Edinburgh, Scotland, is a fairly small city with a whole lot of history. If you find yourself in the UK and have just one day to spend in Edinburgh (which is enough, in my opinion), there are a few things you absolutely must do. First of all, according to my concierge at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, your best first step is to buy a ticket for the city bus tour. I did that, and what a wise decision it was. The guided tour will take you to all of the main sights in the city while providing you a history. You can also hop on and hop off at stops as you please.
However, if you either don't feel like doing the bus tour or do and want to be sure you're really soaking in the best sights in Edinburgh, take my advice and make sure to see these four things. Each one is an integral part of Scotland's history or cultural scene and will give you a good view of what Edinburgh is like. Of course, this won't eat up your whole day, because the best part about sightseeing is stumbling on new things yourself that you can pass along to someone else in your own recommendation!