5 Beautiful Villages Near Edinburgh Worth Visiting

Edinburgh is my favorite city in the world, but it’s a city. Sometimes it’s nice to visit a smaller village, and there are plenty of quintessential little Scottish villages near Edinburgh, many of which are less than an hour away. Here are a few of my favorites from the many there are to choose from.

North Berwick

North Berwick Beaches #2

Many locals of Edinburgh head to North Berwick, about 25 miles east of the city, as the perfect seaside resort town. Sadly, the swimming pool on the beach dating back to the 1800s was finally torn down in 1995. This small town has plenty of charm, so much so that it was named the best place to live in Scotland in 2021. If you do make it out there, I’d also recommend going wild camping at the nearby Yellowcraig Beach.

St Andrews

Villages Near Edinburgh - St Andrews

Next is another seaside town, but to the north and twice as far. St Andrews dates back nearly 900 years. The ruins of the 12th-century cathedral, once the largest building in Europe, is the highlight of the town. Some other attractions include the castle ruins, the golf course (possibly the oldest course in the world), and Jannettas Gelateria – one of the best ice cream and gelato shops in Scotland. This town is the biggest on the list, but still only has a population of around 17,500.

Callander

Callander doesn’t have the same history as the last two, but the location is perfect. Callander is situated just before Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, and the beginning of the Highlands. Many of the tour buses that head to the Highlands pass through Callander as the first pit stop. If you visit on your own, you’ll have time to explore one of the many beautiful walking trails nearby, such as to Bracklinn Waterfall. It’s also not to far from Loch Katrine, one of my favorite lakes in Scotland to walk around.

Dunkeld

Fountain in Dunkeld

You’ll find Dunkeld about 60 miles north of Edinburgh on the River Tay. Dunkeld is one of the smallest villages on this list with barely more than 1,000 people living on two crossing streets. This is where you’ll find the well-preserved ruins of Dunkeld Cathedral, dating back to the 13th century. The town itself is very quaint with several nice cafes, bakeries, and vintage shops catering to the steady stream of tourists passing through.

Culross

Claire's Herb Garden in Culross

Finally, there’s Culross, about the same distance from Edinburgh as North Berwick but to the west. Located on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, the tiny village of Culross has the remnants of an 11th-century abbey, and little else of historical interest. Instead, the popularity of Culross has increased in recent years due to a popular book and TV series. If you’re a fan of Outlander, Claire’s herb garden was filmed at Culross Palace – just a house with a fancy name, but which has beautiful gardens out back.

These are just a few of the many beautiful, quaint villages not too far from Edinburgh. An alternative to North Berwick is Eyemouth, further down the coast and the setting of New Asgard in Avengers: Endgame. Instead of Callander, you could visit Aberfoyle a few miles to the south on the banks of the River Forth and the nearby Go Ape rope course in the Queen Elizabeth Forest.

I think it’s safe to say that for each of the villages I listed, there are a dozen more around Edinburgh worth visiting. Whichever you choose, just make sure you spend some time exploring outside of the cities of Scotland when you visit.

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