Edinburgh City Breaks

A guide to Edinburgh

Edinburgh features a beautiful and wonderfully atmospheric city, packed with fine architecture and brimming with history. The Scottish capital is a delightful city for strolling, with most of the major sights within a manageably compact central area. The principal attraction of Edinburgh is the look of the city itself and the delightful contrast between the narrow medieval streets of the Old Town, and the graceful, elegant Georgian architecture of the New Town. All trips here inevitably centre on the two great thoroughfares, the Royal Mile and Princes Street, and the truly magnificent castle that sits above the city. The hilly nature of the city, along with fine parks and viewpoints make Edinburgh a favourite with those that like to explore on foot.

Exceptional beauty, and a feast of culture

The city is particularly rewarding for lovers of art and architecture, with many local museums and galleries featuring fine historic buildings, or the latest in contemporary architecture and design. The summer months are packed with cultural events, culminating in the famous Edinburgh International Festival, but the city's reputation as a centre of European culture rests on far more than the festival alone. Visitors will find a cultural treat at any time of year with world-class ballet, classical music, opera and dance. All weekends will find plenty of live rock, folk and jazz in pubs and small music venues, and plenty of lively nightlife. Aside from culture and history, there's excellent shopping, a profusion of cosy cafes and traditional pubs, a huge choice of restaurants and a lively nightlife scene.

Atmospheric all year round

No trip here can guarantee fine weather but many visitors are pleasantly surprised by the amount of sunshine, and the city can be very atmospheric in a March mist or a frosty winter morning! Christmas and New Year are incredibly popular but some may find the city too crowded, so for an interesting weekend trip with far fewer tourists, try spring or autumn when the weather is reasonably mild.