7 reasons to visit Edinburgh for Burns Night
Celebrate the life of Robert Burns in Edinburgh
How to get there
Edinburgh Waverley station has great links from major UK cities.
Accessibility
Where to eat
The Whiski Rooms are offering a 3 course Burns Night supper special and drink menu for a pocket-friendly price.
More information
Burns Night is a staple in the Scottish holiday calendar and is a key cultural heritage event, making it a great time to visit the capital. The celebration of the life and work of the poet Robert Burns is a truly Scottish party, although it is often celebrated around the world. So why visit Edinburgh for this holiday?
- Celebrate this Scottish tradition
There are not many UK holiday events in late January so Burns Night is a great excuse to drink whisky and generally whoop it up in an otherwise driech (Gaelic for bleak) month. Practise your poetry reading and recite some of Burns’s most famous works followed with a toast to the bard on what be his 265th birthday.
- Try Scottish delicacies
The most famous celebration of Burns Night is the Burns Supper, a dinner consisting of Haggis, neeps (mashed swede), tatties (mashed potatoes) and rounded off with a dram of whisky. Haggis is one of the more famous Scottish delicacies and consists of a sheep's heart, liver and lungs minced with onions, suet, seasoning, and stock and is served encased in a sheep’s stomach. It has a nutty and savoury taste despite the somewhat unappealing description of ingredients. If there was ever a night to try this, Burns Night would be it. (And if you’re doing Veganuary then don’t panic vegan options are available.
- Explore a new city
Take some time during the day to take a tour of the city. Edinburgh is famed for its historic buildings including Edinburgh Castle and the mysterious vaults beneath the city. The Underground Walking Tour of Edinburgh will take you on a guided tour of these supposedly haunted vaults with a genuine witches' temple still in use today. The stories of these vaults include body snatching, crime, and disease as you walk through this morbid part of the city’s history.
- Visit the stunning Edinburgh castle
Explore Edinburgh Castle’s lesser-known areas on a 2-hour guided tour of the grounds. Head over to the Western Panorama and Hospital Square, where you’ll find The National War Museum of Scotland. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to drink in the history of the building from its time as a medieval fortress to royal palace and its military importance throughout history.
- Drink whisky and find out how it’s made
Learn how whisky is made on the Holyrood Distillery Tour from traditional to new innovative methods of producing your favourite drink. Taste flavourful single malt whiskies and grab your favourites at the shop to use in your Burns Supper toast in the evening.
- Drink more whisky and hear Scottish folk tales
Get cosy for a storytelling session with malts from all over the country as you are immersed in the folklore and fairy tales of Scotland in a private bar cellar. The Scots have a deep routed tradition in the art of storytelling and view it as a way to bring communities together and pass down knowledge and information.
- Eat a Haggis chocolate
The Chocolataruim Chocolate Tour starts with a chance to see a chocolate tree and learn how the beans are made into the favourite confection. Make a Scottish-themed chocolate and have a taste of chocolate from all around the world. Perfect way to round off an evening of whisky and haggis.
