Overview

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. This distinction is partly an accident of Nature, for the city is built upon a jumble of hills and valleys; however, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the natural geography was enhanced by the works of a succession of distinguished Georgian and Victorian architects. The result today is high drama; there are countless spots where Edinburgh looks less like a city and more like a theatrical backdrop. The view from Edinburgh's Calton Hill, across the River Forth to Fife, looks more like a scene from ancient Rome.

Edinburgh incidentally, is named after Edwin, a king of ancient Northumbria; it has been a Royal Burgh since at least the twelfth century, and has been recognised as the capital of Scotland since the fifteenth.

Below you will find a sample day from an itinerary designed to showcase the natural and cultural beauty of the capital in a bid to better understand a culture which is rich in both history and tradition.

Typical Day Itinerary

Morning

Late Morning

• Walking Tour of Edinburgh
  Tour the official residence of Her Majesty The Queen, the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Palace is best known as the home of Mary, Queen of Scots and was the setting for many dramatic episodes in her short life. The state-of-the-art Queens gallery opened in 2002, which enable exhibitions of the most delicate works from the royal collection to be shown.

  Enjoy a walking tour of the famous Royal mile and its cobbled streets, tiny shops, mysteries and the stories of Scotland's great figures of literature culmintaing at Edinburgh Castle which dominates Edinburgh's skyline and gives stunning views across the city and countryside. Home to the Scottish crown jewels, the legendary stone of destiny and mons meg, a giant cannon.

Lunch

• Lunch at The Elephant House
  The Elephant House is a bit of an institution, possibly Edinburgh's most famous café thanks to those Harry Potter connections. A place where you can enjoy the views and the intriguingly diverse crowd.
  

Afternoon

• Tailored Whisky Tasting
  Scotch Whisky tasting at the Heritage Centre on the Royal Mile. The tasting will last an hour and include:
  
  • A Sensory perception quiz, where we will try to identify 10 aromas
  • An instruction and tasting of 4 single malt whiskies from the 4 main whisky producing regions in Scotland.
  • And a beautiful gift
  
  All this will get us in the mood for a fabulous dinner in town.

Evening

• Dinner at the Forth Floor Restaurant
  The Forth Floor has been nominated and received several awards including ‘Best new restaurant 2003’ from the Scottish Chef Association and was in the top three for excellence in the Metro Food & Drink awards.

  The Michelin star award winning head chef, Stuart Muir, has created an exemplary menu. Located on the top floor of Harvey Nichols in St Andrew Square the restaurants boasts some of the most spectacular views of the Edinburgh skyline, all the way from the castle to the Firth of Forth

Overnight

• The Balmoral Hotel
  A luxury hotel in the true sense of the word, Rocco Forte Hotels' Balmoral, with its majestic clock tower, is a stylish five-star property in the very heart of Edinburgh. While many Edinburgh hotels claim to have Edinburgh's landmarks on their doorstep, few can say their doorstep is a landmark.

  Located on Princes Street, in Edinburgh's main shopping area and next to Waverley Station, The Balmoral is close to the leading luxury department stores and within striking distance of many Edinburgh attractions.

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