20 Attractions to Explore Near Edinburgh Waverley

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Fruitmarket

Fruitmarket

0.08km from Edinburgh Waverley

This was a former fruit and vegetable market, first opened as a gallery in 1974, and has shown artists from Henri Cartier-Bresson and David Hockney to Louise Bourgeois and William Kentridge. The Fruitmarket's programme, publications and events all aim to ‘show thinking happening’ and ‘to demonstrate that art is a creative, active and generous cultural force’. As well as gallery spaces, the Fruitmarket offers a carefully curated shop including books, artist editions and gifts, and a cafe.

City Art Centre

City Art Centre

0.11km from Edinburgh Waverley

The City Art Centre is an impressive nine-storey former warehouse located in the heart of Edinburgh. Originally constructed between 1899 and 1902, it was converted into gallery use in 1980. it has a collection which include historic and modern Scottish painting and photography, as well as contemporary art and craft. It is an exhibition based venue with no permanent displays.

The Edinburgh Dungeon

The Edinburgh Dungeon

0.11km from Edinburgh Waverley

The Edinburgh Dungeon is the ultimate underground journey through Edinburgh's darkest history, using live actors, theatrical sets, special effects, 360 degree sets and thrilling rides in a truly unique and immersive walk-through experience. The shows are laced with tongue in cheek, gallows humour typical of the Dungeon brand. Since its opening, it has evolved to feature walkthrough theatrical shows, such as Witch Hunt, and the cannibal cave of Sawney Bean, based on the legend of the notorious ca

Cockburn Street

Cockburn Street

0.15km from Edinburgh Waverley

Lord Cockburn Street was built as an access to the Waverley Bridge Road at Waverley Rail Station from the High Street near to the Tron Kirk. The Plans for Cockburn Street were submitted over a lengthy period circa 1850 and was finally completed in 1859. Lord Cockburn's head is carved over the entrance to 1 Cockburn Street and The street contains a series of small specialist shops.

City Chambers

City Chambers

0.2km from Edinburgh Waverley

Located in the heart of Edinburgh's historic Old Town - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - The City Chambers has enviable views of the city's skyline, providing an enchanting backdrop your event. The current building was originally built as the Royal Exchange, which was funded by subscription and commissioned in 1753.[2] It was designed by John Adam with detail alterations by John Fergus.

Scott Monument

Scott Monument

0.21km from Edinburgh Waverley

Scott Monument is one of the most iconic Edinburgh landmarks, a must-visit for tourists and locals alike. Dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, it is one of the largest monuments to a writer anywhere in the world. The tower is 200 feet 6 inches high and has viewing platforms reached by a series of spiral staircases giving panoramic views of central Edinburgh and its surroundings.

The Real Mary King's Close

The Real Mary King's Close

0.23km from Edinburgh Waverley

One of Edinburgh's top attractions and only preserved 17th-century street. The close was partially demolished and buried due to the building of the Royal Exchange in the 18th century, and later closed to the public for many years. The area became shrouded in myths and urban legends; tales of hauntings and murders abounded.

Museum on the Mound

Museum on the Mound

0.27km from Edinburgh Waverley

The Museum on the Mound focuses on the history of the Bank of Scotland as well as the history of numismatics, which is the study of physical money. The permanent collection includes artefacts tracing the history of the Bank of Scotland since its foundation in 1695, paintings and architectural models of the Head Office building on the Mound, and the history of banking and building societies in Britain. It has more than 50,000 visitors per year.

St Giles' Cathedral

St Giles' Cathedral

0.29km from Edinburgh Waverley

St Giles’ Cathedral, built on an ancient sanctuary built during the ninth century. The temple is dedicated to St Giles, patron saint of the lepers. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended until the early 16th century; significant alterations were undertaken in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the addition of the Thistle Chapel. St Giles' is closely associated with many events and figures in Scottish history, including John Knox, who served as the church's minister a

Museum of Childhood

Museum of Childhood

0.34km from Edinburgh Waverley

The Museum of Childhood was the first museum in the world to be dedicated to the history of childhood and it attracts over 200,000 visitors a year. The collections include eighteenth-century teddy bears and beautiful dolls, all dressed in the period’s clothing. Visitors will also discover puppets, toy soldiers and small and rudimentary cars with pedals, among many other treasures.

Saint Andrew Square

Saint Andrew Square

0.34km from Edinburgh Waverley

St Andrew Square is one of the most prestigious locations in Edinburgh New Town. A mirror of Charlotte Square, St Andrew Square is located at the East End of George Street in what was the hub of Edinburgh's financial world, but in an area that is now more characterised by its pubs, restaurants, and designer shops. Within six years of its completion St Andrew Square became one of the most desirable and most fashionable residential areas in the city. As the 19th century came to a close, St Andrew

John Knox House

John Knox House

0.34km from Edinburgh Waverley

John Knox House on Edinburgh's Royal Mile is a well-known tourist attraction, described by one architectural historian as 'improbably picturesque'. The house itself was built from 1490 onwards, featuring a fine wooden gallery and hand-painted ceiling. Investigate the ground floor and you can see the remnants of medieval ‘luckenbooths’, or locked booths, once rented out as shops.

Scottish Storytelling Centre

Scottish Storytelling Centre

0.35km from Edinburgh Waverley

This was a vibrant arts venue with a seasonal programme of live storytelling, theatre, music, exhibitions, workshops, family events and festivals. It is also used as a venue during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The new building, designed by Malcolm Fraser Architects, replaced the former Netherbow Arts Centre, which itself replaced the Moray-Knox Church, demolished in the 1960s.

The Writers' Museum

The Writers' Museum

0.36km from Edinburgh Waverley

The Writers’ Museum, housed in Lady Stair's House at the Lawnmarket, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, presents the lives of three of the foremost Scottish writers: Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Run by the City of Edinburgh Council, the collection includes portraits, works and personal objects. Beside the museum lies the Makars' Court, the country's emerging national literary monument.

Edinburgh Vaults

Edinburgh Vaults

0.36km from Edinburgh Waverley

The Edinburgh Vaults are a series of chambers formed by the 19 arches of South Bridge. Today, the vaults are one of the most haunted places in Edinburgh. For around 30 years, the vaults were used to house taverns, workshops for cobblers and other tradesmen, as well as storage space for said merchants. In later years, the vaults were a hotspot for the homeless and for criminal activity such as illegal gambling taverns, illegal whisky distillery and, according to rumour, bodysnatchers stored corps

Gladstone's Land

Gladstone's Land

0.36km from Edinburgh Waverley

Gladstone's Land is a surviving 17th-century high-tenement house situated in the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has been restored and furnished by the National Trust for Scotland, and is operated as a popular tourist attraction. it is now a house-museum that explores in detail how the city’s residents lived in the Old Town over 400 years ago. Currently, six of its rooms are open to the public and all include original items from the 1600s, antiques and period decoration.

Scottish National Gallery

Scottish National Gallery

0.38km from Edinburgh Waverley

The Scottish National Gallery is one of Scotland’s top free visitor attractions. It houses Scotland’s national collection of fine art from the early Renaissance to the end of the nineteenth century. The gallery comprises two main buildings, the National Gallery of Scotland building and the Royal Scottish Academy building, both designed in neoclassical style by William Henry Playfair.

Royal Mile

Royal Mile

0.38km from Edinburgh Waverley

Royal Mile is the heart of Scotland's historic capital. It runs through the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, connecting the magnificent Edinburgh Castle, perched high on a base of volcanic rock, with the splendorous Palace of Holyroodhouse, resting in the shadow of Arthur's Seat. The streets which make up the Royal Mile are Castlehill, the Lawnmarket, the High Street, the Canongate and Abbey Strand. The Royal Mile is the busiest tourist street in the Old Town, rivalled only by Princes Street in t

Cowgate

Cowgate

0.39km from Edinburgh Waverley

The Cowgate is a street in Edinburgh, Scotland, located about 550 yards southeast of Edinburgh Castle, within the city's World Heritage Site. The street is part of the lower level of Edinburgh's Old Town, which lies below the elevated streets of South Bridge and George IV Bridge. Consequently, the Cowgate can be quite gloomy and dark in sections. It meets the Grassmarket at its west end and Holyrood Road to the east.

The Royal Scottish Academy

The Royal Scottish Academy

0.39km from Edinburgh Waverley

The Royal Scottish Academy is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the Royal Scottish Academy on being granted a royal charter in 1838. Based within the Royal Scottish Academy building, the RSA runs a year-round programme of exhibitions, artist opportunities and related educational talks and events which support artists at all stages o

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Know more about Edinburgh Waverley

Edinburgh Waverley

Edinburgh Waverley

Princes St, Edinburgh EH1 1BB, UK

Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the principal station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central. It is the northern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, 393 miles 13 chains from London King's Cross, although some trains operated by London North Eastern Railway continue to other Scottish destinations beyond Edinburgh.