Advertisement
Calton Hill

Calton Hill

Calton Hill
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksLookoutsGeologic Formations
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Historic neighborhood lined with monuments dating back to the Enlightenment.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Calton Hill

The area

Address
Neighborhood: Broughton & Calton
Lying where grandiose New Town townhouses give way to malls and utilitarian housing, Broughton and Calton have long been transitional neighborhoods with a mixed identity. It’s here that Edinburgh’s gay village found a home in the 1980s. But gay culture is anything but overt along bustling epicenter Broughton Street; even if polished pubs, hip bistros, smart delis and art galleries all speak of affluent good taste. The top of Leith Walk is more ragged. This major thoroughfare boasts a famously gritty gay club, as well as a strip of good Indian restaurants. Regal Georgian and Victorian townhouses preside over largely deserted streets in Calton, where only the occasional restaurant or hotel brings much life. Even so, a steady trickle of idlers and picnickers pass by to climb Calton Hill for its wide-open lawns, wonderful city views, and curious monuments – an Athenian-style temple among them.
Reach out directly

See what travelers are saying

  • Supranatural Tales
    Milton Keynes, United Kingdom24 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great View
    Situated at the east end of Princes Street sits Calton Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For sweeping city views from practically any spot, this is your place. Consider this sanctuary the perfect Kodak moment location for stunning views — and free of charge. Some may say that this is one of the most photogenic spots in town. In other words, this is where to get that iconic Edinburgh shot.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written February 5, 2024
  • Felicity D
    19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the climb for amazing views
    I'd never even heard of Calton hill before we visited, it tends to be overshadowed by Arthur's seat. We didn't have time or energy for Arthur's seat this time so we climbed Calton hill. It was so worth it! Amazing views to the Firth of Forth and over the city. Beautiful monuments with interesting history. The paths were smooth the whole way although pretty steep in sections.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 3, 2024
  • chocolatechip100
    London, United Kingdom161 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful panoramic views
    My favourite place in Edinburgh. On the day we visited we were lucky to have clear skies and no rain. Its a bit of a climb to the top but the views are amazing and there is a real sense of tranquility. The panoramic views of the city are difficult to capture on camera as it just doesn't do it justice. You can also see Arthur's seat in all its splendour without climbing it ! Worth a visit and a great way to end a day
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 11, 2024
  • Thomas&Tammy
    Hammond, Louisiana112 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful hill with monuments and scenery
    Wife and I took a cab up the hill from our hotel. This was a very picturesque place on top, with many vantages to see the surrounds. It also had an excellent vantage of Arthur's seat, and we decided not to climb Arthur's seat at that point, saving ourselves for harder hikes/climbs on Skye that week. It was a beautiful day, and we could see for ages. There are many vantages of the city that can be framed well, given bits of the landscape to use as foreground. We did not climb on top of the giant monument since we were short, and it seemed kind of risky for us short people to get up there just to stand on it.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 13, 2024
  • Mark
    Sheffield, United Kingdom725 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Views
    Firstly access, there are steps but the path around the side offers a more leisurely trip talking in the views as you go. The summit has the usual areas to explore but its the views of the city that make the trip worthwhile. It makes an ideal location to escape the busy city with a cafe or even take a picnic. It was a perfect day but would image its a bit wild in certain conditions so pick your days, in all a nice get away from the crowds.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 16, 2024
  • Bianca C
    39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spectacular view
    The view from Calton Hill is spectacular. You can see the entire city and admire the beauty and differences between the old and new town. I was lucky to go on a sunny afternoon, which wasn't too crowded. Totally recommended.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written June 20, 2024
  • John B
    Norristown, Pennsylvania286 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Picturesque Views
    For great views of Edinburgh, this is the place to visit. The walk up is pretty hilly, but Gellert Hill in Budapest was more difficult than Calton Hill. If you are not used to walking up hills then this can be bit tiring for you, but the views of the city are picturesque and absolutely worth it.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written June 23, 2024
  • travelleronthego82
    Gurugram (Gurgaon), India156 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A sight to behold
    Situated at a height, the place offers stunning views of the city. Also has the famed Nelson monument and the acropolis replica. Do visit Calton hill for an evening full of picturesque sights. The climb might be a bit tedious for the old and the elderly but the effort is worth it.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 28, 2024
  • GlennA946
    Whitehaven, United Kingdom264 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent views over Edinburgh
    Calton Hill, on the eastern edge of Edinburgh city centre, offers excellent views over the city. You can see across the Firth of Forth, see the islands in the Firth, the Forth Rail Bridge and the new Queensferry Crossing, and see Holyrood Palace from the other side. The Nelson Monument, the cafe overlooking the city centre and the obseratory add to the appeal and it was made better by being a nice day. Note, Calton Hill can't be accessed by motor vehicles and the climb can be quite steep, which might make it difficult for people with mobility issues.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written July 8, 2024
  • Haijun L
    Sammamish, Washington21 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of Three Volcanoes in Edinburgh
    Calton Hill is one of three volcanic hills in Edinburgh's city center, alongside Castle Rock and Arthur's Seat. It is actually a fragment of the Arthur's Seat volcano's cone. While Calton Hill is smaller than some visitors might anticipate, it offers spectacular panoramic views. On a clear day, the vista includes an excellent perspective of Salisbury Crags, which many find even more impressive than the view from Castle Rock.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 13, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles9,573 reviews
Excellent
5,970
Very good
3,040
Average
502
Poor
46
Terrible
16

Jacob
Wagga Wagga, Australia73 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
This was well worth getting to the top of the hill for. Plenty of monuments to take photos of. The view of the city and Arthur's seat is uninterrupted as well which makes it a great spot to hang about for an extended period.

Highly recommend.
Written January 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SmithySy57
Woking, UK8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
An enjoyable walk for great views!
Our family of 4, including 10 and 8 year old, loved this stroll for brilliant views.
We climbed Jacob's Ladder steps to visit the Burns Monument first, then strolled by the Scottish Government Building and across the road to go up some more steps to the top of the hill.
Plenty of monuments to see and learn about on Calton Hill itself (Nelson Monument, National Monument, Dugald Stewart Monument, the Observatory), as well as fantastic views of the city, the castle, Arthur's Seat, Holyrood palace, River Forth...it's well worth the stroll and it's hardly any distance at from the city centre.
Highly recommended!
Written March 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eilidh F
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
My boyfriend and I found it very overpriced. It was £40 for us both to watch the festival but you couldn’t see what was going on half of the time due to crowds of people and no space and when you finally got a space the performers would leave and randomly move somewhere else with nothing to tell you where there going or a time schedule. It also was just very underwhelming at the rare chance you did get to see something in our opinion as the performances were quite repetitive.
Written May 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Holly
54 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
We visited in the evening during golden hour and it was lovely to check out the view of the city. Really nice and chill. The steps up weren't to difficult to come up either. Lots of youths hanging around the area having fun.
Written July 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vensure1
Ottawa, Canada284 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
My first time to Edinburgh and I can say: nothing compares to a view from Calton Hill, except maybe a view during sunset (which I didn't quite get to do!) True to the pictures and other reviews, it is a truly remarkable vista... in all directions. Perhaps that's what makes it so unique. You can see the Mound and Edinburgh Castle plus the sprawling city beyond to the west, the borough of Leith and the Forth to the North (hey that rhymes), and of course Arthur's Seat to the south and east (also a splendid view from the top), so I recommend bringing binoculars if you want to get a zoom-in view, since I don't recall them having telescopes there. It's also renowned for having neo-classical architecture on there, like Nelson's Monument and the Waterloo Monument.
Written June 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sandy
Kincardine, Canada2,090 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
This is the place to walk up and get the best panoramic views of the city. Now, if you are mobility challenged, it is a difficult set of stairs on the New town side, so take your time. Also be careful on the walking tracks, as with a bit of rain, they are very slick.
Otherwise, it affords tremendous views of the city. On the way back down, take in the old Calton burial ground. It’s well worth an explore.
Recommend
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

19CaroleK
Montrose, UK228 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
What can I say the views are spectacular - if you don't want to climb Arthur's Seat for the views this is the easiest one to do for the all round views.

Even in February there were lots of people but still managed to get some great photos.

We walked up waterloo place and climbed the stairs from this part of the city this seemed quite easy but there are other routes you can take
Written February 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JTJD
United Kingdom1,053 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
We headed to this area one evening specifically to take photographs of the city. You get great views of Edinburgh & if you get a good sunset it’s spectacular.
The place was busy with tourists & it felt quiet safe in the early evening when it was still light.
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ian C
London, UK23,668 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
At the top of Carlton Hill are monuments to Nelson and Robert Burns and the unfinished National Monument with a predominant Greek architectural style reinforcing Edinburgh's title of 'Athens of the North'.

Less well-known is the City Observatory which for many years was the Royal Observatory before its move to Blackford Hill in 1896.

The origins of the observatory on Carlton Hill go back to the mid-18th century when a joint private and university observatory was created in buildings which are Gothic in style. Playfair's neoclassical temple with its four wings round a central dome came in 1822 as the Royal Observatory.

The Observatory was latterly occupied by the Edinburgh Astronomical Society, but they moved out in 2009 and the buildings had various temporary uses until a ÂŁ1million refurbishment project by Edinburgh City Council in partnership with the Collective contemporary art gallery, restoring the buildings, creating a visitor centre and new art spaces plus, in a new building, a restaurant with incredible views across Edinburgh.

Today, therefore, all the buildings are open to the public in one way or another, and there are amazing views across Edinburgh.
Written February 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ItTastesLikeFeet
Edinburgh, UK491 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 • Solo
A different vantage point of the city compared to the other hills in Edinburgh. Calton Hill is the closest to the city centre of the hills with the buildings creating a contrasting backdrop in photos. The partly finished monument atop the hill can be climbed onto with tourists and locals alike often venturing up. There are informative signs and plaques pointing out interesting points from the lookout. The Lookout by Gardeners Cottage is located within the art gallery grounds on the hill. The walk up the steps to Calton Hill can be strenuous but there are other flatter paths to get up.
Written June 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

…
Showing results 1-10 of 6,023
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Calton Hill - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

All Edinburgh HotelsEdinburgh Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Edinburgh
All things to do in Edinburgh
Day Trips in Edinburgh
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars