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LIFESTYLE TRAVEL Check In Scottish tourist information is notoriously helpful, whether it’s a world famous hotel you are after or a self-catering apartment on the Royal Mile. www.edinburgh.org Touch Down One of the UK’s fastest growing airports is regularly the destination for flights all over Europe. Excellent railway links make Edinburgh very accessible from England, France and Wales. Coach is the cheapest way to travel from London, Birmingham and other major towns and cities in England and Wales. Scotland’s south west ports of Stranraer and Cairnryan can be reached by ferry from Ireland. EDINBURGH Edinburgh is a city with a wonderful ambiance and balance of the traditional and the contemporary. The harmony of the contrasting Medieval old town and the Georgian new town give the city its unique character. Award-winning architecture, winding streets, elegant terraces and an abundance of shops, bars and restaurants sparkle in the highland gloom. Edinburgh has more restaurants per head of population than anywhere else in the UK. The Royal Mile dominates the old town, stretching from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House and the new Scottish Parliament buildings. Home to the Crown Jules and the Stone of Destiny, the castle is built into the rugged rock on Castle Hill overlooking Princes Street Gardens and the Edinburgh cityscape. Crossmarket, in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, was once a medieval market place and the site for public executions, now it is home to some delightfully unique independent stores teeming with character. In the New Town, George Street and Princes Street are the spine of a stylish area bustling with fashionable boutiques, bars and restaurants. Georgian architecture brings the area alive with its own identity. The cobbled streets of the West End, just a few minutes from Princes Street, offer more of the same but independent stores move away from their mainstream neighbours in William Street and Stafford Street. If there is time to avert your eyes from shopping at the George and Hanover Street crossroads, there are breathtaking views over the Firth of Forth bridge into the Kingdom of Fife. Discover the secrets of Scotland’s ‘water of life’ on a Scotch Whisky expedition next to Edinburgh Castle. If you’re feeling a ‘wee’ bit light headed, the Amber restaurant at the expedition offers some of Scotland’s more substantial finest produce. The traditionally Scottish pubs of Leith serve freshly caught fish from the waters they overlook. Fantastic views can be obtained from the perch of Arthurs Seat, the city’s highest peak (250 metres). The path up the extinct volcano only takes around 30 minutes from Holyrood Park. The Nelson Monument at the top of Calton Hill is an upturned telescope designed by Robert Burn from which panoramic views across the cityscape are best. Nightclubs, live music, comedy shows and theatre are just a part of the rich and varied Edinburgh party-loving scene. 66 / CLASSIC SPORTS SERIES |