10 Things to Do in Edinburgh in July

July in Edinburgh is a busy month for tourism. Accommodation starts to become more expensive, as demand rises sharply. And there are festivals, good weather, many tourist proposals, and people willing to make the effort: Edinburgh in July is unmissable!

Here I tell you everything you can not miss in Edinburgh for you to take into account when planning your trip to the city in July. Grab pencil and paper.

Climbing Calton Hill is a great option to choose in July in Edinburgh, as the weather is the best of the year in Scotland, making it an attractive, colorful and easily accessible option. If the day is fine, from the top you can see neighboring towns, boats and the entire medieval city in its dazzling beauty.

In addition, climbing Calton Hill, one of the 7 hills of Edinburgh, is a free option in the heart of the Scottish capital. Once there, you only have to climb a few stairs to enjoy the best views of the whole city.

Undoubtedly, it is among the best plans if you have decided to travel to Edinburgh in summer.

When the weather is nice, the fear is less terrifying. In Edinburgh there is a lot of study of the paranormal, it even has a university chair! So I think you should choose among the more than twenty options of ghost and mystery tours and dare to face the bloody stories that travel through the city.

The options, as I said, are very numerous, but here are a few, so you can think about it.

• The tour of the dark side of Edinburgh, about mysteries, murders and urban legends. It lasts two hours and you can do it in English.
• The Edinburgh ghost tour, subway and sinister. It lasts one hour and fifteen minutes on foot, and you'll get to see the vaults of Edinburgh's Old Town, while hearing stories of ghosts, executions and cannibalism. Ouch.
• The Edinburgh ghost tour by vintage bus, an excellent option. It lasts only one hour and you will travel by bus, meeting sinister places. Even the driver will make your hair stand on end.
• The Edinburgh ghost tour with cemetery included. It lasts an hour and a half, and is ideal for those who enjoy touring cemeteries, wherever they go. Don't be fooled: it will also be terrifying.

The Highlands of Scotland offer spectacular scenery, but their sometimes hostile climate makes July one of the best months to visit.

There are many options to enjoy this territory, full of lakes, castles, steep valleys and marked by Celtic culture:

• Visit Loch Ness and the Highlands from Edinburgh: tour the area comfortably by bus and learn the history from a local guide. Who knows, you might even catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster.
• Discover the Highlands' most iconic lochs and castles: visit rural Scotland accompanied by an expert guide and capture your memories with great photographs of Doune and Inveraray castles.
• Explore the Highlands and Sky Island on a 3-day tour: take advantage of the fine weather in July to tour the Scottish countryside from Edinburgh with a guide and a small group of travelers.

The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival is usually held in the third week of July in Edinburgh and features incredible jazz and blues musicians from all over the world. The shows take place in various venues around the city, usually easily accessible from the city center itself.

Edinburgh is internationally known as a city of festivals, so this option is first among the things to do in the city, because if you are lucky enough to travel during festival season, you should take advantage of it, don't you think? The rest of the festivals arrive in August, this is your chance.

The Edinburgh Festival Carnival is an unmissable event held in the Scottish capital in July.

It is a free, colorful, dance-filled event held year after year on the opening weekend of the Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival.

Its main attraction is a parade of approximately 800 performers, spanning all types of disciplines. Attendees usually number in the tens of thousands of spectators along the streets. They crowd to watch processions and performances alike.

To enjoy Edinburgh's summer weather in July, you can visit the Royal Botanic Gardens. It's a great place to spend the day, enjoy, relax and get some fresh air. It is one of those places where you can feel that you are no longer in a big city full of people, because we are talking about one of the most touristic months of the year.

Among its 10 greenhouses you will be able to see more than 3 thousand species of exotic plants from all over the world. So, if you like plants and green spaces, this is a great stop you should not miss.

Of course, you should not forget to bring your camera, because it is a beautiful place to take pictures. Admission is free and I recommend you take at least two to three hours if you stop by.

Actually, almost all the rest of the festivals are held in August, but you still have some opportunities in July very close to Edinburgh. For example, the Glasgow Green Music Festival, which is usually held on the second weekend of the month.

It is the largest festival in the city, and attracts thousands of spectators every year, to see the various bands and enjoy the summer sun of Scotland.

It is a festival that you can go to from Edinburgh, as you will be only an hour away and tickets can be purchased online. Prices start from 90 euros, but they are very varied, as it depends on the type of ticket you are looking for.

The Britannia ship is a place you'll want to visit when you travel to Edinburgh in July, as the weather accompanies the experience of touring this incredible water-anchored vessel. It's the huge, imposing yacht that took Queen Elizabeth II on a trip around the globe.

On the yacht, you will see the beds in which Queen Elizabeth and her husband slept separately, as well as the dining rooms, the bar and the more humble quarters of the ship's employees.

You can purchase a ticket on the ship itself, before entering. To go, you can take bus 22 in the center of Edinburgh, and get off at the door of the Ocean Terminal shopping center. On the way, you visit it.

If you want to get around while seeing the sights, you can choose to travel on Edinburgh's best sightseeing bus.

Until recently, Dean Village was one of those areas of Edinburgh known only to the people who live there. However, this has changed, and now more than a few people are venturing into this paradisiacal place within Edinburgh.

You'll be in the middle of the city, but you won't notice it at all. In the village, you will see picturesque cottages, old buildings and the river. It is a very calm place, ideal to disconnect while you feel you have moved more in time than in space.

As in July in Edinburgh there will be many tourists, I recommend this plan for a day when you want to escape the hustle and bustle and the crowds.

Admission is free. You can start at Dean Village and walk to Stockbridge. You will enjoy it very much.

The Camera Obscura will be a great option to visit in July in Edinburgh, if you want a plan in an enclosed space and, especially, if you are traveling with children to the city. It is a tower, which at the top has a dark room with a system of reflecting mirrors that projects the image of Edinburgh.

It is a good attraction to take into account if you visit Edinburgh in July, because, when the weather is bad, the Camera Obscura has really low visibility, and with the July weather you can see the whole city clearly. Also, this way you can enjoy the terrace which has incredible views.

The building is located next to Edinburgh Castle. It has six floors that have all kinds of attractions and tricks: holograms, 3D, computers that transform the image of the observer, mirrors that deform the image. For this reason it is ideal if you are traveling with children, and I especially recommend it, because, no matter what month you travel, it is always good to have options for the little ones.

What you should know before visiting the Camera Obscura

• Price: The price of the attraction is 22 euros for adults, 20 euros for students and senior citizens, 17 euros for children from 5 to 15 years old, and free for children under 5.
• Hours: Tuesday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Friday until 9:00 p.m.). Saturdays from 9:00 to 21:30 hours. Sundays from 9:00 to 21:00 hours.

It is summerin Edinburgh in July. Temperatures can range from a low of 11.5° to a high of 19.1°.

All month long you will have daylight saving time, with longer days and a greater chance of sunny days. These days are ideal for some excursions, for example, to go to Loch Ness from Edinburgh.

The number of tourists in Edinburgh in July starts to be very high. Festival season begins in the city, which are the most popular events of the year.

However, it is still probably not as crowded as in August, which is the peak of festivals and tourist activities in which Edinburgh receives travelers from all over the world.

Among the best tours and excursions from Edinburgh you can find some great options to mingle in the crowds, and some more sensible ones to escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy some peaceful moments.

Unlike other months of the year, July in Edinburgh is high season. If you're looking to travel with considerable discounts and deals, you should start looking, but no promises.

The truth is, the higher the demand, the higher the price on tickets and hotel rooms. Of course, there are always exceptions. But you should know that the most common thing at this time is that prices go up.

If your plan is to travel to Edinburgh in July, you should take cool, light and comfortable clothes, as the temperatures will be friendly. However, you should always bring some light and some heavier clothing, as well as relevant rain gear. In some places like Edinburgh, you never know. Even in summer.

In addition, I recommend you take some nice clothes to go out in. Surely, some festival will captivate your attention. And, besides, in the summer and with so many people traveling, the urge to go out will almost get the better of you. It is always better to be ready. In the worst case, we will have loaded a little bit too much.

On the other hand, do not forget to bring good shoes for trekking. The options to get to know the hills of Edinburgh are within reach, they are easy walks and sure to tempt you.

In case you can't think of what to do on a rainy day, here are some more than tempting options:

• Visit Edinburgh Castle from the inside: here you can access all the information you need about visiting Edinburgh Castle.
• Take the haunted crypts tour: walk through the cemetery and listen to the exciting haunted stories. It costs 24 euros, lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes and is ideal, as long as you don't get too terrified.
• Dinner at the Hard Rock Café in Edinburgh. Includes a two- or three-course dinner with refreshments.
• Visit the Whisky Museum: discover all the secrets of Scotland's national drink while tasting a range of whiskies. To warm you up, I say.