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Photo: Des Colhoun, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
An exhibition ground with several halls and large grounds. The premier event is the Royal Highland Show for 4 days in late June. Other events are held throughout the year, some of these are public, others are trade only.
The Royal Highland Centre (RHC), also called the Royal Highland Agricultural Exhibition Hall, originally the Royal Highland Showground or the Ingliston Showground, is an exhibition centre and showground located at Ingliston in the western outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8. The RHC now welcomes over 1 million visitors annually to a wide range of events. The largest event is the Royal Highland Show, which attracts over 200,000 visitors each year.
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formerly Ratho Adventure Centre
Huge indoor and outdoor climbing centre in a disused quarry, developed from 1995 but taken over and completed by Edinburgh City Council in 2007.
The present building is a collegiate church of 1429, becoming a parish church in 1646, and re-modeled in 1828.
The pandas have returned to China but there's still plenty here. Penguins include gentoo, rockhopper and king, most famously Major General Sir Nils Olav III, Baron of the Bouvet Islands and mascot of the Norwegian King's Guard. Budongo Trail leads through the troupe of 15 chimpanzees. The only koalas in the UK are here, and there are some beautiful tropical birds. The zoo is on the slopes of Corstorphine Hill and some paths are steep but all attractions are wheelchair accessible. Check the website for cheaper online offers, and temporary closures eg in harsh weather or avian flu outbreaks.
This 1590s tower house was extended in the 1820s and housed a series of prosperous families. It passed into council ownership in 1926 and the interior has been preserved in its last occupants' plush Edwardian style. Visit by pre-booked guided tour. There is free entry to the gardens (daily 8AM-4:30PM), where the centrepiece is the Japanese garden. The castle is also used as an event space.
The main stadium has a capacity of 67,000 and hosts all Scottish rugby internationals. The premier tournament is the Six Nations held each February-March: in odd-numbered years, Scotland hosts Wales, Ireland and Italy, and in even-numbered years the visitors are England and France. These games almost always sell out, and the city is mobbed when they're on; you've more chance of tickets and accommodation for other internationals which take place each November, or, if it's a Rugby World Cup year, warm-up friendly games in the summer. Stadium tours are available on non-match days.
The Spartans play soccer in Scottish League Two, the fourth tier. Their ground Ainslie Park (Vanloq Community Stadium) holds 3612, of which 534 are seated. It's in Pilton, northwest of the city centre.