Tourist trap slammed in Scotland as travellers moan about crowds

Edinburgh welcomes over four million tourists a year and with its atmospheric castle, historic streets and cultural landmarks it’s not hard to see why.

The Scottish capital is set to attract even more tourists after it featured heavily in the popular Netflix series, One Day.

However, a Scottish resident has warned tourists to avoid one of the city’s leading destinations as they said it’s a tourist trap.

Reddit user ‘selenya57’ wrote: “All the wee tourist tat shops in Edinburgh’s city centre – especially in the old town, on the Royal Mile, Grassmarket and generally everywhere within a few minutes radius of the castle.

“Absolutely heaving with tourists buying kitsch tartan umbrellas or saltire mugs or whatever at a 5,000 percent markup.”

Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is the city’s main pedestrian street and while it’s a pretty spot for a wander, it is packed with tourist shops.

Another person said: “These types of shops ruin those high streets for me, especially the Royal Mile up to the Castle.

“It’s either whisky, tartan or Harry Potter shops, why are there so many!”

A study by the holiday rental company,CasaGo, found that Edinburgh’s Royal Mile was the UK’s biggest tourist trap.

One tourist described it as a “tourist trap if ever I saw one” on Tripadvisor while another said the street had “lost its soul”.

However, not every visitor felt the same way. One tourist said: “Great place to walk around, probably the best in Edinburgh.

“Lots of bars and restaurants and a nice walk up to the castle. So much interesting history and some great photo opportunities.”

Another said: “It’s mainly souvenir shops and restaurants but it’s so pretty to wander down and take in the area. The cobblestones only add to the charm.”

Edinburgh’s other top attractions include the Royal Yacht Britannia, the hike to Arthur’s Seat and Edinburgh Castle.

If you want to escape the Royal Mile crowds, why not explore The Real Mary King’s Close which lies deep beneath the famous street?