate yourself! This experience has proved to be super popular as it was voted  #1 best food experience in the UK by Trip Advisor in 2022.

Visit the botanic gardens

Wander around the verdant green expanse of luscious foliage, tropical plants and rare species of trees at The Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh. They are free to wander around, although there’s a small fee to visit the glasshouses, and are open on Sundays from 10 AM – 6 PM.

With over 350 years of history, Edinburgh’s botanic gardens are Edinburgh’s botanic gardens are one of the most important and diverse vast collections of biodiversity. Home to over 273,000 individual living species are grown in the gardens, representing around 13,000 species from all over the world. While the herbarium contains an excess of 3 million preserved specimens!

See live music at a pub

To have a true experience of Edinburgh, head to a local pub and enjoy a local Scottish beer or whisky (or get a half-and-half, which is a half pint of beer with a dram of whisky) and see some live traditional folk music! There are so many pubs across the city that, especially on a Sunday, showing live music and welcoming visitors to enjoy and embrace the jovial atmosphere.

Head to the beach

Edinburgh is a city of many landscapes and one of the greatest parts of the city is that you’re never too far away from the sea. Spend a lazy Sunday morning or afternoon strolling along the coastline and marvelling at the fact you are still in a city!

The closest spots to the city are Wardie Bay in Newhaven, where you can enjoy a delicious fish & chips, Portobello, which is home to a promenade and retro arcade. And, Cramond Beach, which is home to the Scottish gem, Cramond Island, a remote and uninhabited island that can only be reach by foot at low tide.

Looking for more Edinburgh based inspiration? Why not check out our how to spend the perfect 3 days in Edinburgh guide.

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