Edinburgh 7-day itinerary

Start at Edinburgh Castle (£19.50 online) on its volcanic rock. Crown Jewels, Stone of Destiny, and panoramic views from the Half Moon Battery. St Margaret's Chapel dates to 1130 — the oldest building in Edinburgh. The One O'Clock Gun fires daily except Sunday. Allow 2 hours for the full castle experience.

Walk the Royal Mile downhill, exploring closes (narrow alleys): Advocate's Close for views, Dunbar's Close for a hidden garden, and Mary King's Close (£19) for a buried 17th-century street. Lunch at Oink on Victoria Street for pulled hog rolls (£5–7). Visit St Giles' Cathedral (free) for the Thistle Chapel and its carved angel roof.

Grassmarket — a lively square below the castle with pubs and dark history (public executions happened here). Dinner at the Grain Store on Victoria Street (mains £16–24). Whisky at Bow Bar (300+ bottles) on Victoria Street — ask the bartender for a recommendation. The Jolly Judge on James Court is a secret gem hidden down a close.

Early hike up Arthur's Seat (251m) — an extinct volcano with 360° city views. The 45-minute climb is always windier than expected. Multiple routes: gentle from Dunsapie Loch, steep from Holyrood. On clear days you can see the Highlands. Descend via Salisbury Crags for a different perspective.

Explore the Georgian New Town — UNESCO-listed crescents and squares from the 18th century. Scottish National Gallery (free) on the Mound — Raeburn's "Skating Minister," Scottish Colourists, plus Vermeer, Monet, and van Gogh. Lunch at The Dome on George Street for a stunning interior, or Dishoom for Indian brunch on St Andrew Square.

Climb Calton Hill (10 min from Princes Street) for the classic panorama — castle, Arthur's Seat, and the Firth of Forth. The unfinished National Monument is nicknamed "Edinburgh's Disgrace." Bus to Leith for dinner at The Shore — Scottish seafood on the waterfront (mains £16–22). Leith's bar scene is more local than the Old Town.

Dean Village — a fairy-tale former mill village in a gorge minutes from the centre. Follow the Water of Leith Walkway through woodland to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (free) — Picasso, Hockney, and Paolozzi sculptures in landscaped grounds. The Landform Ueda grass sculpture is surreal and beautiful.

Continue along the Water of Leith to Stockbridge — a village-like neighbourhood with independent shops and delis. Stockbridge Market (Sundays 10am–5pm) has vintage clothing, artisan food, and local crafts. Lunch at Scran & Scallie — Tom Kitchin's gastropub (mains £14–20) or The Pantry on Stockbridge Road for excellent brunch (£8–14).

Rose Street in the New Town — a narrow lane of pubs running parallel to Princes Street. The traditional pub crawl runs from one end to the other: start at The Kenilworth, move to Milnes Bar (literary pub), The Abbotsford (Victorian interior), and finish at The Black Rose Tavern. Each pub has its own character. Fish and chips at any pub for £10–14.

Visit the National Museum of Scotland (free) on Chambers Street — a world-class museum spanning Scottish history, science, and world cultures. The rooftop terrace has 360° city views. Highlights: Dolly the Sheep (the first cloned mammal), Lewis Chessmen, and the Grand Gallery's Victorian atrium. Allow 2–3 hours — you could spend a full day here.

Visit Greyfriars Kirkyard — one of Edinburgh's most atmospheric cemeteries with ornate 17th-century tombs and the statue of Greyfriars Bobby (the loyal terrier who guarded his master's grave for 14 years). The graveyards here inspired J.K. Rowling — spot the names Tom Riddle and McGonagall on headstones. Lunch at Elephant House café — where Rowling wrote early Harry Potter chapters.

Edinburgh's ghost tours are legendary. Mercat Tours runs the most historically grounded walks through the Blair Street Underground Vaults (£16) — 18th-century chambers beneath the South Bridge where the city's poor lived in darkness. The Edinburgh Dungeon (£18) is more theatrical. Dinner at Howies on Victoria Street for Scottish comfort food (mains £14–18) before the tour.

For the Highlands, join a day tour (from £40) — Loch Lomond, Glencoe, and Fort William in a day, with a bus from Edinburgh. For St Andrews, take the bus (2 hours, £15 return) to Scotland's most beautiful university town. Walk the ruined cathedral, the castle on the cliffs, and the famous Old Course golf links. The town is charming and compact.

In the Highlands: Glencoe is breathtaking — a dramatic valley of waterfalls and mountains with a tragic massacre history. In St Andrews: walk the Lade Braes nature trail, explore the Scores (clifftop walk), and lunch at The Tailend for the best fish and chips in Fife (£10–14). The West Sands beach — used in the Chariots of Fire opening scene — is magnificent.

Back in Edinburgh, dinner at Timberyard on Lady Lawson Street — a converted timber warehouse with Michelin-starred sustainable Scottish cuisine (tasting menu £85) or the more casual Ting Thai Caravan in the Old Town for excellent Thai at backpacker prices (mains £9–14). End at the Last Drop pub in the Grassmarket — named for the gallows that stood outside.

Bus to Leith — Edinburgh's port district, now the city's food capital. Start at the Royal Yacht Britannia (£19) — the Queen's former floating palace moored at Ocean Terminal. Then walk Leith Walk and The Shore — a waterfront area with restaurants, bars, and converted warehouses. Breakfast at The Roseleaf on Sandport Place — teapot cocktails and excellent brunch (£8–14).

Bus 15/26 to Portobello — Edinburgh's seaside suburb with a long sandy beach, a promenade, and Victorian bathing vibes. On sunny days (they exist!) locals flock here with picnics and bodyboards. The water is cold but swimmable in summer (brave souls only). Walk the promenade, get fish and chips at the Espy (£10–13), and browse the independent shops on the High Street.

Explore the Southside — Edinburgh's student quarter around the University. Sandy Bell's on Forrest Road has free live folk music every night — fiddles, accordions, and sing-alongs in a tiny pub. Dinner at Mosque Kitchen on Nicolson Square — enormous plates of curry and rice for £7–9 (cash only, canteen-style). Then Sneaky Pete's for live music or Cabaret Voltaire for electronic music.

Visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse (£18) — the King's official Scottish residence, home to Mary Queen of Scots in the 16th century. The State Apartments, the Great Gallery with 96 portraits, and Mary's chambers where her secretary Rizzio was murdered are the highlights. The ruins of Holyrood Abbey next door are hauntingly atmospheric.

Souvenir shopping on the Royal Mile — Edinburgh Woollen Mill for cashmere and tweed, Cadenhead's for whisky (the city's oldest independent bottler, tastings available), and Edinburgh Bookshop on West Port for Scottish literature. Visit the Scotch Whisky Experience (from £18) for a guided tasting and barrel ride, or simply buy a bottle from Cadenhead's to take home.

Final dinner at Wedgwood on the Royal Mile for foraged Scottish ingredients (tasting menu £65) or haggis, neeps, and tatties at Mums Great Comfort Food on Forrest Road (£12). A farewell whisky at the Devil's Advocate on Advocate's Close — a cocktail bar in a converted pump house below the Royal Mile. Walk the Grassmarket at night with the floodlit castle towering above.