About

About ULTIMATE Edinburgh City Guide

ULTIMATE Edinburgh City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Edinburgh, Scotland. We publish 14 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, sights, arts & culture, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, cars and getting around. We cover the Old Town and the Royal Mile, the New Town, Stockbridge and Dean Village, the West End and Haymarket, Leith and the Shore, the Southside and the Meadows, Bruntsfield and Morningside, and Portobello, with day trips to East Lothian, Glasgow, Stirling and the Trossachs, St Andrews and Fife, the Scottish Borders and the Highlands.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as Historic Environment Scotland, the Royal Collection Trust, the National Galleries of Scotland, National Museums Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, Culture Edinburgh, the City of Edinburgh Council, VisitScotland, Edinburgh Trams, Lothian Buses, Network Rail, NHS Lothian, mygov.scot or The MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN stars are quoted only from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, seasons and timetables change often. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in pounds sterling (£).

For venues

Run a venue in Edinburgh and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• Sir Walter Scott’s library at Abbotsford, by Michael D Beckwith, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Scottish National Gallery on the Mound, by Iain Lees, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park, by Bernt Rostad, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on Castle Rock above the rooftops of the city, by Saffron Blaze, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Balmoral hotel and its clock tower at the east end of Princes Street, by Acediscovery, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Balmoral hotel on Princes Street, by Stephen McKay, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Devil’s Advocate from the stairs: the whisky wall, the long bar and the stone walls of the old pump house, photo: Courtesy of The Devil’s Advocate.
• Blackness Castle on the Firth of Forth from the air, by Godot13, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blair Castle, by Andrew Tryon, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eildon Hills in the Scottish Borders, by LornaMCampbell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• On board the Royal Yacht Britannia, by Alan Findlay, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The state dining room aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, its long table laid for dinner, by Alan Findlay, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bruntsfield Links on a summer evening, with Arthur’s Seat on the skyline, by John Lord, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The island bar, globe lamps and painted plaster ceiling of the Cafe Royal on West Register Street, by Reading Tom from Reading, UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Two flat whites and a blueberry cardamom bun on an oak table at Söderberg, photo: Courtesy of Söderberg.
• A loch among the pinewoods of the Cairngorms National Park, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The monuments of Calton Hill, by Colin, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The three Forth bridges at dusk from the shore at South Queensferry, by bryan..., licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on Castle Rock above the rooftops of the city, by Saffron Blaze, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The hammerbeam roof of the Great Hall in Edinburgh Castle, by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Charlotte Square in the New Town, with its statue and Georgian terraces, by Stephencdickson, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Big Wheel and an illuminated Edinburgh sign in Princes Street Gardens at Christmas, by Sourabh.biswas003, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Circus Lane in Stockbridge, by Ralf Steinberger, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Salisbury Crags in Holyrood Park, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A bowl of Cullen skink, by Metukkalihis, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Buachaille Etive Mòr at the head of Glen Coe in winter, by Caitriana Nicholson from 北京 ~ Beijing, 中国 ~ China, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dean Village on the Water of Leith, by Craig Wallace, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Westfield St James Quarter, by Sahaib, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Dugald Stewart Monument on Calton Hill, looking over the city, by Daniel Kraft, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Falkirk Wheel, by Les Hull, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A train crossing the Forth Bridge, with the Forth Road Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing beyond, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The three Forth bridges at dusk from the shore at South Queensferry, by bryan..., licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The central hall of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, by LornaMCampbell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Buachaille Etive Mòr at the head of Glen Coe in winter, by Caitriana Nicholson from 北京 ~ Beijing, 中国 ~ China, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, by edward mcmaihin, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grassmarket below Edinburgh Castle, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Greyfriars Kirk and its kirkyard, by Scglossop1, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Haggis, neeps and tatties, by Jamie from Toronto, ON, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The candlelit relaxation room of the Spa at Kimpton Charlotte Square, a lounger and cushioned banquette, photo: Courtesy of Kimpton Charlotte Square.
• The Palace of Holyroodhouse at the foot of the Royal Mile, by Daniel Lu, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Holyroodhouse, by Daniel Kraft, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Holyroodhouse and Holyrood Abbey from above, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the trees of West Princes Street Gardens, by Matti Blume, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town seen from Calton Hill, with the Pentland Hills beyond, by Saffron Blaze, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hopetoun House, by Godot13, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Witchery’s panelled dining room, candlesticks on the tables and the garden through an arched window, photo: Courtesy of The Witchery by the Castle.
• A bedroom at Prestonfield House: a carved green headboard, red velvet and a painted tapestry, photo: Courtesy of Prestonfield House.
• The Kelpies at the Helix, Falkirk, by Steven Straiton, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Shore at Leith at dusk, reflected in the Water of Leith, by Andrew Tryon, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Constitution Street in Leith, with the tram line, by Kenneth C. Zirkel, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Shore at Leith at dusk, reflected in the Water of Leith, by Andrew Tryon, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Linlithgow Palace above its loch, by Stephencdickson, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An LNER Azuma train at Edinburgh Waverley, by 4300streetcar, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness, by Daniel Kraft, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pompadour room at the Caledonian: velvet chairs, a round table and the castle through the arched window, photo: Courtesy of 1925 at The Pompadour.
• The auditorium of the Royal Lyceum Theatre, by LochLowry, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Cherry blossom along a path in the Meadows, by Suicasmo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Melrose Abbey below the Eildon Hills, by Holger Uwe Schmitt, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Charles Jencks’s Landform outside Modern One, by Andrew Bowden from London, United Kingdon, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bruntsfield Links on a summer evening, with Arthur’s Seat on the skyline, by John Lord, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Nelson Monument on Calton Hill, by Chris Morgan, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdam, by Michielverbeek, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue sky, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pyramids of Giza across the desert, by Ricardo Liberato, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Nyhavn, Copenhagen, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ha’penny Bridge on the Liffey, Dublin, by Chris Rycroft, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the trees of West Princes Street Gardens, by Matti Blume, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Varenna on Lake Como, by Daniel Case, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunset, by Olga Prystai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Duomo di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on the Piazza del Duomo, by kuhnmi, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Oslo Opera House, by Christian David, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro in Paris, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Reykjavík and Mount Esja from Hallgrímskirkja, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Peter’s Basilica in Rome under a clear blue sky, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gamla Stan, Stockholm, by Nordenfan, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffs, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, by Irin Acassi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Zurich and the Limmat, by Daniel Kraft, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Charlotte Square in the New Town, with its statue and Georgian terraces, by Stephencdickson, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the National Museum of Scotland, by Elshad, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Bass Rock and its lighthouse in the Firth of Forth, by Francis C. Franklin, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Mile in the Old Town, by Steve Houldsworth, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The glasshouses of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, by Afmell, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood, by Darren J. Prior, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hills of Highland Perthshire, by Gary Campbell-Hall from Edinburgh, UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the trees of West Princes Street Gardens, by Matti Blume, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Avery’s dining room: a large abstract painting on a dark stone wall above the tables, photo: Courtesy of Avery.
• The sandstone shopfront of Cairngorm Coffee on Melville Place, its door open, photo: Courtesy of Cairngorm Coffee.
• A guest reading on a sofa with a dog in a panelled lounge at Kimpton Charlotte Square, photo: Courtesy of Kimpton Charlotte Square.
• The Devil’s Advocate from the stairs: the whisky wall, the long bar and the stone walls of the old pump house, photo: Courtesy of The Devil’s Advocate.
• Beer taps set in old cask staves on the bar at The Devil’s Advocate, photo: Courtesy of The Devil’s Advocate.
• Fingal, the former lighthouse tender, moored in Alexandra Dock at Leith, its hull reflected in still water, photo: Courtesy of Fingal.
• The dining room aboard Fingal: booths, porthole screens and sunlight through the blinds, photo: Courtesy of Fingal.
• A table set with candelabra and the ship’s wheel in the Bridge room on Fingal, photo: Courtesy of Fingal.
• Gleneagles hotel behind its lawns and old trees, a flag above the tower, in evening light, photo: Courtesy of Gleneagles.
• Leather tub chairs and tables laid for tea in a Gleneagles lounge, the gardens through the window, photo: Courtesy of Gleneagles.
• The columned façade of Gleneagles Townhouse on St Andrew Square, behind cherry blossom, photo: Courtesy of Gleneagles Townhouse.
• The curved stone front of Greywalls at Gullane, behind its gravel forecourt, photo: Courtesy of Greywalls.
• Arched hallways and antique chairs inside Greywalls, photo: Courtesy of Greywalls.
• Afternoon tea on a three-tier stand by the fire at Greywalls, photo: Courtesy of Greywalls.
• A corner of a Greywalls sitting room: a round mirror, geraniums and tartan cushions, photo: Courtesy of Greywalls.
• The Guildford Arms: a gilded Victorian ceiling over the island bar and the gallery restaurant, photo: Courtesy of The Guildford Arms.
• The entrance of Harvey Nichols on Multrees Walk, photo: Courtesy of Multrees Walk.
• Hawksmoor Edinburgh in a former banking hall: leather chairs, panelled booths and a coffered ceiling, photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Edinburgh.
• The panelled island bar at Hawksmoor Edinburgh under the old bank’s high windows, photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Edinburgh.
• Booths and tables beneath the coffered ceiling of Hawksmoor Edinburgh, photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Edinburgh.
• A chef plating at the pass in Heron’s darkened kitchen in Leith, photo: Courtesy of Heron.
• The candlelit relaxation room of the Spa at Kimpton Charlotte Square, a lounger and cushioned banquette, photo: Courtesy of Kimpton Charlotte Square.
• A lit lounger in the Swell room at the Spa at Kimpton Charlotte Square, photo: Courtesy of Kimpton Charlotte Square.
• A hot-stone massage at the Spa at Kimpton Charlotte Square, photo: Courtesy of Kimpton Charlotte Square.
• A viewing room at Lyon & Turnbull: paintings on grey walls under a skylight, photo: Courtesy of Lyon & Turnbull.
• A table for two by the windows of a Market Street Hotel suite, the Scott Monument outside, photo: Courtesy of Market Street Hotel.
• A bedroom at Market Street Hotel, oak panels open on the roofs of Waverley station, photo: Courtesy of Market Street Hotel.
• Lamplit stone walls and the steep, narrow close beneath the Royal Mile at The Real Mary King’s Close, photo: Courtesy of The Real Mary King’s Close.
• Two stools and malted-milk cushions in the window seat at Mary’s Milk Bar, photo: Courtesy of Mary’s Milk Bar.
• The Pompadour room at the Caledonian: velvet chairs, a round table and the castle through the arched window, photo: Courtesy of 1925 at The Pompadour.
• Sauce poured over a fillet of fish at 1925 at The Pompadour, photo: Courtesy of 1925 at The Pompadour.
• A bedroom at Prestonfield House: a carved green headboard, red velvet and a painted tapestry, photo: Courtesy of Prestonfield House.
• A red damask sitting room at Prestonfield, a portrait in a gilt frame above the armchairs, photo: Courtesy of Prestonfield House.
• The entrance of The Raeburn in Stockbridge, its name above the glass canopy, framed by leaves, photo: Courtesy of The Raeburn.
• Rhubarb’s dining room at Prestonfield: tall windows on to the park, candles and red flowers, photo: Courtesy of Prestonfield House.
• The Roseate Edinburgh, a red sandstone Victorian villa above its terraced garden, in low sun, photo: Courtesy of The Roseate Edinburgh.
• A wood-panelled dining room laid with round tables at The Scotsman Hotel, photo: Courtesy of The Scotsman Hotel.
• Two flat whites and a blueberry cardamom bun on an oak table at Söderberg, photo: Courtesy of Söderberg.
• Tables laid with marble tops and fresh flowers in the dining room of Restaurant Martin Wishart in Leith, photo: Courtesy of Restaurant Martin Wishart.
• The Witchery’s panelled dining room, candlesticks on the tables and the garden through an arched window, photo: Courtesy of The Witchery by the Castle.
• Red wine poured beside a steak in a copper pan, by candlelight in the Witchery dining room, photo: Courtesy of The Witchery by the Castle.
• A table laid with wine glasses and a dish of duck under the Witchery’s brass candlesticks, photo: Courtesy of The Witchery by the Castle.
• Prestonfield House, by Tom Parnell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the trees of West Princes Street Gardens, by Matti Blume, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ross Fountain in West Princes Street Gardens, below Edinburgh Castle, by Matti Blume, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The glasshouses of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, by Afmell, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the Temperate Palm House at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, by Alex Liivet from Chester, United Kingdom, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the trees of West Princes Street Gardens, by Matti Blume, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hawksmoor Edinburgh in a former banking hall: leather chairs, panelled booths and a coffered ceiling, photo: Courtesy of Hawksmoor Edinburgh.
• Rosslyn Chapel, by Anthonyrandell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Mile in the Old Town, by Steve Houldsworth, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Scott Monument in East Princes Street Gardens, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Westfield St James Quarter, by Sahaib, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Caledonian Sleeper at Edinburgh Waverley, by Stephen McKay, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Scottish National Gallery on the Mound, by Iain Lees, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Cherry blossom along a path in the Meadows, by Suicasmo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, by Bill Harrison, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside St Giles’ Cathedral, by Michael D Beckwith, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The vaulted interior of St Giles’ Cathedral, by Gary Campbell-Hall from Edinburgh, UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Giles’ Cathedral and its crown spire on the High Street, by Edgar El, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Stirling Castle on its rock, by DeFacto, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Westfield St James Quarter, by Sahaib, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dean Village on the Water of Leith, by Craig Wallace, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the castle esplanade, by U.S. Air Force photo by Kristen Wong, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An Edinburgh tram on Princes Street, by Dr Neil Clifton, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Waverley and the Balmoral, with Calton Hill beyond, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Usher Hall on Lothian Road, by Ham, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The coloured shopfronts of Victoria Street, by Daniel Kraft, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shopfronts on Victoria Street, by Eric Kilby from Somerville, MA, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dean Village on the Water of Leith, by Craig Wallace, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The National Wallace Monument on the Abbey Craig above Stirling, by Eusebius, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Water of Leith Walkway, by Richard Webb, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Waverley and the Balmoral, with Calton Hill beyond, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Usher Hall on Lothian Road, by Ham, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.