Edinburgh

United Kingdom

Things to do in Edinburgh:

View the Gallery Edinburgh Castle at Sunset

Edinburgh Restaurants

Cheap (41)

Chez Jules

Expect cheap, cheerful and well-cooked French food. The set dinner menu is perfect for larger parties. read more
Affordable (40)

First Coast

One of Edinburgh's hidden gems, this neighbourhood restaurant has a stylish, modern menu with a spicy Oriental slant. Service is friendly and attentive, while the food is impeccably prepared. read more
Good quality (32)

Heights

The roof terrace restaurant of the Apex International Hotel has a unique view up to the castle across the Grassmarket. Complemented by a well-sourced fine-dining menu that is Scottish in name but... read more

Edinburgh Nightlife

Chilled (39)

Guildford Arms

Well-kept real ales served with traditional hand-pull pumps, loads of great whiskies, and a soaring ceiling with original d�cor and fittings all combine to make this a popular meeting point. read more
Live Music (23)

The Queen's Hall

A converted church, this acoustically excellent venue has gigs scheduled most weekends and is particularly popular for world music. It's also home to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. read more
Clubbing (30)

The Three Sisters

This huge, noisy Cowgate pub is the perfect venue for large groups. There are lots of big screens to watch live sport on and a large outdoor seating area. read more

This Month in Edinburgh (March):

By Thom Dibdin

Shopping: Edinburgh's farmers' market is one of the UK's best, selling a huge range of produce from all over Scotland (Castle Terrace, Saturday only, 9am-2pm).

Sightseeing: The Play, Pie & a Pint series of lunchtime theatre hits the Traverse this month. A different show is put on each week with - you guessed it - a pie and pint thrown in (Cambridge Street, tel: 0131 228 1404, traverse.co.uk).

Key areas: The statue of the famously loyal Greyfriars Bobby is Candlemaker Row's greatest draw, but the kirkyard just opposite holds many other historical monuments - and tales of ghostly apparitions.

Day trips: Situated between the Highlands and the Lowlands, Stirling's castle defended what was the lowest crossing point of the River Forth. The picturesque town, an hour from Edinburgh by train, clings to the castle's coattails and there are several key monuments nearby.

Edinburgh News & Gossip

Travel News: Princes Street Suites in Edinburgh

EDINBURGH

When your travel plans don't extend beyond non-stop partying, a self-catering apartment makes much more sense than a hotel. One of the 37 new Princes Street Suites is the perfect pied-�-terre for the bacchanalian Hogmanay New Year's celebrations, as each comes with a kitchenette (complete with dishwasher), wi-fi, iPod docks and a proper dining-room table. Interiors by Scottish designer Linda Reid will inspire you to hit the boutiques of Princes Street to spend the money you've saved on accommodation. Spacious studios cost from �128, a two-bedroom apartment costs from �199, and the stunning three-bedroom penthouse with views of Edinburgh Castle is only �387. JB www.princesstreetsuites.co.uk

Edinburgh Trivia

March: The recently refurbished time ball on the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill drops at precisely 1pm. Ship's captains in Leith harbour once used it to set their chronometers by.
February: The detailed heart laid into the cobblestones outside St Giles on the Royal Mile is no romantic declaration. It marks the spot of Edinburgh's reviled and now demolished Tollbooth, which stood on this spot for over 400 years.
January: Art collector Henry Vaughan stipulated that his collection of Turner Watercolours may only be on display in January, when daylight is at its weakest. Even now, 100 years on, galleries still stick to this rule, despite the collection being housed under artificial light.