The first time I approached Scotland was during a study holiday in Edinburgh around 9 years ago. I remembered it as a beautiful city but after being there again a couple of weekends ago I felt completely in love with it. There are many things to see but you can have a first insight in two days. 

Edinburgh used to be a medieval city and this can be seen in the Old Town. This part of the city is the most famous and, in my opinion, the most beautiful part of Edinburgh. I'd suggest having a walk on the main street Royal Mile - which goes from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace - and taste the magic around.

Old Town

Old Town

Tolbooth Kirk

Royal Mile

Royal Mile

Edinburgh Castle
In the upper part of the Royal Mile, there is Edinburgh Castle. I went inside years ago and it's really beautiful and fascinating but also quite expensive (around 17£), so if you don't want to spend this amount just go there and admire the landscape from above, it's totally worth it.

Edinburgh Castle from Princess Street Garden

Edinburgh Castle

View from Edinburgh Castle

View from Edinburgh Castle at night

St Giles Cathedral

Core at St Giles Cathedral

Grassmarket
Part of the Old Town, Grassmarket is a historical market place in the town and it was a traditional place of public executions. From here it is possible to enjoy the view from the Castle towering above. Today the area is surrounded by nice pubs, bars and shops and it's a really nice place where to spend the evening. Moreover, every Saturday during the day a small market with local products is held.

View from Grassmarket

Greyfriars Kirkyard

It is the graveyard surrounding the Greyfriars Kirk. Here you can find the graveyard of Bobby, the dog which is famous for guarding his master's grave and for Harry Potter fans here it is also located Thomas Riddell's grave, which name may have inspired JK Rowling's famous villain.Behind the gate, you can also see George Heriot's School which was a source of inspiration for Hogwarts School. 

George Heriot's school

Holyrood Palace

At the bottom of the Royal Mile, there is Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the Queen in Scotland. The Queen is used to spend one week  in the residence at the beginning of every summer, otherwise is open to the public to visit.

Holyrood Palace

Holyrood Park and Arthur's Seat

Holyrood Park is a royal park in the centre of Edinburgh with hills, hiking path, loch and glens. At the centre,there is the highest point in the town Arthur's Seat. I believe that hiking to get at the top is a must do if you are coming to Edinburgh because from here you can enjoy an amazing landscape and a view of the surroundings and it is totally worth the effort. Just put on some comfortable shoes and a wind jacket and you'll be ready for the climbing.

Holyrood Park

Holyrood Park

View from Arthur''s Seat

View from Arthur's Seat

Holyrood Park

Graveyard surrounding St Cuthbert's Church

Graveyard surrounding St Cuthbert's Church

Princess Street Gardens

Princess Street Gardens

Princess Street Gardens

Calton Hill

The perfect way to finish the day in Edinburgh is by watching the sunset from Calton Hill, which is located at the end of Princess Street in the New Town. It is a spectacular viewpoint and I was fascinated by the colours shades of the sky. In winter it's getting dark really early so the best is going up there around 4 pm.