City Observatory

Designed by William Henry Playfair in 1818, the City Observatory on Calton Hill is one of Edinburgh’s top tourist attractions. When it was operational, it was involved in some important astronomical discoveries, including Astronomer Royal Thomas Henderson’s breakthroughs in the measurement of parallax. It’s a great place to come for those who are interested in the history of science and the Scottish Enlightenment. In addition, there are wonderful views of Edinburgh from the public lookout, so make sure you take a camera.