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Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, draws on its history to appeal to visitors—with good reason. The Old Town of Edinburgh reverberates with the history of Scottish royalty and romantic literary figures. Crossing Princes Street and glimpsing Edinburgh Castle towering over the New Town is like passing through a time warp to the late 1700s.

Edinburgh has also launched more than its fair share of notable figures onto the world stage: Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Alexander Graham Bell and more recently Ian Rankin, Alexander McCall Smith and J.K. Rowling.

But Edinburgh isn't just wrapped up in history. Tourists flock there every summer to partake of the extraordinarily vibrant atmosphere of the Edinburgh Festival—it's the world's biggest performing-arts festival (really, five distinct festivals in one). While the festival time may be the busiest tourist season in Edinburgh, the busiest night of the year is Hogmanay (New Year's Eve), when Edinburgh invites visitors to one of the biggest street parties in the world.

Returning visitors will discover that Edinburgh has been reinvigorated by the opening of the Scottish parliament building, new and improved tourist attractions, an influx of immigrants from the former Eastern Bloc countries, a renaissance of its previously ignored waterfront, and the building of a new tram system.

Must See or Do

Sights—The view from Calton Hill; Edinburgh Castle; Forth Rail Bridge; Royal Yacht Britannia; a double-decker bus tour of the city with Edinburgh Bus Tours.

Museums—The National Museum of Scotland with its Victorian Royal Museum of Scotland; the National Gallery of Scotland; the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art; The People's Story.

Memorable Meals—Haggis in phyllo pastry at Stac Polly; an assortment of authentic vegetarian dishes at Kalpna; dinner by candlelight at The Witchery by the Castle; breakfast at Urban Angel; a romantic dinner at Rhubarb.

Late Night—Checking out hip grooves at the Liquid Room; stand-up comedy at The Stand; dancing into the wee hours at Cabaret Voltaire; listening to live jazz or funk at The Jazz Bar or The Jam House; sipping a cocktail at Tigerlily Bar; a pint of heavy at Milne's Bar.

Walks—Strolling through the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; following the Water of Leith, making sure to stop off in Dean Village and Stockbridge.

Especially for Kids—Experiencing earthquakes at Our Dynamic Earth; watching the penguin parade at Edinburgh Zoo; handling creepy-crawlies at Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World.

Geography

From its location on the banks of the Firth of Forth, Edinburgh enjoys one of the most dramatic settings of any European city. The most distinctive natural landmark, Arthur's Seat, is an extinct volcano around which the oldest parts of town, from Castle Rock down the Royal Mile, cluster on a narrow, rocky ridge surrounded by bare moorland.

The main shopping thoroughfare of Princes Street marks the southern edge of New Town, which is connected to the Old Town by George IV Bridge and the gentle slope of The Mound. Calton Hill looms over the east end of Princes Street, and beyond it is Leith Walk, which leads to Edinburgh's port of Leith. On the west end of Princes Street is Lothian Road, famous as Edinburgh's financial district.

Edinburgh's growth has swallowed up villages to the north, including Stockbridge and Dean Village, which sit on the Water of Leith, a river that runs through Edinburgh and empties into the Forth. Farther out, the city is ringed by distinct neighborhoods, from well-off Morningside to working-class tenement areas such as Dalry. To the northwest and southeast, money-starved 1960s housing projects provide a stark contrast to the grandeur of the city center.

History

Castle Rock has been inhabited since the early seventh century, when the Celtic tribe Gododdin named it Dunedin (Dun Eideann). Dun means "hill fort." Although it had long been the residence of the King of Scots, it did not become the capital city until the 15th century, a position it still retains.

In a centuries-long struggle for power between the English and the Scots, the city was a target for English armies, the scene of popular uprisings, the setting for some dramatic moments in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the headquarters of Bonnie Prince Charlie's unsuccessful attempt to claim the throne of Scotland in 1745-46.

The focus of power shifted away from Edinburgh after the Act of Union in 1707 combined the parliaments of England and Scotland into one body, centered in London. That gave the city a chance to concentrate on itself, and just in time—by the 1760s, the overcrowding, squalor and disease had become too dangerous to ignore, and building began to the north on what is now called New Town, a masterpiece of neoclassical architecture.

Edinburgh grew and prospered, becoming a center for law, medicine and intellectual pursuits in the 1700s and 1800s. The 20th century saw it blossom on other fronts: The foundation in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and its more diverse sister festival, the Fringe, established the city as one of the world's leading centers of art and culture.

Edinburgh has also flourished as one of Europe's financial centers. The millennium ended on a high note with the re-establishment, after nearly 300 years, of a parliament in Scotland's capital and the opening of the new parliament building.

Potpourri

Edinburgh is a popular film location. Movies set there range from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie to Trainspotting. However, you'll also see the city's streets in films set in other places—its old buildings have stood in for locales in London, Cambridge and Prague.

The Merchiston area of the city has become a writer's enclave. Crime writer Ian Rankin, Kate Atkinson and Alexander McCall Smith all call the area home. In 2004, Edinburgh became the first UNESCO City of Literature.

The Encylopaedia Britannica was first published in 1768 by William Smellie at his printing shop in Anchor Close, off the Royal Mile.

Drink in the footsteps of Inspector Rebus, the melancholy, hard-drinking detective of Ian Rankin's mystery novels, at the Oxford Bar on Young Street, which is as unreconstructed as Rebus himself. Rankin can occasionally be spotted there among the regular clientele of off-duty cops, judges and lawyers.

The Hawes Inn in South Queensbury is featured in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Kidnapped. It's also home to the Loony Dook, a New Year's Day event when hundreds take a dip in the chilly Firth of Forth to raise money for charity.

Then-unknown author J.K. Rowling started writing her early Harry Potter novels over coffee in the back room at The Elephant House Cafe.

Location

The Port of Leith is the main destination for most cruise ships. It lies just 2.5 mi/4 km from Edinburgh City Centre. The Cruise Terminal building has restrooms, Wi-Fi and refreshments, and ATMs and shopping are available in the adjacent Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. The Royal Yacht Britannia, a major tourist attraction, is also berthed here.

Taxis to the City Centre can be booked from the terminal or picked up from the taxi rank at Ocean Terminal. Local buses also stop at Ocean Terminal. Lothian Bus 22 will take you to Princess Street in 15 minutes.

Shore Excursions