Heads Up: 16 things to do in Edinburgh this summer

Climb Arthur's Seat
No trip to Edinburgh is complete without a climb up resident not-quite-a-mountain Arthur's Seat. Follow the main path to the summit for umparalleled views across the city and East Lothian, or get off the beaten track to experience a patch of real wilderness in the middle of the city.

Cycle to The Pitt and on to Cramond
Hop on one of the city's electric hire bikes and follow the former railway lines to Wardie then on to Granton and The Pitt. This massive indoor-outdoor street food hub also houses a pottery, parkour gym, festivals, football watch parties and much more besides. Carry on along the waterfront cycle path to reach Cramond, home of beaches, an island accessed via causeway and a very weird pub.

Daytrip to the seaside
Head east for a day at the beach – take the bus to Portobello for arcades, pizza slices and ice cream. A half hour train takes you to North Berwick or Dunbar for historic coastal towns and East Lothian's wilder beaches.

Have some great fish and chips
The Fishmarket is a legendary chippy in Newhaven. Its fish and chips are so good, in fact, that the Edinburgh council built an entire tram network to take Edinburgh residents and hungry tourists directly to its door (well, there may have been other factors, but the Fishmarket was surely one of them).

Play skittles at The Sheep Heid Inn
At the rear of this lovely pub in Duddingston, a tiny historic village hidden behind Arthur’s Seat, you’ll find a room designed for playing skittles, a sort of proto ten-pin bowling game. It’s great fun, especially after some ales. Finish the night with a wander around the surrounding village, which seems frozen in time.

Watch a movie at Filmhouse
Every city needs a great arthouse cinema, and Edinburgh’s is Filmhouse. They programme contemporary releases (see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey here on 70mm) alongside wonderful rep screenings and strands (in July, they’re showing a mini season dedicated to David Byrne). Whatever your taste, you’ll find something for you in Filmhouse’s lineup.

Check in on Callum the Dug
Forget Titian and Vermeer, the greatest painting at the National is of a terrier named Callum. He was the pet of a philanthropist who wrote the museum a huge cheque in 1919 with one proviso: that Callum’s portrait hang there in perpetuity. As puppy love stories go, it might even top Greyfriars Bobby. (Pictured above: Callum by John Emms, 1895)

Take a boat trip to see puffins/gannets
Level up your daytrip to the North Berwick seaside by adding a boat trip around the Bass Rock to your itinerary. A 90-minute Sula Boat will voyage to Craigleith to see puffins, the Bass Rock to see gannets, and includes a Tantallon Castle driveby before returning to North Berwick. Lovely stuff.

Do some Crate Digging
You are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to record shopping in Edinburgh. Avoid the mainstream spots and head for the indies found in every neighbourhood of the city where you'll find beautifully curated racks, specialist selections, rare wax, gorgeous gifts and top-tier recs.

Get on the roof of the National Museum
You're allowed to! The rooftop garden – like the rest of the National Museum of Scotland – is free to enter, and the lift will take you pretty much to the top. You'll find a panoramic view across (most of) the city centre, and a surprisingly calm space packed with neat architectural details and nice alpine plants.

Go on the Alpine Coaster
Over the border in Midlothian, the Alpine Coaster at the Hillend ski centre is the first of its kind in Scotland. It's 980 metres of twisty turny outdoor fun, and given the traffic in town, its 28mph top speed might be the fastest you move all summer.

Venture out for al fresco pints
If the park is the garden of the city, then it can also be a *beer* garden. While Edinburgh isn't short of pubs with nice outdoor spaces, you can't beat a can in the Meadows between Fringe shows, or a fancy, fancy picnic in Inverleith Park after a trawl through the Stockbridge delis. Photo by Bruno BD Shilo via Unsplash

Check out the Markets
Do you like cheese? Or soap? Or simply being overwhelmed by Nice Things? Set your alarm for the Edinburgh Farmers' Market at Castle Terrace on Saturday mornings, head to Grassmarket on Saturday afternoon for a host of artisinal stalls, or Stockbridge Market on Sunday for a bit of everything.

Head to Bird Gardens Scotland
If you can stomach the bus or have access to a car, Lauder's Bird Gardens Scotland makes for a wonderful family day out. Their bird cohort includes flamingoes, black swans, emus, peacocks, super friendly Hawaiian geese and bonus wallabies, which admittedly aren't birds. There's also a lovely cafe and kid friendly activities.

Have a whisky tasting at Diggers
While there are many places you can go for a delicious nip or dram in the capital, head to Gorgie's Athletic Arms, aka Diggers, with its impressive backbar of around 500 whiskies. With knowledgable staff, measures here are generous, and prices start at £2.80(!!)

Visit the Palestine Museum
Edinburgh is privileged to be home to Europe’s first museum of contemporary Palestinian art, which recently celebrated its first birthday. Located on Dundas St, it hosts displays of work in painting, tapestry, drawing exploring themes of resistance and perseverance in the face of brutality.