Fun things to do in Edinburgh by yourself?
#22



Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 75,054
Likes: 50
pittpurple: "<i>I'll let Caroline answer the weather question - I've only lived here for two years and the weather has been completely changeable!</i>"
Heck - if you'd lived there 15 years, your answer would be the same -- "Changeable"
Heck - if you'd lived there 15 years, your answer would be the same -- "Changeable"
#23
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,282
Likes: 0
As pittpurple says you can buy daysavers (and single tickets at £1.10) on the bus, and you need the right change. Just thinking, though - since you'll be around for 10 days (although I suppose you won't come into Edinburgh every day ?), whether it might be worth your while buying a weekly pass for £13. You'd need to go to one of their Travelshops for that (most central ones are on Hanover Street & Shandwick Place). Probably not, though. Avoid getting on a non-Lothian bus - there aren't many but there are a few, and you can't use a Lothian ticket/pass on them.
I checked some random show/date/area of theatre combos at the website for the Festival & King's Theatres (www.fctt.co.uk) & got matinee prices ranging from £7.50 for the back of the upper circle on a weekday to £21 for best dress circle seats on a Saturday. The Festival Theatre is the nicest of the big ones.
The Playhouse has 'Mary Poppins' on during your visit - www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk. It's not a very nice theatre (slightly rundown old cinema) but that's where the big touring musicals go, and it will probably be very good if you like that sort of thing ! There's a matinee on 22nd with tickets from £14.50 to £35.
The Lyceum doesn't have any matinees during your visit, unfortunately.
As for the weather - the leaves are already changing colour
But as pittpurple says it the weather could be doing almost anything while you're here ! Allow for 5-15 degrees C in the daytime : that should cover it. It may or may not rain and may or may not be windy.
Bring different options & layering possibilities, and a small folding umbrella. You may be OK in a t shirt & medium weight jacket one day but want a winter coat the next day. If I were going to be out & about sightseeing all day at that time I'd probably a long sleeved t shirt & a medium weight jacket & carry an extra cardigan or fleece, plus hat & gloves, to put on if necessary. Unless the day started unusually warm or cold
It's worth checking the Scottish weather forecasts (although no further than 1 day ahead) - not 100% but gives you a clue.
I checked some random show/date/area of theatre combos at the website for the Festival & King's Theatres (www.fctt.co.uk) & got matinee prices ranging from £7.50 for the back of the upper circle on a weekday to £21 for best dress circle seats on a Saturday. The Festival Theatre is the nicest of the big ones.
The Playhouse has 'Mary Poppins' on during your visit - www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk. It's not a very nice theatre (slightly rundown old cinema) but that's where the big touring musicals go, and it will probably be very good if you like that sort of thing ! There's a matinee on 22nd with tickets from £14.50 to £35.
The Lyceum doesn't have any matinees during your visit, unfortunately.
As for the weather - the leaves are already changing colour
But as pittpurple says it the weather could be doing almost anything while you're here ! Allow for 5-15 degrees C in the daytime : that should cover it. It may or may not rain and may or may not be windy. Bring different options & layering possibilities, and a small folding umbrella. You may be OK in a t shirt & medium weight jacket one day but want a winter coat the next day. If I were going to be out & about sightseeing all day at that time I'd probably a long sleeved t shirt & a medium weight jacket & carry an extra cardigan or fleece, plus hat & gloves, to put on if necessary. Unless the day started unusually warm or cold
It's worth checking the Scottish weather forecasts (although no further than 1 day ahead) - not 100% but gives you a clue.
#29
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Wow...this is kind of eerie. Could have been me posting this! I'll be visiting a friend who lives in Livingston from October 19-27. Hopefully it's not the same guy! Haha.
He took the week off and I will have already visited Edinburgh earlier in October, but this thread has been great for ideas about little day trips.
Thanks for posting your question, and have a great trip!
He took the week off and I will have already visited Edinburgh earlier in October, but this thread has been great for ideas about little day trips.
Thanks for posting your question, and have a great trip!
#31
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Sweetbippity, Wow that is weird! I would think if he had another friend coming to visit, he would've mentioned it to me. lol
I'm just hoping I can get the plane tickets to go the days I'm supposed to. I'll be ordering the tickets in about a week, but looking at bmi's website is confusing and I'll look at the dates I'm leaving and it'll show no flights, then I'll look again later and it shows a bunch. Oh boy. I've already gotten approved for my vacation at work for those dates, so I hope I can get a flight.
See you in Livingston, Sweetbippity....if we end up staying with the same friend, that is! lol
I'm just hoping I can get the plane tickets to go the days I'm supposed to. I'll be ordering the tickets in about a week, but looking at bmi's website is confusing and I'll look at the dates I'm leaving and it'll show no flights, then I'll look again later and it shows a bunch. Oh boy. I've already gotten approved for my vacation at work for those dates, so I hope I can get a flight.
See you in Livingston, Sweetbippity....if we end up staying with the same friend, that is! lol
#33
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
your ok "sweetbippity" your not visiting me..lol and she is using mainly airmailes i have, which covers most of the flights "caroline_edinburgh" and Roslyn Chapel is a good idea, my aunt stays at the end of that private road so i can get a cuppa and a bite to eat..lol..anyway must dash, time for work....
#35
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
That's what I'm worried about Caroline. Using the airmiles, I don't have to pay much, but the little I do have to pay is what I've been saving up. Had some money left over from this last paycheck, and the next paycheck I'll have more, enough to book my flight. I really hope a miracle happens and I can get a flight since I've already got those days scheduled off.
#40
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,282
Likes: 0
Depends whose, I think. er77 is hoping to book with bmi miles. I've got quite a lot of theirs in hand myself but whenever I've looked at availability on their website, up to a year ahead, there's never been any availability for where I've been thinking to go. (But I think that maybe if I'd phoned up, there would have been more - I've just never taken it any further.) So I think that with airlines' ff schemes like that, it's best to book as soon as flights become available - get checking now !!
With the UK's Air Miles scheme (not linked to a particular airline) I always seem to find that not much shows up online but that doesn't seem to be very accurate, & I can usually get what I want by phoning, certainly up to about 2 months before travelling.
With the UK's Air Miles scheme (not linked to a particular airline) I always seem to find that not much shows up online but that doesn't seem to be very accurate, & I can usually get what I want by phoning, certainly up to about 2 months before travelling.


Won't they be very expensive now ? Where are you coming from ?