Where to Go near Edinburgh? 5 Ideas for Excellent Day Trips

As the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh is a great holiday destination with many interesting sights to see. However, what if you have already managed to explore all the interesting places in this city? The answer is simple - pick up a hire car and go on a trip around its surroundings. High-quality roads allow you to travel in comfort, while Budget Edinburgh offers a wide range of vehicles for all tastes. The region is full of beautiful mountains, beautiful coastlines, ancient castles and abbeys, so you will definitely have something to do! Let's take a look at the best sights to see on day trips from Edinburgh. Loch Ness You've probably heard of the Loch Ness monster many times. If you hire a car in Edinburgh, you can reach this mystical lake in just 3 hours. The first mention of the Loch Ness monster dates back to 565: the Irish monk saw a strange animal in the local waters. Even now, scientists continue to study the composition of the water and analyze the local flora and fauna to be sure of the existence of Nessie. In 2019, scientists from New Zealand suggested that a huge eel once lived in the lake, which was exactly this monster. However, the lake is beautiful despite the legend. Geologists claim that it appeared during the Ice Age due to the displacement of rocks. The reservoir is 37-kilometers-long and over 1.5 km wide. Loch Ness is the second largest lake in Scotland and has more freshwater than the total fresh water in England and Wales! Glamis Castle The castle is the ancestral home of the Bowes-Lyon dynasty, to which the mother of Queen Elizabeth II belonged. Here Her Majesty's younger sister Margaret was born. Now the castle, located 74 miles from Edinburgh, belongs to the queen's relative, the Earl of Strathmore. It will be a great idea to go there in a hire car, especially since a one-way trip will take only an hour and a half. In one wing of the building there’s a museum open to the public, while the other is home to the count's family. The castle is surrounded by extensive land holdings and gardens. Not only typical British plants grow in them, but also rare specimens of conifers brought from different parts of the world. Glamis is surrounded by many legends. The most famous of them says that the castle has a secret room where the owners of the house played cards with the devil himself. Cairngorms National Park Cairngorms is the largest national park in Great Britain. The area is also home to many of the region's attractions: Angus Glens Hills, Blair Castle, the scenic Donside and Royal Deeside, Glen Shee Valley and Glenlivet Distillery. In addition, the Queen's summer residence, Balmoral Castle, is also located in Cairngorms. You can explore the national park on foot or by bike, leaving your car hire parked nearby. Thrill-seekers will be able to use the cable car to climb the highest point - Mount Cairn Gorm, located at an altitude of 1,141 meters above sea level. Those wishing to learn more about the history of the region can visit the Agricultural Museum or the Braemar Gallery, which contains works by local artists. Isle of Skye In 2015, National Geographic named Isle of Skye the fourth most beautiful island in the world. Travelers come there to walk along the coast, climb Mount Cuillin and see Dunvegan Castle, which still belongs to the MacLeod clan. Dunvegan is considered to be one of the oldest inhabited castles in the world. The main building dates back to the 12th century, but some of them date back to the 9th century. According to legend, the island is home to fairies. They say that fairy-tale sorceresses live in the Fairy Glen Valley, swim in the Fairy Pools waterfalls and wait for lost tourists at the Magic Bridge. So, be careful! Melrose Abbey Melrose Abbey was founded by monks of the Cistercian order in 1136. It was a complex of red sandstone structures. During the Middle Ages, the abbey was plundered and desecrated several times. Now only ruins remain of it. Ornate capitals and sculptures, a fountain in the shape of a pig, and the Rosslyn Chapel, mentioned by Dan Brown in the Da Vinci Code, have survived to this day. The chapel is decorated with unique carvings. This gave rise to rumors that it was associated with the Knights Templar and Freemasonry. You can also visit Hadrian's Wall during your day trip to the Abbey. It was built by the Romans in the 2nd century AD. The fortress was built to protect against the raids of the Picts - an ancient people who inhabited the territory of modern Scotland. Kelso and Floors Castle Walter Scott believed that Kelso is the most beautiful and romantic city in Scotland. It’s located 43 miles from Edinburgh making it easy to get there with your hire car. Here you will see the old market square, the five-arch bridge over the Tweed River and the ruins of a medieval abbey. However, the most famous landmark of the city is the Floors Castle, created in 1721. This castle belongs to the Duchess of Roxburghe. Until recently, it was a residential castle, but recently the last worker left it. Now this sight is open to the public. The interiors of the castle contain collections of antique porcelain, carriages, baby carriages, bathing cars and other items of the Victorian era. You can also stroll through the beautiful gardens around Floors Castle.