Edinburgh, Scotland is full of so many amazing photo locations! Wether you’re looking for a few cool places for pictures when visiting, or you’re wanting to hire a professional to make your vacation an even more memorable experience, you can’t go wrong with these 5 locations for pictures!
When visiting Edinburgh, it’s best to stay in Old Town or New Town. Old Town is on the south side and is full of historic architecture, iconic locations like The Royal Mile and Victoria Street. New Town is closer to Princess Street and Dean Village. Both Old Town and New Town are great places to stay when visiting, and an easy walk to all the iconic locations you’d like to visit!
The best way to get to Edinburgh’s city centre is by public transportation. Edinburgh has a great airport that is a short distance by tram to locations like Princess Street. You can also take a train into Waverly Station which is in the heart of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh has a lot of structured tours that leave out of the city! They can range from a day trip out to The Highlands, a Harry Potter tour, Outlander tours, or multi day bus tours through the Highland and Isle of Skye. This is a great way to see more of Scotland without having to rent a car and drive on the other side of the road.
A few tour companies I recommend:
Calton Hill is close to the City Centre and is accessible by public transportation! It is a steep walk up, but when you get to the top you have 360 degree views of Edinburgh and it’s skyline! It’s a big grass hill, so you get a great mix of the Edinburgh skyline and a bit of nature!
Dean Village is a short walk from New Town. It’s full of cute architecture and an iconic spot of Edinburgh! Once you take in the buildings, you can continue walking along the Water of Leith where it’s really green and next to the sweet river.
Princess Street Gardens has a great view of Old Town and Edinburgh Castle! It’s a great picnic spot and you can enjoy the fountain and grassy hills. You get a great view of the Old Town skyline and the Scott Monument is also near the park!
Holyrood is at the end of the Royal Mile and the cathedral is a perfect location for those who love the old church feel, and the open air since it’s no longer intact… It definitely gives off beautiful European vibes!
Exploring Old Town really gives you the Edinburgh feel! Explore the cobblestone streets, alleyways, and the old churches! Victoria Street and Grassmarket also have stunning backdrops for photos.
Hi! I’m Meghan, a photographer originally from the US, now living in Edinburgh, Scotland! I love showing people around this beautiful city and giving them fun photos from the new place they just visited!!
Hiring a photographer while visiting a city is a great choice for many reasons! Not only are you getting professional, fun, photos back from your vacation that you get to share, you’ll also have a local there to show you around! I’m able to give you tips on where to stay, where to eat, and places to check out since I live here full time!
©Meghan Gibson Photo 2025, all rights reserved.
Meghan is a US native, Scotland living dual citizen here to help you plan the intimate wedding of your dreams! After spending years in the states working in the wedding industry, she made the jump to the other side of the pond to help couples with their international elopement experiences!