Best day trips from Edinburgh

Reviewed by TheOneToGo Editorial · Updated June 14, 2026

Edinburgh keeps you busy on its own, but the day trips worth taking are not just filler around it. The good ones hand you a different side of Scotland without turning the day into one long transport job.

I would keep this list short: a few easy rail towns, one proper coastal escape, one bigger university town, and one industrial oddball that turns out to be more fun than it sounds. If you only have one spare day, North Berwick is the cleanest win. It feels like a real break from the city, and the train is short enough that bad weather does not wreck the plan.

St Andrews is the famous name on the list, but it asks more of your day. Stirling gives you castles and history with a lot less faff. And Glasgow is the best city swap of the lot, as long as what you want is galleries, food, and a louder pace instead of another postcard old town.

1. 1

   North Berwick

   ~25 to 35 minutes by direct train

   This is the one I would book first. A sandy beach, a small harbour, sea air, the Bass Rock sitting out in the water, and enough cafes and pubs to keep the day relaxed. It is close to Edinburgh, but it never feels like a suburb of it.

   Getting there: Take a direct ScotRail train from Edinburgh Waverley to North Berwick. From the station, walk into town and carry on down to the beach or the harbour.

   Best for: A low-effort coastal day, families, seafood, and anyone who does not want to lose half the day in transit.

   

2. 2

   Stirling

   ~45 to 60 minutes by direct train

   If you want a proper castle without burning the whole day, Stirling is the pick. The castle sits up above the town, the old streets are compact, and the Wallace Monument is there too if you have the legs and the weather holds. It is rougher around the edges than Edinburgh, which I count in its favour.

   Getting there: Take a direct train from Edinburgh Waverley to Stirling. Walk uphill from the station to Stirling Castle, or grab a local bus or taxi if you want to save your legs. Check castle hours before you set off, especially around the winter holidays.

   Best for: Castles, Scottish history, big views, and anyone weighing Stirling against a longer Highlands tour.

   

3. 3

   Linlithgow

   ~20 to 25 minutes by direct train

   Linlithgow is the easiest historic trip out of Edinburgh. The ruined palace beside the loch gives you a lot of atmosphere for almost no travel time. It is smaller than Stirling and less of an occasion, but that is exactly why it works when you are tired.

   Getting there: Take a direct train from Edinburgh Waverley to Linlithgow. The palace and loch are a short walk from the station. The palace is usually open daily, with shorter winter hours and the odd holiday closure, so check before you go.

   Best for: A short, calm trip with royal history, a loch walk, and nothing complicated to plan.

   

4. 4

   St Andrews

   ~1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes by train and bus, or about 2 to 2.5 hours on the Stagecoach X59 bus

   St Andrews earns the longer journey if golf, university towns, wide beaches, or ruined coastal cathedral and castle sites are your thing. It is handsome and pricey-feeling, and it can get busy. I would not try to squeeze it into a half day, but given a full one it pays you back.

   Getting there: Take a train from Edinburgh Waverley to Leuchars, then a local bus or taxi into St Andrews. Through Stagecoach buses, usually the X59 or X59A, also run from Edinburgh: you buy one ticket and usually stay on the same bus through a connection in Fife, so it is simpler, if slower. Check the current timetable before you settle on the bus.

   Best for: Golf fans, university-town atmosphere, coastal walks, and a full day out rather than a quick hop.

   

5. 5

   Glasgow

   ~50 minutes to Glasgow Queen Street, longer for some Glasgow Central trains

   Glasgow is the trip to make when you want contrast instead of countryside. It is bigger and grittier, friendly in its own way, and stronger on art, music, bars, and bold Victorian streets. Do not go expecting Edinburgh with wider roads. Go because it is nothing like Edinburgh.

   Getting there: Take a frequent train from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street for the city centre, or to Glasgow Central if that fits your plans better. Queen Street is usually the faster rail option from Edinburgh.

   Best for: Museums, galleries, food, nightlife, architecture, and anyone after a city day with more edge.

   

6. 6

   Falkirk

   ~25 to 50 minutes by train, plus local bus, taxi, or walking

   Falkirk is not the prettiest name here, but it is one of the most distinctive. The Falkirk Wheel is a genuinely clever piece of engineering, and the Kelpies beat their photos in person. The catch is that the sights are spread out, so the day takes a bit more sorting than Linlithgow or North Berwick.

   Getting there: Take a train from Edinburgh Waverley to Falkirk High or Falkirk Grahamston. Use local buses, a taxi, or walking routes to reach the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies. The Kelpies are open-air and easy to see, but visitor facilities and boat trips at the Wheel run to set hours, so check the current schedule.

   Best for: Engineering, public art, canals, families, and anyone who has already ticked off the obvious castle towns.

   

7. 7

   Roslin and Rosslyn Chapel

   ~45 to 60 minutes by bus

   Roslin is the smallest trip on the list, and that is the whole idea. Rosslyn Chapel is detailed, strange, and hard to forget, but the village will not fill a day on its own unless you add Roslin Glen. Treat it as a good half-day when you want one specific thing and do not want to leave the Edinburgh orbit.

   Getting there: Take Lothian bus 37 from central Edinburgh, and make sure it is a Penicuik or Deanburn journey marked via Roslin, not the Easter Bush branch. Get off in Roslin village for the chapel. Rosslyn Chapel usually opens daily but keeps shorter Sunday hours and can need timed entry, so check before you travel.

   Best for: A focused half-day, chapel architecture, light walking, and anyone who just wants a simple bus trip.

   

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