Overview

Edinburgh has inspired poets, artists and philosophers for hundreds of years, yet it is very much a city of the 21st century too. Edinburgh has everything: high culture and haute couture, stand-up comedy and country walks, and of course Edinburgh Castle, perched on its volcanic crag overlooking the medieval buildings of the Old Town and the magnificent Georgian architecture of the New Town. Together, they make up the UNESCO-listed World Heritage site. Better still, Edinburgh's compact size means the city's main sites are easily explored on foot. The fact that Edinburgh has just hosted its very own royal wedding - Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall married in the city in July 2011 - only serves to enhance its appeal. Edinburgh's cosmopolitan air and vibrancy has credited Scotland's capital city with the kind of panache and attitude that you'd expect only of London. This vibe is enshrined in Edinburgh's annual international festivals calendar. Every August, the city fills with visitors anxious to catch the rising stars of the comedy circuit; hear their favourite authors read from their books; or immerse themselves in the classical music and challenging theatre of the Edinburgh International Festival. Endowed with such credentials, Scotland's capital is worth visiting time and time again.