Edinburgh: 5 Instagrammable Spots You Can Visit by Car

Edinburgh instantly evokes associations with castles on granite rocks, wrought iron bars, and antique mirrors in heavy frames. This is partly true – the city is full of various art galleries, museums, and castles with a rich history. However, Edinburgh has many more iconic destinations to offer that are so popular with travelers and that so often hit the Instagram feed.

If you are a fan of beautiful places and you like to take fantastic photo-shots, then the capital of Scotland is the destination where you need to go soon. Despite the global lockdown, Edinburgh is one of the few spots available to foreign travelers.

So, book a flight to the local airport and then you can use a car hire as a fast, budget and safe transport – Green Motion at Edinburgh Airport is ready to offer an extensive list of quality cars at a nice price.

Are you ready to fill out your Instagram account with some incredible photos? Then start the engine of your hire car and go!

1. Calton Hill

The hill is located to the east of the New Town and is an excellent observation deck. However, the reputation of this place is not truly clean. The fact is that it was here that the city prison was located, and also executions carried out regularly.

Today, there is a modern observatory at the top, and three wide avenues diverge in different directions from the hill. In August, Calton Hill becomes the center for the Edinburgh Festival, and offers great views of the fireworks at Edinburgh Castle on Christmas Eve. Agree that these are outstanding conditions for taking great photos!

2. Arthur’s Throne

The highest of Edinburgh’s seven hills is Arthur’s Throne, which is located in a park adjacent to Palace of Holyroodhouse. Once this majestic hill was nothing more than a volcano, but today many call it “The Lion’s Head” – at a certain angle, the shape of the hill really begins to resemble a formidable predator preparing to jump.

Arthur’s Throne is a mountain with a height of about 250 meters. It’s also Edinburgh’s best viewpoint, providing incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing views of the city. While admiring this view, you can fall in love with the capital of Scotland.

Getting to the top of Arthur’s Throne on your car hire is easy. The ascent won’t take a lot of efforts, as the road to the observation deck is perfectly equipped for climbing.

3. Scott Monument

If you don’t know that this monument was erected in honor of the great Scottish writer Walter Scott, you can consider that this is an unusual neo-Gothic church of the Victorian era – the composition of this monument is so large-scale and architecturally intricate.

Its height is over 60 meters, and it offers almost the best views of central Edinburgh. However, for the sake of admiring you will have to climb one of the spiral staircases, that is, overcome almost three hundred steps. The true architectural highlight of the monument is the sculpture of Walter Scott himself, sitting in an armchair with his dog.

4. Forth Bridge

This bridge has an extremely important function. In fact, it connects the southeast and northeast of the country. Construction process began at the end of the nineteenth century, and the scale of the project is striking: it used ten times more metal than the construction of the Eiffel Tower.

The visual effect created by this bridge is so strong that many contemporary filmmakers, artists and photographers choose it as a decoration for their works. Some art historians also say that the Forth Bridge is not only an expression of contemporary art, but also its spiritual inspiration.

5. Royal Botanic Garden

This is a great place to relax, enjoy the incredible scenery, and take some fantastic photos. The park is divided into independent thematic zones, some of which are located directly in the open air, while others – in greenhouses.

Many locals call Royal Botanic Garden the main pearl of the city: a mountain river, waterfalls and lakes form a unique environment. The Chinese Garden is constantly growing and transports you to the Asian-style landscape. The palm greenhouse with lianas, bamboo and almost all types of palm trees is especially loved by visitors. The heather conservatory and the areas dedicated to the local flora feature an incredible charm.

It’s best to visit the botanical garden in the warm weather when all the plants are in bloom, making a great backdrop for your photos. Don’t worry about where to leave your hire car as there are plenty of free street parking spaces nearby.