Car rental Edinburgh
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Edinburgh guide
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, and is located on the east coast by the fjord Firth of Forth. The town has 486,000 inhabitants (2010), and is Scotland’s cultural, administrative and financial centre.
Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety. The city has a large tourist traffic, with as many as 13 million visitors annually.
Edinburgh University was founded in 1583 and is world famous for its medical faculty.
Attractions
Old Town has narrow streets and a number of 16th-century buildings. There is also the University, Town Hall, 15th-century St. Giles Cathedral and the 1640 Parliament Building. Nybyen (New Town) has wide streets and large squares/squares, and here you will find among other things. National Portrait Gallery, St. Mary’s Cathedral from 1879 and city banks.
Edinburgh Castle is the city’s main tourist attraction. The oldest parts of the fortress are from the 11th century and are located on the hill Castle Rock (133 m.). The fortress is open to the public, and here there are a number of museums – among others. Scotland’s Crown Regalia (“The Ancient Honours of Scotland”).
The city’s museums and galleries include the National Museum of Scotland, the Scottish National Gallery, the City Art Centre and the Museum of Childhood.
Edinburgh has a zoo and botanical garden,good shopping and a large number of pubs and nightlife options. The city hosts an annual popular summer festival – the “Edinburgh Festival” – focusing on art, drama and music.
Explore Edinburgh with car hire
Scotland is one of the best countries in Europe to experience by car rental. It is safe and easy to drive here, and the country offers many exciting opportunities. From Edinburgh you have a lot to choose from, without the trips needing to take a long time. Nevertheless, we can recommend at the warmest recommended slightly longer trips, such as the Scottish Highlands. Here’s a bunch of suggestions.
Rosslyn Chapel – Historic Chapel near Edinburgh
Not too far from Edinburgh, in a southerly direction, you’ll find Rosslyn Chapel. This church building has a central place in the history of Scots and is dedicated to Saint Matthew. The chapel was built in the 15th century. It has mostly escaped damage from various wars, and today appears much like it did originally. You may have read about the chapel, or seen it on film, as parts of the Da Vinci Code unfold here.
- From the centre of Edinburgh to the village of Roslin, where Rosslyn Chapel is close by, it is 11.5 kilometers. The tour will take you approximately 20 minutes by car rental.
Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park
Loch Lomond is the largest lake in the British Isles. It is located in the Trossachs National Park, which is characterized by magnificent mountains, large forest areas, many lakes,and a number of lovely villages. Many people travel here to go hiking in the mountains and forests, or just to experience the authentic Scottish countryside. There are several castles in the area that can be visited, you can fish on the lake, you can skip boat trips, and there are several activity parks suitable for people of all ages.
- From Edinburgh to the village of Balloch, located at the southern and nearest end of Loch Lomond, it is around 105 kilometres. Then you drive about 70 kilometres on the motorway via Glasgow, and the rest on country roads. This will take about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Visit a Whisky Distillery near Edinburgh
You should visit a distillery when visiting Scotland. Whisky, after all, is as Scotch as it can be. Choosing, however, is not as easy. Some prefer to visit distilleries that produce Whisky they like or know from before, while others choose the shortest and easiest option. Here are three good distilleries that you can reach by car from Edinburgh.
- Glenturret Distillery – Here single malt whiskyis produced , and the most famous brand of the distillery is The Famous Grouse. Glenturret is about 86 kilometres from Edinburgh, close to the village of Crieff. You will spend about 1 hour and 15 minutes on the drive.
- Glenkinchie Distillery – This is perhaps the easiest option if you don’t want to drive that far. Glenkinchie is located outside the village of Pencaitland, just 25 kilometres east of Edinburgh, with a driving time of about 30 minutes.
- The Borders Distillery – The distillery is a magnificent building, right in the centre of the small border town of Hawick. Here you will find very good tours, and Hawick is in itself worth a visit. You drive 50 miles south from Edinburgh and the trip takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
North Berwick – Lovely town on the coast
North Berwick is one of Scotland’s most picturesque small towns. It is located on the coast west of Edinburgh, about where the fjord begins. Here you stroll among pretty little houses set around the sandy beaches,or you sit in one of the many pleasant and family-run cafés and restaurants. In North Berwick, most things are perceived as beautiful and peaceful. Nearby you’ll also find Tantallon Castle, many good golf courses,and miles of inviting beaches to settle on. Also visit the seabird centre located on the outskirts of the city centre.
- It is no more than 40 kilometres from Edinburgh to North Berwick. By car you spend about 40 minutes on the drive.
Loch Ness and the Highlands
The mysterious Loch Ness, where the sea monster Nessie reportedly lives, is one of the most popular excursions in Scotland. The long and narrow lake is located in the Scottish Highlands. This area is very beautiful, with many pleasant villages scattered all around. There are also a number of other things worth taking to the drive, such as Urquhart Castle,the village of Drumnadrochit and the town of Fort Augustus. Experiencing the Highlands and the lake is something you should consider spending some time on, preferably with an overnight stay or two.
- From Edinburgh to Loch Ness it is about 270 kilometres if you drive the shortest route via Perth. Without stopping, the drive will take about 3 hours and 25 minutes. Please note that only a small part of the stretch runs on the motorway.
Parking and traffic with car hire
In general, there is little difficulty finding a car park in Edinburgh, but not always in the streets. The city is relatively small and clear, with good marking. The center is divided into zones, and you you pay differently in relation to the zone you are in. There are also different times of free parking in the different zones. You can find this by looking at the signs.
If you want to avoid the stress of finding street parking, one of the many parking garages is better options. On the outskirts of the city center you will also find several so-called park-and-ride. Here it is cheap or free to park your car, and you have good connections into the city center by bus.
Driving in Scotland is generally easy and straightforward. The roads are good, the signage is good, and the traffic picture the way you are used to from home. The biggest challenge is remembering that you have to drive on the left side of the road.
Airport
Edinburgh Airport (in Scottish-Gallic it is called the Port-adhair Dhùn Èideann) is the largest airport in Scotland, with about 14 million passengers annually. Here it does not matter where your flight comes from, because everyone ends up in the airport’s only terminal.
All car rental companies are collected at a separate centre. As of today, there are 9 operators offering car hire there, including Alamo, Avis, Sixt, Eropcar and Hertz, and their cars are parked nearby.
- The distance from the airport to the city center of Edinburgh is 11.5 kilometers. The drive will take about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the traffic on the road.
