Scotland’s capital is hosting the most northerly Grand Départ in Tour de France history, as it’s just a little bit further north than 2022 start city Copenhagen. Edinburgh has long-standing connections with a major cycling figure, Chris Hoy. He won endless titles on the track, amassing six Olympic gold medals and 11 world championship rainbow jerseys, achievements that earned him a knighthood. More recently, Edinburgh’s Sean Flynn competed in the 2025 Tour, while the promising Callum Thornley is poised to unleash his time trial power at the race. In 2023, the Scottish capital hosted the start of the race that concluded with Mathieu van der Poel being crowned world road champion in Glasgow.
- First-time stage town
- Capital of Scotland
- Population: 524,000
- edinburgh.gov.uk
Edinburgh and cycling
The Scottish capital is set to host the Tour de France’s northernmost Grand Départ, slightly further north than Copenhagen in 2022. Edinburgh has long been associated with a major figure in cycling: Chris Hoy, who has amassed a wealth of track titles, six Olympic gold medals and eleven rainbow jerseys as world champion, earning him a knighthood. Much more recently, an Edinburgh native, Sean Flynn, competed in the 2025 Tour, whilst the promising Callum Thornley is set to showcase his time-trial prowess on the Tour de France. In 2023, the Scottish capital hosted the start of the race that saw Mathieu Van der Poel crowned world champion in Glasgow.
Edinburgh was also the birthplace of Richard Moore, a former cyclist who represented Scotland at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, before going on to become one of the most respected cycling journalists, notably for his book Slaying the Badger about the 1986 Tour de France and for the podcast he founded, The Cycling Podcast. Richard Moore passed away prematurely in March 2022, and a series of youth cycling races in the Edinburgh area has been named in his honour.
Sights
Edinburgh Castle
Construction: from the 12th century onwards.
History: Edinburgh Castle is situated on the volcanic outcrop known as Castle Rock, which occupies a strategic position. The first buildings that made up the fortress were constructed in the 12th century, and its name is often wrongly associated with Edwin of Northumbria, who lived after the first recorded mentions of ‘Eidin’s burgh’. St Margaret’s Chapel dates from the castle’s earliest days. From the 12th century onwards, part of the castle was used as a prison, and in 1510, King James IV had the Great Hall built. Edinburgh Castle also played a role in major conflicts between Scotland and England, such as the Scottish War of Independence in 1300 and the Jacobite rebellion of 1746. The castle is said to have been besieged no fewer than 26 times, making it one of the most besieged castles in the United Kingdom.
Features: The Great Hall was commissioned by King James IV and completed in 1511. It is distinguished by its timber ceiling, which rests on stones carved with Scottish heads and symbols, such as the thistle. When Cromwell’s army captured the castle in 1560, the Great Hall was converted into barracks for his soldiers and, later, into a military hospital. Today, the Great Hall has been restored to its original condition and weapons and armour are on display there for the public.
The Royal Palace is the building where the Scottish kings and queens of the Stuart dynasty resided for centuries. Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to her son James VI there. King Charles I (1600–1649) was the last king to live in the palace. The Royal Palace is situated on Crown Square. It suffered considerable damage during the Siege of Lang in 1617 but was rebuilt both inside and out to its present state. In the Crown Room, visitors can admire the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish Crown Jewels and the famous Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone.
St Margaret’s Chapel, intended for the royal family, is the oldest building in Edinburgh Castle. King David I had the chapel built for his mother Margaret, who died in the castle in 1093. Today, St Margaret’s Chapel is open to visitors, but weddings are still held there. The gracefully decorated arches remain in their original condition.
A notable feature: another of the castle’s highlights is the Mons Meg cannon, which was highly advanced for its time and is named after the Belgian town where it was manufactured. In 1457, the cannon was presented to King James II. The weapon weighed no less than six tonnes and was capable of firing a 150-kilo cannonball over a distance of 3.2 km. In 1681, the cannon broke and was taken out of service.
Classification: Category A.
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is an umbrella term for several arts and cultural festivals taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland, every summer, mainly in August. Although the various festivals are run by separate organisations – and are considered officially distinct events – they are regarded by many visitors as a single festival. Together, they form the world’s largest annual cultural festival.
The original, and most important, festivals are the Edinburgh International Festival, founded in 1947 (theatre, live performance, music), and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a sort of ‘off’ counterpart to the former, founded in the same year.
The Edinburgh festivals attract around four million visitors a year, with the Fringe alone selling some 2.8 million tickets – roughly double the number sold by the Avignon Festival in France.
National Museum of Scotland
Established: 1896 (Royal Museum), 1998 (Museum of Scotland), 2006 (merger of the two museums).
Characteristics: regarded as the most popular museum in the United Kingdom outside London, the National Museum of Scotland is situated on Chamber Street in Edinburgh. Visitors can admire thousands of artefacts spread across several galleries, including the Grand Gallery, the Art, Design and Fashion Galleries, the Natural World Galleries, the Science and Technology Galleries, the Scottish History and Archaeology Galleries and the World Culture Galleries. Admission to the museum is free.
The Grand Gallery, whose tall pillars and vast windows create a colossal, light-filled space, displays objects that reflect the museum’s great diversity. The highlight of the Grand Gallery is the Millennium Clock, which strikes every hour to the sound of wonderful music and a display of cheerful lights.
The Art, Design and Fashion galleries showcase designer clothing through the ages and interior design. The Natural History galleries explore animal species from around the world, with a focus on behaviour and interaction with nature. Technological developments in Scotland and around the world are the central theme of the Science and Technology galleries. The History and Archaeology galleries offer an insight into Scotland’s history, its diverse cultures and its pop culture. Finally, the World Cultures galleries showcase Scotland’s openness to other ways of life and their creative output.
National Gallery of Scotland
Opened: 1859.
Features: situated on the Mound, the artificial hill that divides the Princess Street Gardens into two parts, is the Scottish National Gallery, a museum of neoclassical artworks of European and Scottish origin. This national gallery also houses works by great foreign artists, such as Johannes Vermeer and Jan Steen. Architect William Henry Playfair designed the building, which has been officially open to the public since 1859. The Scottish National Gallery comprises two buildings: the National Gallery Building and the Royal Scottish Academy Building. The two sections are connected by an underground tunnel.
Holyrood Palace
Construction: 12th century.
History: At the foot of the Royal Mile, a monastery was founded by King David I in the 12th century and quickly became the principal residence of the Scottish monarchs. The ruins of the former monastery still stand next to Holyrood House and can be visited on a guided tour. The abbey was used for coronations and royal wedding ceremonies until the roof collapsed in the 17th century. By the end of the 15th century, the site had truly become a royal residence when James IV had a new palace built around the square to the west of the abbey. The palace comprised a chapel, the Great Hall, the royal apartments and the galleries. Later, gatehouses and towers were added. From 1999 onwards, the palace’s significance grew further with the establishment of the Scottish Parliament. To this day, the King or Queen of England appoints the First Minister of Scotland at the royal palace.
Today, Holyrood Palace is the residence of the British royal family when they are in Scotland on state visits. Queen Elizabeth II used to stay at Holyroodhouse every summer.
Features: the Great Gallery is the largest room in Holyrood Palace. Various portraits of real and fictional Scottish monarchs are displayed there. The portraits illustrate the long line of the Stuart royal family. Originally, there were 111 portraits, but many were damaged in 1746 during the Jacobite uprising. Today, the British Crown holds official dinners there. The chambers of successive kings and queens are open to visitors, and a vast collection of French and Flemish tapestries can be admired there. In the King’s Chamber, only the most important figures were received in audience. Art lovers will enjoy the King’s Gallery, which hosts temporary exhibitions of artworks from the royal collection. The Throne Room is still used for receptions and matters of state. The most famous features of the Throne Room are the two thrones, commissioned by King George V in 1911.
Listing: Category A.
Royal Yacht Britannia
Launched: 1954
History: the last in a line of 83 royal yachts dating back to 1680 under Charles II, the Britannia was built by John Brown and Co shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland. It was decorated by Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip. Christened by the Queen on 16 March 1953, it entered service in January 1954. It is 127-metres long and has a tonnage of 5,860 tonnes. It can accommodate 200 passengers, around 20 officers and 270 seamen. Commissioned by the Royal Navy, it undertook 968 official voyages across the world’s oceans over 44 years of service, accompanied by the Queen or a member of the Royal Family. A true floating British embassy, it made its final voyage to Hong Kong following the handover of the colony to the People’s Republic of China. In 1994, the British government decided to decommission it after 44 years of service for budgetary reasons: it cost 60 million pounds sterling a year. This was officially carried out on 11 December 1997 in the naval dockyard at Portsmouth, in the presence of the Queen.
Current location: the Britannia has been converted into a museum in the port of Leith in Edinburgh and has become one of the most visited attractions in Britain.
St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh
Construction: 12th and 15th centuries.
History: the original church, built in 1124 on the orders of David I, was destroyed by fire in 1385 and rebuilt during the 15th century. Chapels were added increasing the size of the building. In 1466, St Giles became a collegiate church. The lantern tower was added around 1490. In 1559, at the height of the Scottish Reformation, the Edinburgh Council appointed John Knox as minister of St Giles. He was buried there in 1572. He is commemorated by a 19th-century stained-glass window set into the south wall of the church and, since 1906, by a bronze statue on the north side. It was in this building that, on 23 July 1637, a riot took place against the Anglican form of worship that Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland sought to impose, an event which triggered the Bishops’ Wars and, subsequently, the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Features: among the cathedral’s key features are the ‘green men’, sculptures that were very popular in medieval times, consisting of human heads or feline creatures with foliage growing from their mouths and ears. At the far end of the cathedral stands St Giles’ King’s Pillar, which bears four medieval stone shields. These bear the coats of arms of King James II, his wife Mary and the Crown Prince James III. The fourth shield depicts the French fleur-de-lis. The cathedral is renowned for its extensive collection of stained-glass windows. The oldest stained-glass window in Edinburgh Cathedral dates from 1873.
Notable feature: John Knox was the High Priest during the Scottish Reformation. He remained minister at St Giles until his death in 1672. In 1902, it was decided to erect a statue of him on the north-west wall of the nave. Scottish sculptor Pittendrigh MacGillivray was commissioned to carry out the work. The 1.80-metre-high bronze statue was unveiled in 1906.
Listing: listed as Category A.
Scott Monument
Construction: 1840.
Features: the monument is situated in the Princes Street Gardens, opposite Jenners, the Princes Street department store. The tower is 61.1-metres high and a spiral staircase of 287 steps leads up to the small viewing platform near the top. The tower is built of sandstone from the town of Livingston. Oil that continues to seep from the stones, combined with pollution, has contributed to the monument’s blackish colour. A white marble statue of Walter Scott stands between the tower’s four columns. Sculpted by John Steell, it depicts Walter Scott seated after writing a text with a quill pen.
History: following Walter Scott’s death in 1832, a competition was launched to design plans for a monument in his honour. One entrant submitted his entry under the pseudonym John Morvo, the name of the medieval architect of Melrose Abbey. Morvo was in fact George Meikle Kemp, a cabinetmaker, draughtsman and self-taught architect. Kemp did not wish to enter under his real name as he feared that his lack of formal training in architecture and his limited reputation would put him at a disadvantage. Yet it was he who won the competition in 1838. The foundation stone was laid on 15 August 1840 and the tower was completed in the autumn of 1844, in the absence of George Meikle Kemp, who had drowned after falling into the Union Canal on 6 March of that same year.
Listing: Category A.
