40 Reasons Why Edinburgh Is Fabulous!
Hootenanny - New Year's Eve is the biggest night on the calendar north of the border and Edinburgh is renowned as being one of the best places in the world to celebrate the bells chiming midnight "for auld lang syne..."
Highland Games - A hilarious version of the famous highland games as you battle it out in a series of crazy games with the help of hunks in kilts. Yum!
JK Rowling - This lovely lady allegedly wrote her world-famous Harry Potter debut in Edinburgh's House Café while virtually penniless. She's now one of the world's richest women.
Havin' a Laugh! - The world-famous comedy festival brings in the best comics from around the world to have a ruddy good giggle although hotel prices do rocket at this time of year.
On the A-list - Edinburgh has more listed buildings than anywhere in the world, probably because they're so drop dead gorgeous!
'Athens of the North' - This is one of Edinburgh's kinder nicknames, the city earned this moniker through its gorgeous architecture and philosophical influence during what is now known as the 'Scottish Enlightenment'.
Heads & Tales - Set in a gorgeous industrial-chic space with exposed brickwork and copper distilling equipment on open display, Edinburgh's premier gin bar is essential drinking for any pre-wedding weekend in Auld Reekie. Our advice? Try the Daisy Cutter cocktail - you won't regret it!
Escape Game - You'll need all the wit and determination of Sherlock Holmes to escape these puzzle-filled rooms in the hour time-limit, or will you be trapped forever in the escape game?
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The famous author of the Sherlock Holmes books is said to have based his character on Professor Joseph Bell, who at the time of Doyle's writing was the President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
St. James Shopping - Head to this fabulous shopping arcade to find the usual high street suspects and a few fast food outlets to keep those rumbling tummies happy.
The Hive - This club is always absolutely buzzing! The Hive is always packed with party-loving people making it the perfect spot for any Edinburgh hen party looking to get crazy on the dance floor.
Edinburgh Zoo - Cute baby animals and a fantastic breeding programme that is helping save endangered species are just two reasons to love the amazing Edinburgh zoo.
Bah Humbug! - Charles Dickens allegedly came up with the idea of his legendary character by misreading the tombstone of successful Edinburgh merchant Ebenezer Scoggie.
Sean Connery - Perhaps the sexiest bond of all time? Not only did Edinburgh born Connery have the looks and bod but he also had that super sexy accent. Shaken but never stirred.
Miracle Cures - 17th century Edinburgh locals were convinced that rubbing the burnt remains of dove's droppings on their heads would cure baldness. Nice!?!
The Stone of Destiny - Despite sounding like something out of The Lord of the Rings, 'The Stone of Destiny' is the traditional coronation stone of English and Scottish royalty and is kept at Edinburgh Castle.
...and the thief?!? - Although, it's widely suggested that 'The Stone of Destiny' was actually stolen and swapped for a fake at some point in history!
Copper Blossom – This beautiful cocktail bar and restaurant is one of Edinburgh's best kept secrets! The bright, designer furnishings within are to die for while the outdoor terrace is adorned by glowing Chinese-style lanterns, creating a serene atmosphere for the house speciality Pink Penelope.
Recording Studio - Do you think you've got the lungs of Annie Lennox? Then belt out big tunes in our fabulous recording studio.
Auld Reekie - Edinburgh's nickname is 'Auld Reekie'. Although it doesn't smell too bad these days, back in the day the streets were filled with smoke from the coal and wood burning in the city's homes and buildings. Ever heard of febreze?
Dragonfly - Take a step back in time to the decadent 20's with this speakeasy-style cocktail bar, filled with plenty of cute design features as well as a devilishly tempting list of drinks to pick from. Oh, and there's nothing "yesteryear" about the playlist you can dance to in this popular party spot.
Caddies - Although they're associated with Golf these days, in yesteryear a 'caddie' was a man hired to carry pails of water to the tenement flats in Edinburgh's Old Town.
Golf - With the likes of Michelle Wie putting the blokes to shame on the course, isn't it time that your party got to grips with a nine-iron?
Twins - This fabulous city is twinned with Munich in Germany, Vancouver in Canada, Florence in Italy and many more wonderful cities worldwide!
Gail Porter - Talk about body confidence! There's nothing that Gail hasn't done in the worlds of TV and modelling, we wish we had an iota of her positive mental attitude; she's a real role model for women everywhere.
The Bay City Rollers - This Edinburgh based group rocked the world in the 70s with their harmony-tinged number one hits like Bye, Bye Baby and Give a Little Love.
The Witchery by the Castle – Nestled close to the incredible Edinburgh Castle, the gorgeously gothic Witchery is the city's most magical restaurant. The luxury Victorian design creates a fantastic and utterly unique atmosphere, while the delicious courses created by the expert chefs are spellbinding.
Holyrood Park - As well as being a beautiful green space, Holyrood Park has some fascinating history. The rock beneath the park was allegedly formed via the eruption of an ancient volcano that erupted 350,000,000 years ago! That's older than Louis Walsh!
BURGER. - Now we're pretty sure that the name of this fantastic restaurant is self-explanatory, but when your culinary creations are this damn good? We really can't complain. Pull up a chair, loosen your jeans and tuck into The BURGER-BURGER. A brioche bun packed with cheese, bacon, beef chilli, jalapenos, onions, tomato, pickle and tomato sauce.
Arthur's Seat - A sunlit walk up to Arthur's Seat is the perfect hangover cure. This spot is honestly gorgeous and it's a tremendously romantic place with plenty of wedding proposals happening here every year, just lovely.
The Witch Trials - Seriously spooky fact: The lovely looking Princes Street Gardens used to be the site of the city's witch trials. Women were tossed into the bog and if they floated, they were executed and if they drowned they were innocent, but a fat lot of good that did?!?
Life Drawing - Is beautiful Edinburgh igniting your creative spark? Explore your artistic side with a sensational life drawing hen activity where your model will be ab-solutely stunning!
Burke and Hare - The city's infamous demonic duo of Burke & Hare killed at least 16 people to sell their cadavers to the Edinburgh's medical students in the 19th century. Thankfully, they were caught and Burke's body was ironically dissected by students in the most well-attended lecture in the Medical School's history!
LuLu - ALL THE TUNES. AND beautiful people. AND cocktails. Need we say more? LuLu is one of Edinburgh's best nights out and an incredibly popular party spot for locals and visitors alike, from the chic décor and the amazing DJs, to the fantastic drinks list and the stylish LED light fixtures. What are you waiting for?.
Edinburgh's Shame - At the top of Calton Hill is a neo-classical monument known as 'Edinburgh's Shame'. It was based on the Pantheon in Athens, but the project was abandoned because the money ran out.
Beer - We know it's not the most lady-like drink, but did you know that in the 16th century, Edinburgh brewing was usually done by the brewer's wife? Talk about taking all the credit!
Most Haunted - Edinburgh is allegedly one of the most haunted cities in the world. Fancy a bit of real life ghost hunting? Try one of our Haunted Hen Parties
Mons Meg - The huge cannon of Edinburgh Castle is fired once a day at 1pm #FYI. So try not to jump, it makes a bit of a racket!
El Barrio - Viva la Edinburgh! Do you like Pina Colada? And getting caught in the rain? Then you'll #lovelovelove this Latino style bar on the central Hanover Street. The party-mad locals flock here every weekend for a Saturday night fiesta while El Barrio is the self-proclaimed "Home of Mojitos". And when they taste this good, who are we to argue?
Cabaret Voltaire - Your alternative bride-to-be will love this cavernous club with quirky décor, top tunes, great cocktails and the best up-and-coming DJs behind the decks!
Top Tweeters
Edinburgh Spotlight - Local news, reviews and snaps of the city from the people who live here!
Edinburgh Foody - Top dining tips and the best cuisine in Edinburgh from a professional baker and foodie.
Facebook
Beautiful Edinburgh - Discover the best places to visit with some amazing photos.
Lost Edinburgh - Vintage photos of Edinburgh from years gone by, simply wonderful!
- 1. The Old Town, for hidden retail gems and quirky eateries
- 2. The striking Edinburgh Castle above Princes Street Gardens
- 3. Buzzing festivals, with 100,000 festival guests each year
- 4. The exciting Royal Mile, buzzing with shops and bars
- 5. Five national galleries and countless museums
Athens of the North
Edinburgh. A city that's given us more laughs per square metre than any other town in the world, The Bay City Rollers and the absolute #fitty that is Andy Murray... It's the perfect destination for the bride's last weekend of single living. And if you're there thinking that a city with a nickname like the "Athens of the North" is out of your price range then think again. The picturesque Scottish party capital is surprisingly budget-friendly and at GoHen's fabulous low rates you can send the nearly-married lady off with a right old hootenanny for far less than you first planned. Leaving you with even more to spend in the chic boutiques, vibrant nightclubs and spectacular bars along the world-famous Royal Mile.
Did you know? The Bay City Rollers love Edinburgh!
The "Bye, Bye Baby" artists were based here in the 70's.
Staying in Style
Classy, stylish, opulent, decadent, trendy, modern, enviable. All words you'd use to describe Edinburgh and our superb range of accommodation in this fabulous party town. From budget-friendly 2-star hotels and boutique guesthouses in the oh-so-popular Cowgate district to luxury hostels and stunning spa hotels off the Royal Mile, we have a fabulous selection for you to choose from. And unlike other companies, we try out all our accommodation ourselves before you stay there – It's the only way we can make absolutely sure that you'll be in the perfect starting point for this once-in-a-lifetime weekend.
When you book your Edinburgh hen party with GoHen you'll be taking advantage of the experience we have of planning hen weekends since 2002. In that time, we've made some pretty special relationships with our suppliers (think Swifty and Delevigne) meaning that we get exclusive benefits which we gladly pass on to all our groups. These include:
- Lower rates
- Flexibility on numbers
- Complete financial protection
Did you know? I would walk how many miles?
The Royal Mile is actually 1 mile & 107 yards' long
Highland Hens
This city has some of the UK's best nightlife but that's not the only reason for an Edinburgh hen do – Here in the Scottish Highlands you'll find some of the best pre-wedding activities in our green and pleasant land, whether you fancy pampering the weekend away or putting yourselves to the test with the most hair-raising challenges known to hen-kind. For "sophisticated" ladies there's Afternoon Tea with delicious finger sandwiches, tasty pastries and an early glass of bubbly while if you're a looking for a little less conversation and a little more action, the Highland Games is a hilarious tartan test that all the girls will love.
Most popular Edinburgh activities...
- Inflatable Games – It's a Knockout! It's a Total Wipeout! It's our brilliant inflatable obstacle course filled with crazy challenges and hilarious costumes.
- Recording Studio – Could you be the next pop sensation? Find out as you and the girls lay down the beats in our amazing recording studio experience.
- Bubbly Mayhen – Taking on the playground games of your youth is much harder when wrapped in a giant inflatable bubble... Who knew?
- Escape Game – You have one hour to escape the room before you're locked in forever. Without your makeup bag? Oh, the horror!
Edinburgh Nights
Students, professionals and anybody else who knows what a good party looks like converge on Edinburgh every weekend to create some of the most vibrant and eclectic nightlife in the whole of the UK. The up-and-coming Cowgate district has some chic bars to try out, but the chances are you'll spend the majority of your evening winding your way down the world-famous Royal Mile. Here you'll find pubs, clubs and bars all rubbing shoulders so it's more than likely you'll find your new favourite party spot as you hop from place to place. While the Grassmarket is the home of Edinburgh's biggest and best nightclubs to finish your hen night with even more dancing and Mojito-fuelled fun.
But this is no ordinary girl's night out. The bride will only be getting married once so GoHen will be giving you the VIP treatment with the chance to gift the girls Guestlist Entry to the hottest clubs in town, reservations for the city's most popular restaurants and even luxury limo transfers if the cobbled streets prove too challenging for your new pair of heels.
Most popular Edinburgh nightlife...
- The Dreamboys – They don't make them like this at home! These highland hunks are world-famous and certainly know how to put on a show.
- Butlers in the Buff – Make sure the brides every wish is attended to. Cocktails? Done. Dinner? On the table. Gorgeous man waiting on her hand and foot? Sorted!
- Karaoke – Is there a better way to start the evening? Belt out the hits with the bridesmaids with 1000s of songs to choose from and a private booth.
- Haunted Hen Night – Will you be brave enough to spend the night in Edinburgh's notoriously haunted city vaults?!?
Did you know? Edinburgh is old and protected.
It has more listed buildings than anywhere else in the world.
Money, Money, Money...
Planning a weekend break can be pretty stressful even when dealing with just your own finances. So, when you're responsible for everybody else's cash as well, possibly including money belonging to girls you don't even know, then it can be even more worrying. GoHen are both ABTA bonded (No. W7797) and ATOL protected (No. 11011) which means we adhere to strict codes of conduct giving you and your booking complete financial protection.
Still not convinced? See 1000+ positive GoHen reviews here.
How To Get The Party Started?
That's the easiest bit of all – Just send us your enquiry! No... Really. It's as simple as that. And while you're at home with your feet up, possibly with a glass of vino (not that we're jealous or anything) we'll be doing all the hard work putting together your dream hen party package of accommodation, activities and nightlife. It's fast, easy and best of all completely free until you and the girls decide that we're the ones to get your party started.
Or you can call us on 01225 474200. We love talking about all hen parties great and small, so whether you know exactly how you want your weekend to go or you haven't the foggiest, just give us a ring and we can start planning your pre-wedding hootenanny today.
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