Destination: Edinburgh

A real gem set on rolling hills. Scotland’s capital is a city full of charm that has inspired writers of every age. It is a cultured city; its university and many prestigious festivals are a constant reminder of this; but it is also a neat city, efficient, clean and well-organised.

Edinburgh’s historic city centre, perfectly preserved, is beautiful and so rich in culture that it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among its most famous historical and cultural attractions we have the twelfth century castle, the medieval Old Town, the New Town (dating back to the eighteenth century and Georgian in style), the High Kirk of St Giles, the first home of the Houses of Parliament (now the High Court), and the new Parliament.

Edinburgh was chosen by J.K. Rowling for its magical and enchanted atmosphere as one of the settings of the successful Harry Potter saga. It was also the birthplace of Robert Louis Stevenson (‘Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, father of one of the most famous detectives of literature of all time: Sherlock Holmes.

With narrow streets, corners and courtyards, the Old Town is a magical place, full of surprises. Some of these are the secluded green spaces, small shelters from the busy city, inside the city: Holyrood Park, Dunbar’s Close Garden and Geddes.

A trip to Edinburgh would not be complete without a visit to at least one of the 40 museums on offer, mostly concentrated in the Old Town. There is something for every taste, for adults and children, for lovers of Scottish history or simply for those who would like to hole up out of the Scottish rain in a pleasant and interesting place (the Museum of Scotland, the Scottish National Library, etc.).

The Royal Mile is unbeatable for the amount of shops selling kilts and pure cashmere scarves, traditional Scottish clothes and Celtic crafts.