Edinburgh Scotland's Capital

Studded with volcanic hills, Edinburgh has an incomparable location on the southern edge of the enormous Firth of Forth. The Old Town, with its crowded tenements and bloody past, stands in contrast to the orderly grid of the New Town with its disciplined Georgian buildings. Most of the city's sights are contained within these two districts. The largely medieval Royal Mile, running down from Edinburgh Castle - which, perched atop its black, volcanic crag, dominates the central area - to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, is the Old Town's spine. In the New Town, Princes St, though not so architecturally inspiring, is Edinburgh's chief thoroughfare and one of the world's most spectacular shopping streets. To the north of the centre, Leith, Edinburgh's main port, has survived a period of decline to become a fashionable area of pubs and restaurants. Portobello to the east is where Edinburgh's citizens spend time on the beach when the weather is warm enough. To the west, medieval South Queensferry sits in the shadow of the two large bridges that span the Firth of Forth. To the south, near Holyrood Park, is picturesque Duddingston.

Edinburgh's drinking scene has been thriving for centuries: Robert Burns wrote about it; Robert Louis Stevenson wallowed in it; and, even today, in a list of Scotland's top ten pubs at least half would be in Edinburgh.

Older pubs with big island bars and decorative ceilings still exist, but there is also an increasing number of new 'style' bars with sleek steel and smooth wood interiors, where drinkers can enjoy anything from a bottle of Merlot to a pint of organic Edinburgh beer.