Day trips outside of Edinburgh
By Lauren, from Scotland, studying Politics
Have you been to the Botanic Gardens more times than you can count? Conquered Arthur’s Seat so many times that it’s starting to feel boring? Sounds like you need ideas for day trips outside of Edinburgh! Although Scotland is a fairly small place, the country has a lot to offer if you have a spare day to explore. As a lifelong Scot, I’ve been lucky enough to visit these places, and would love to share them!
If you’re under 22 and have a Young Scot card, all these places are accessible by bus, so you can use your card to get the bus for free!
If you love Edinburgh Castle, you’ll love Stirling Castle
According to multiple people on Tripadvisor, Stirling Castle has been said to be better than Edinburgh Castle, and I would have to agree (although I may be a bit biased). If you love historic castles, interactive character actors, and a rich history, you will love Stirling Castle.
It is open all year round with activities throughout the year, making it a must-do day trip, especially when you use your Young Scot card as you can get £1 entry. You can spend a good few hours looking around the Castle, which should give you time to explore the rest of Stirling city whilst you are here.
You can get here by bus by taking the Megabus from the Edinburgh Bus station under the St James Quarter, which takes around an hour and a half. If you want to get there faster, you can also get the train from Waverley to Stirling which takes around 45 minutes. Both drop you off in Stirling City Centre, and it’s about a 10-minute walk up to the Castle.
If you love North Berwick, you’ll love St Andrews
While North Berwick is a staple day trip which I would highly recommend, when I visited the town for the first time, I could not stop thinking about how similar it is to St Andrews. Both have stunning beaches, seaside fish and chip shops, and amazing ice cream, as well as cute vintage shops, and ruins, that you can explore. I would recommend going to St Andrews on a sunnier day in the summer, as there is nothing fun about visiting a coastal beach in the middle of winter.
St Andrews is a tad difficult to get to, but you have the choice of a 2-hour bus where you get to go over the Forth Road Bridge, or an hour train and a 15-minute bus – the choice is yours!
If you love the Botanic Gardens, you’ll love the Glasgow Botanics
The Edinburgh Botanic Gardens are one of my favourite places in Edinburgh, and it is difficult to rival them. However, there are so many Botanic and National Trust Gardens you can visit around Scotland!
The easiest one to get to is the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, which sits in the middle of the city and is a short train and subway trip away. These botanic gardens host an array of amazing plants, and even gave a Glasshouse for you to hide in if you get caught in the rain! You can also get the bus to Glasgow, which takes a bit longer but is cheaper.
If you have access to a car, or if you don’t mind travelling a little bit further, I recommend Drummond Gardens in Crieff, which recently hosted a Dior Fashion Show, and is open to the public between May and October, seven days a week. If you’re wanting a bit more of an active day out, another recommendation is the Japanese Gardens at Dollar, and you can hike up Dollar Glen afterwards!
If you love the National Museum of Scotland, you’ll love Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Kelvingrove is one of my favourite museums in the whole of Scotland, as it has so many exhibits scattered throughout the building. They have art, animals, architecture, and photography, and it can keep you busy for an hour, or an entire day.
If you time it right, make sure you catch the daily organ recital. While that sounds boring, I promise you it will be one of the highlights of the day! You can hear it from around the museum as well, so feel free to watch snippets and wander around the rest of the time.
You can get here by bus, by taking the bus for about an hour and a half from the bus centre under the St James Quarter, or by taking the train from Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street or Glasgow Central. You can then either walk or get the subway to Kelvinhall (not Kelvinbridge as I have done) and get ready for an amazing day out!
If you love the Museum of Modern Art, you’ll love the V&A museum
The Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in Dundee is well worth a trip if you’re looking for a day out in Scotland. The museum opened just before the pandemic and welcomes a variety of ever-changing exhibits that focus on design, colour, and modern art.
I visited in 2021 for the ‘Night Fever’ exhibit which talked you through the evolution of club culture between the 1960s to present day. While you’re in the city, feel free to explore some of the other museums, shops, and the University of Dundee campus!
You can get to Dundee via the bus, or train, which are both around an hour and a half and take you over the Forth Road Bridge.
Whether you are looking for a chill day out, or something a bit more adventurous, Scotland has so many places that you can visit on your day off from university or work, without even having to hire or use a car!
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