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All about...

Edinburgh

Edinburgh,

Seen from air, Edinburgh slips gracefully away from the Pentland hills, flowing round the outcrops of Castle Rock, Arthur's Seat and Calton Hill and on to Leith and the Firth of Forth. It is only on the ground that you get the full impact of the city's wide panoramas and hidden delights. The organic Old Town, built up over centuries, rises high over long-hidden folds in the ground, and digs deep into the hillside. The regimented curves of the New Town, invented and built as a whole, provide the classic sense of a planned city. Although even here, earthly delights lie hidden beneath its severe facade.

Find Edinburgh's best:

Coffee

Coffee

Best coffee:

Artisan Roast

The Scottish Enlightenment was built on the restorative power of coffee, yet it has taken an antipodean entrepreneur to bring the drink back home and give its full taste experience the glory it deserves. At Artisan Roast on Broughton Street they take their coffee quality very seriously indeed, roasting beans from single estates and labelling the resulting coffees with the sort of descriptions normally associated with the more eloquent end of wine buff-ery. The beans are available to buy – or to sample in The Mooch, their tiny café at the back of the shop.

Where: Artisan Roast, 57 Broughton St, Edinburgh.

Website: www.artisanroast.co.uk

Music

Music

Best bar for folk music:

Sandy Bell’s

Scottish folk music has overcome the bushy-bearded finger-in-the-ear clichés of the past and developed a vibrant music scene of its own. While some like to sit and appreciate it in a concert environment, folk music is still best heard in its natural habitat of a warm pub on a chilly evening. Boasting a live music session every night of the year, tiny Sandy Bell’s on Forrest Road has exactly the right combination of convivial atmosphere, ales on tap and musicians “gi’ing it laldy” (as they say locally) in the corner.

Where: Sandy Bell's, 25 Forrest Road, Edinburgh, Tel: +44 (0)131 225 2751.

Website: www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk

Dining

Dining

Best vegetarian restaurant for carnivores:

David Bann

David Bann is as far from the old-fashioned image of knitted tofu burgers that you could hope to get in a trendy vegetarian restaurant. Clean modern lines, attentive staff and some excellent wines are attractive enough in themselves. But the cleverly constructed dishes which come with a subtle combination of Mediterranean and Indian influences are enough to make even the most committed carnivore forget that they are in veggie country.

Where: David Bann, 56-58 St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh, Tel: +44 (0)131 556 5888.

Website: www.davidbann.com

History

History

Best rainy day escape:

The Museum of Scotland

The Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street provides big airy halls to wander around. There's plenty to see on five floors housing a collection that covers Scotland's history from pre-historic times up to the most modern, 21st century exhibits. The cafe and shop provide extra diversions until the rain subsides.

Where: Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, Tel: +44 (0)131 225 7534 (free entry, open 10am-5pm).

Website: www.nms.ac.uk

Edinburgh - (EDI)

Location
8 miles west of the city centre, a 25 minute journey
Edinburgh Airport 0044 (0)8700400007
www.baa.com
Public transport
Edinburgh's main railway station (Waverley) is in the city centre and can be reached by taxi or bus. From here there are services to Glasgow and a variety of other destinations in Scotland and England. Most train services also operate from Edinburgh Haymarket station which is on the main bus route between the airport and city centre. Further information: Please call 0044 (0)8457484950.
Airlink 100 departs from stand 19 to Waverley Bridge (Main Rail/ bus station) and runs every 10 minutes (early services every 20 minutes). Journey time is approximately 25 minutes. www.flybus.com
By taxi:Taxis are available from a designated rank beside the coach park outside the UK arrivals hall. A typical journey time to the city centre takes around 25 minutes and fares vary according to the distance travelled. Many of the taxis are wheelchair accessible.
Tel: 0044 (0)1313332255
Tourist information
A tourist information desk is located adjacent to international arrivals. Check-in opens 2 hours prior to flight departure time. For flights within the UK, Republic of Ireland and Jersey check-in close promptly 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time.