Edinburgh's Old Town sits on the tail of an extinct volcano, its castle perched on the crag above, and the whole medieval quarter is riddled with closes, narrow alleyways, some barely shoulder-width, that hide pubs, courtyards, and staircases down to streets you didn't know existed.
The Royal Mile and Its Closes
The Royal Mile runs from the castle down to Holyrood Palace, and while the main thoroughfare is thick with tourist shops, the closes branching off it are where the real city survives, Advocate's Close and Mary King's Close both offer glimpses of Edinburgh's layered, and at times gruesome, history.
Climb Arthur's Seat, the extinct volcano's main peak, for a view over the entire city to the Firth of Forth, it's a genuine hike, about an hour round trip, but requires no technical gear and rewards with one of Europe's best urban panoramas.
New Town and the Pubs
The New Town, a Georgian grid built in the 1700s to relieve the crowded Old Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right, elegant crescents, Princes Street Gardens, and the view up to the castle from below is one of the finest cityscapes in the UK.
Edinburgh's pub culture rewards seeking out the smaller, less obvious spots, a snug bar down a close, a fire going even in summer, and a whisky list that takes itself seriously without being precious about it.
Recommended Stay · Edinburgh · New Town
The Balmoral
The clock tower landmark at the east end of Princes Street, with views to the castle from the upper floors and a genuinely excellent whisky bar, the city's most storied address.
