Here’s some news for everyone – Auld Reekie is no more just tartan and scotch or the start point for a host of fourth generation immigrants to chase their ancestry. In the years that people were planning city breaks on European mainland and Hawaii, Edinburgh was quietly sprucing itself up to become one of Britain’s most livable cities. The golf is, of course, as prominent as ever, but now the city also has a bunch of fab nightclubs catering to a wildly multicultural population and tourism has become the new buzzword. The city is abuzz with international festivals and tourists are now looking at Edinburgh as a serious contender to London and Paris for a vacation.

The city’s most charming quality, however, is in the way it blends the ancient with the modern to come up with a historic, cosmopolitan and cultured city that attracts one and all. Perched on extinct volcanoes with the Edinburgh castle dominating the skyline, the city’s superb architecture ranging from ancient churches to monumental Victorian masterpieces is a big draw for travelers looking to discover something exciting. And they get the chills and thrills in the New Town, created when Edinburgh as redesigned in the 1700s, after the Act of Union with Britain. The Princes Street which is the main promenade of the New Town sees a battalion of tourists excitedly wandering the stretch surfing through the offering of brilliantly lit stores and clicking away to capture the elegantly imposing views of the castle that sits brooding like a pained lover.

When it comes to sightseeing, Edinburgh's attractions are largely based on historic stories and legends, from the churchyard where Greyfriar's Bobby, the terrier, refused to leave his master's grave, to the grand royal apartments of Holyrood House, where Mary Queen of Scots watched her husband kill her lover back in the 16th century.

Read on to find out more about Scotland’s captivating capital.

The History of Edinburgh

The most dominating feature of Edinburgh’s city center is the Castle Rock, a volcanic peak with three vertical sides and this easily defensible position is perhaps what attracted the first settlers to the area in about 850 BC. In the next few centuries various tribes from different regions started populating the area. The most notable of these were the two Celtic tribes (Picts and Britons) that occupied Northern Britain during the 4th century, the 6th century Celtic tribe - the Scotti who came in from Northern Ireland and established a kingdom called Dalriada and the 7th century Northumbrian Angles from northeast England who colonized southeast Scotland. The Angles built their fortress on Castle Rock, which they called Edwinesburh. This served as the Scots' southern outpost until 1018 when Malcolm II established a frontier at the River Tweed, despite which English sacked the city no less than seven times.

Edinburgh really began to grow in the 11th century. The growth was driven by the markets that developed at the foot of the fortress, and the fact that David I held court at the castle from 1124 and founded the abbey at Holyrood. This made Edinburgh somewhat the commercial and political center leading to growth of the city. The first effective town wall was constructed around 1450 and circled the Old Town and the area around Grassmarket. This restricted, defensible zone became a medieval colony of skyscrapers forcing its densely packed inhabitants to construct building that went up as high as 12 stories!

What followed was four centuries of growth and development that can be called the golden era of Edinburgh. This was the time that saw the foundation of the College of Surgeons and the introduction of printing. But the period of flourish ended with the death of James IV at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. England's Henry VIII attempted to force a marital alliance marriage between Mary Queen of Scots and his son, but the Scots escaped the sticky situation by sending Mary to France to marry the dauphin. The angered English sacked the city and this was the time when the French came in to support Edinburgh. This was also the time of the Reformation of the Scottish church which, in itself was not a hard task as the Scots were increasingly sympathetic to the ideas of the Reformation, and when John Knox returned from exile in 1555 he found fertile ground for his Calvinist message. In 1560 the Scottish Parliament created a Protestant church independent of Rome, and the pope's authority and Latin mass were rejected.

When James VII succeeded to the combined Scottish and English crowns he moved the court to London and Edinburgh was relegated to the back seat. By this time there was a raging civil war ensuing between Scotland and England and the reason was the same old, same old - religious differences! When Charles I tried to introduce the rule of bishops in 1633 he provoked the National Covenant and more religious turmoil resulted that eventually ended in triumph for the Presbyterians.

Though cultural and intellectual life continued to flourish in Edinburgh, the Act of Union in 1707 further reduced the city's political importance, uniting the two countries under a single parliament. In the second half of the 18th century a new city was created across the ravine to the north – this was called the New Town and is what most tourists take back home as their picture of Edinburgh.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the population was expanding and by the start of the 19th century Edinburgh had quadrupled in size to 400,000. This explosion was in no small way the result of Irish immigrants and refugees who were fleeing the great Potato famine and filling up the old city's tenements. The first few decades of the 19th century was also the time when a new ring of crescents and circuses was built to the south of the New Town, and grey Victorian terraces sprang up.

Following WWII, the city's cultural life blossomed, with the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe first taking place in 1947. The University of Edinburgh established itself as an important teaching center in the fields of medicine, electronics and artificial intelligence and started attracting students from all over. It is this student population that we have to thank today for giving us one of the most happening night life scenes on the island.

The Best time to go to Edinburgh

The climate in Edinburgh is best from May to September, but regardless of the time of year, sunshine and rain go hand in hand. Summer time is the best season to go to Edinburgh as the number of daylight hours are more now than in any other month and you can take advantage of this fact to pack in a lot in one day. The summer evenings are typically long and seem endless but there is enough to do in the city in the evenings that you hardly notice.

Winters are bitterly cold and the sun doesn’t show up much. However, the city is still vibrant with festivals, theater and a lot else going on and you can still visit the city. The main festival period is from August to early September and Hogmanay which is around 1 January and this is the time that requires you to make reservations well ahead of time if you plan to visit then.

Broomstick or the Enchanted Car?

The best way to get to Edinburgh

With direct flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports from England, Wales, Ireland, USA, Canada, Scandinavia and several countries in western and central Europe, it is the easiest and the fastest way to get into the city. If you are flying from another destination you would have to probably fly into a major European hub and catch a connecting flight to the Edinburgh International Airport.

Buses are an inexpensive way to travel between cities in the UK and you can explore this option to get some of the best views of Britain’s famed countryside. Buses are punctual, efficient and comfortable; you only have to have time on your hands.

International trains leave from the brand-new Edinburgh Train Station.

Trains are often more expensive than buses but can be competitive if seats are booked early or you look out for specials.

If you will be traveling to Edinburgh from another city in the UK, you can rent a car and drive out – the pluses are the same as in traveling by bus, only you can do it faster!

Getting about the city

The real reason for the famed Scottish ruddy complexion is that there is only one form of public transport in the city and every other place needs to be walked to or biked to. Seriously, it is true! The city attractions are not too far apart and you can get most places walking. Walking in the city will not only allow you to keep your own pace but also to sample the city first hand, face to face.

If you are staying away from the city center or need to get to a place too far to walk take the bus. The fantastic bus network of the city has mostly every area covered well and getting from Place to Place B is easy. Traveling by bus is also like having your own private tour bus – the only way to see the maximum of the city in the shortest possible time and without giving the ol’ tootsies too much to do!

If you are more of the biker-type, hire one and pedal about the city…distances are short and bike lanes and paths are well marked in this very bike-friendly city.

Best places for forty-winks

With tourism taking a good turn in the last few years, the need for good accommodation options emerged and has been more than filled by hotels that cater to all kinds of budgets.

Here are some of the most popular choices of accommodations in the city:

Apex International Hotel: Located in the heart of the medieval Old Town in Grassmarket, Apex presents a striking contrast to its surroundings. The hotel is a modernistic property with spacious, well-appointed rooms and two restaurants that offer amazing views of Edinburgh Castle.

The Bonham: Once voted the 'Scottish Boutique Hotel of the Year' by Hotel Review Scotland, The Bonham is a chic boutique style property located in Drumsheugh Gardens and close to Edinburgh's West End. Housed in a Victorian building, the hotel is brightly decorated and offers 48 well appointed rooms with exceptional service.

Mercure Point Hotel: This 140-room award-winning boutique hotel is housed in a former Co-op store on the Bread Street and is huge spacious property. A popular location for fashion shoots, the Mercure is also favored by tourists looking for a luxurious and convenient place.

The Scotsman: The Scotsman is an appealing hotel on Edinburgh's North Bridge and once used to be the HQ of The Scotsman newspaper. The décor of the hotel is contemporary and blends well with its high-tech facilities. For good measure the hotel also has a fab health spa and the fitness club comes with a huge pool.

The Balmoral: The Balmoral is a luxurious offering and a landmark hotel that most locals as well as visitors and critics rate as the best in town. Not as expensive as the Scotsman, this one still cannot be called too economical; however you get what you pay for, to wit, a well equipped health spa with a pool, a good selection of bars and a Michelin starred restaurant and a great location at the top of Princes Street, next to Waverley station right in the heart of the city.

The Howard: One of the most luxurious hotels in Edinburgh, The Howard is renowned for its sumptuous interior and high standards of service. Staying here is an experience to remember with personalized service and a warm atmosphere. Located on Great King Street, The Howard is a fantastic experience and has played host to celebs like Tony Blair and Sean Connery.

Moderately priced hotels in Edinburgh are not hard to find and your best bets in this category would be the Bank Hotel situated on Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile, Royal Terrace Hotel with great views out to the Firth of Forth, Ten Hill Place located opposite the Festival Theatre and Orocco Pier which is one of the funkiest places in the city.

One of the best ways to feel the soul of a city is by actually living in it. Since you may not have plans to move to the Auld Reekie full time, try the next best option – renting an apartment. Having an apartment to yourself, especially if this is a family vacation means more privacy at half the rates and getting a feel of the city as you walk about gathering lunch or dinner ingredients.

One of the best in the business in apartment rentals is the Coltbridge Holiday Apartment that lies in the residential area of Murrayfield, just a short walk from Edinburgh's Princes Street. The apartment is well furnished and comfortable and can be yours for just £ 500 in the lean season. The best part of the story is the size of the apartment where you can have eight people sleeping in! Perfect for a family getaway, innit?

There is no dearth of good places to eat out in Edinburgh and you can find every kind of cuisine being served in one of the city’s many restaurants. The top drawer, unarguably, is the restaurant Martin Wishart with its precious Michelin stars and a talented chef. ‘Spoon’ in the heart of the Old Town at Blackfriars dishes out some of the most appealing salads and sandwiches. Mix in some fresh soup and you have a weight-watchers’ meal to die for.

Everyone thinks Edinburgh is nuts about meat but one meal at David Bann's Vegetarian Restaurant near the Royal Mile can convert anyone. For one of the best traditional Scottish meals try the Atrium on Cambridge Street. The restaurant can satiate the hungriest and fussiest eaters with their innovative take on frills-free hearty dishes.

Edinburgh with its volcano seated castle is one for views and no where is this combo bested than at Oloroso on Castle Street and Forth Floor at Harvey Nichols on the Saint Andrew Square. Scenic views distract the diner at both restaurants from sumptuous Scottish meals cooked with an innovative kick.

If you would like a meal that doesn’t cut up your wallet try the Kebab Mahal at Nicolson Square for a good, hearty Indian food at budget prices. For all those late weekend nights when after an energetic session at one of the city’s nightclubs, all you can think of is food, try the Lothian Road where you can find mouthwatering pizzas at Lazio. Another Italian late nighter in the Old Town is Gordon’s Trattoria on the High Street which is open till the unearthly hour of 3am at weekends. For something a bit more modern and trendy, Favorit is an NYC-style diner on Teviot Place that again stays up till 3am.

Edinburgh’s Nightlife

Summer time in Edinburgh is defined by the Edinburgh Festival, which encompasses the Fringe, International Festival, Book Festival, Film Festival, and Jazz Festival. The festivals are a boon to the economy and business they together they reel in at least a gazillion visitors who come here to enjoy scores of acts in comedy, dance, drama, music, and more.

During the rest of the year entertainment come in the form of Dance Clubs, of which there aren’t too many now as compared to the 80s and 90s, but the dance scene is still explosive enough to attract a hoard of visitors. The best of the lot lie in the Cowgate and Grassmarket areas in the Old Town and Broughton Street in New Town. The university and its multicultural population ensure that the south side of the city has a vibrant club and bar scene and the pubs on the waterfront in the port of Leith also make a great choice.

The West End of the city is where all the theater and music action lies; the legendary Traverse Theatre and the Royal Lyceum Theatre are popular evening time haunts. For concerts the best place to go to is the classic Usher Hall. The Filmhouse which is next door has the best in independent and art-house cinema and other venues for drama include the Playhouse and Festival theaters, while live music of a more contemporary vein takes place at venues such as the Liquid Room in Old Town. The folk music scene is aggregated in a couple of pubs (Sandy Bell's and the Royal Oak), and for jazz, your best bet is Henry's Jazz Cellar.

For a complete rundown of what is happening in Edinburgh, pick up a copy of The List, a biweekly magazine available at all major newsstands and book shops. It previews, reviews, and gives the full details of arts events here -- and in Glasgow.

Get seduced by Edinburgh’s charms

Although Edinburgh has a huge bundle of sights that a tourist may want to visit, we are giving you the low down on the top five.

Edinburgh Castle: The Edinburgh Castle dominates the sight seeing list of every tourist and you simply cannot escape the charms of this imposing structure. Sitting atop an extinct volcano, the views from the Castle span the breadth of the city to the Pentland Hills and the Firth of Forth. The castle was originally built as a fortress and served as the seat of kings. Visit the castle for its views of the city, the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny, tiny St Margaret's Chapel and the Great Hall's magnificent hammerbeam roof. The highlight of the day usually is the terrifying, ear-drum pounding gun fire at one o'clock.

National Gallery of Scotland: The National gallery of Scotland has a rich collection of awe inspiring works by Titian, a Rembrandt self-portrait, luminous Raphaels, a serene Botticelli, a sweep of Impressionists and the eternally delightful 'Skating Minister' by Sir Henry Raeburn.

Royal Botanic Garden: The Royal Botanical Garden is a delightful place to visit and enthralls every one with its sensational collection of 17,000 species of diverse flora from all over the world. A valuable player in the worldwide efforts for ensuring bio-diversity isn’t completely eroded, “the Botanics”, as the locals call the garden, is a wonderful place to be in, especially for ‘Kids with families’! Make sure you visit the glasshouses, which include the world's tallest Palm House built in 1858; the Scottish Heath Garden, the Rock Garden and the Chinese Hillside.

Royal Yacht Britannia: The HMY Britannia was the 83rd Royal Yacht since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. Moored permanently as an exhibition ship at Ocean Terminal in Leith, it continues to fascinate tourists it s G-Plan furnishings and the Queen's single bed, the cramped crew's quarters and the 1950s operating theatre.

Camera Obscura: Camera Obscura is Edinburgh’s very own custom-built tourist attraction that is a delight for every soul. A periscope on the roof projects a real-time image of the city's comings and goings onto a screen in a darkened room. The place is fun for kids and grown ups as well and you can also have fun with pinhole cameras, holograms, optical illusions and crazy mirrors here.

Shoppers’ Paradise

As with all its other characteristics, the city has successfully blended in the new shopping experience with the old one, too. Edinburgh is a great place to shop with a lot of markets and malls selling everything from traditional Scottish souvenirs and upmarket goods to unique food products. Elsewhere you can put down a few Pounds to buy the latest fashions from cute little boutiques and fab CDs from music shops

The Princes Street is the de facto shopping center of the city where you can find some of the best names in department stores like Debenhams, Frasers, BHS, Marks & Spencer’s. Watch out for the independent department store, Jenner’s on the south side of the street – it takes you back decades and is a quaintly warm experience.

George Street carries forward the chic shopping experience of Princes Street and is flooded with boutiques, bars, restaurants and inns. If you are looking for trendy, chic clothing, this is the place to go to. St Andrew's Square is famous for the Harvey Nichols store and the Multrees Walk which is the Scottish version of London's Bond Street. Multrees walk is home to big ticket fashion labels like Armani, Louis Vuitton and the ubiquitous Mulberry stores. Another fantastic place to shop is Williams Street which has the loveliest range of boutiques and shops likes Helen Bateman's exclusive shoes to the stunning jewelry of Arkangle.

Grassmarket is one of the oldest marketplaces in Edinburgh and is a great bet to find second-hand and antique art, jewelry and books. Good music flows like a wild brook at Cockburn Street with three independent music shops - Avalanche, Underground Solu'shn and the increasingly ubiquitous Fopp.

Royal Mile is ‘the’ place for catching the finest Scottish malt at the Royal Mile Whiskies as well as for tasting some other really tempting brews. The best buy here is a variety of knitwear at the Geoffrey.

A top weekend in Edinburgh

Planning to spend a weekend in Edinburgh? Here is a suggested mode of operation that lets you take in the maximum of the city sights with loads and loads of memories to take back home.

Day 1: Spend your first day in the city experiencing its core - the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's Old Town. The Royal Mile, as the name suggests, runs one Scottish mile from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Walk out the streets with stops at the historic Gladstone's Land or St. Giles Cathedral and the modern Scottish Parliament building. Explore the narrow alleys and passageways that extend down the hill on either side of the Royal Mile, like ribs from a spine. Also, spend some time at the Grassmarket and the Museum of Scotland.

Day 2: On your second day familiarize yourself with the city's New Town, which dates to the late 1700s. Start out with the Princes Street Gardens before moving on to George Street which is delight with its mishmash of shops and stylish bars. Climb up to Calton Hill at the eastern end of New Town for breathtaking views of the city before ambling about on the Charlotte Square or a walk down to Stockbridge on the Water of Leith. Calf muscles supporting, you can follow a path along the Water of Leith to the Dean Gallery, which is a part of the capital National Galleries of Scotland. Catch the shuttle bus to the National Portrait Gallery or the main National Gallery of Scotland backs in Princes Street Gardens.

Day 3: going to Edinburgh and not saying hello to the sea would be such a shame. So spend your last day at the sea side before stopping for a couple of hours at the marvelous Royal Botanic Garden, where you must go to the Glasshouses for the tallest palms in the world! Move on to Leith which is home to the original port of Edinburgh, once an independent town in its own right. Diehard fans of golf should see Leith Links, one of the sport's historic landmarks or, if you are Royal fancier, go to see the Britannia, the yacht that Queen Elizabeth and family used until 1997. Come back towards central Edinburgh, but detour south to the Meadows and see some of the fine residential neighborhoods of Marchmont or Bruntsfield and get an idea of how Edinburghers live.

The Edinburgh in Hiding

Skip the regular tours and take a ‘haunted’ nighttime tour of the city – Edinburgh has been named the most haunted city in the UK – check it out for yourself. Try www.mercattours.com for the Haunted Underground Experience or the Ghosts & Ghouls tour.

Pay a visit to Greyfriars Bobby (Pic left) – the Skye terrier who spent 14 years watching over his master’s grave – enough to melt the stoniest heart.

Take a walk around the Scotsman Hotel – the original location for The Scotsman – Scotland’s legendry newspaper

Hail, snow or sunshine…you can feel the excitement of whizzing down a snow laden hill at Midlothian SnowSports Center. You wouldn’t even realize that the slope you just beat was the longest artificial ski slope in Britain!

The Edinburgh Tipster

General

The currency you would be using in Edinburgh is Pounds not Euro

Edinburgh is not an extremely city and you can get a meal for as little as £ 3 to £ 10. Of course if you want to splurge, there are enough places to part you from your money.

Tipping in Edinburgh is not necessary and you don’t have to tip unless you want to. However, sometimes some restaurants add a service charge to the bill in which case you can give the whole tipping thing a complete miss

Families

Visit during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – it has something for everyone in the family including children’s theater, puppetry and dance workshops

When booking rooms for more than a day, ask for family suites – most Edinburgh hotels have suites for families making it easier for the kids and economical for you

Historical attractions in Edinburgh often offer family tickets and you can save a good percentage on these.

If there are young kids in the family then a day would be well spent at the Edinburgh Zoo – the main attraction is the Penguin pool – the largest in the world.

Take the kids to Brown’s restaurant & bar on George Street. The specialty? Crayons and Paper Gumbo for the kids while your food arrives! You can chat in peace and no one asks hairy questions!

Couples

Wake up early to go check out the Edinburgh Farmer’s market in Castle Terrace. Pick up Arbroath Smokies or Smoked Haddocks and Scottish Dolcelatte cheese for lunch. Cooking together is a lot of fun…really, it is!

Treat your significant other to the widest array of wines and traditional English and Scottish dishes at the Boho-chic Doric Tavern on Market Street.

Get jiggy with it on one of the five floors at Espionage – there is different music at every floor!

Edinburgh through the veterans’ eyes

Fodor’s recommends digging into the lunch time buffet at Kalpna - an Indian restaurant on the South Side – it’s a huge treat with great food at just £ 5.50. Also on Fodor’s recommendation try the roasted quail with braised endive and scallops with spiced pork belly at Witchery by the Castle in Old Town.

NY Times would have you stay at The Tigerlily and have celebrate something special with dinner at The Grain Store on Victoria Street

Frommers suggests take the elevator in the Museum of Scotland, which has an observation deck atop its magnificent modern building. The view of the city of Edinburgh from the observation deck is what makes the perfect picture for a tourist.