Edinburgh in 4 days

The fortress on its volcanic rock holds the Honours of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny; the ramparts look out to the Firth of Forth.

Laid out on a drained loch between the Old and New Towns, below the castle rock and beside the Gothic Scott Monument.

The Scotch Whisky Experience, next to the castle, explains the regions and styles around the world's largest collection of Scotch, 3,384 bottles.

A curving cobbled street of brightly painted shopfronts, often said to have inspired Diagon Alley, with independent shops and an old cheesemonger.

The medieval spine from the castle to Holyroodhouse, past St Giles' Cathedral, old pubs and narrow closes leading to hidden courtyards.

Ten minutes' climb from Princes Street to the unfinished National Monument, the Nelson Monument and the old observatory, with the sea beyond.

A 251-metre extinct volcano in the middle of the city, with views over the castle, the sea and the Pentland Hills.

A former milling village in the valley of the Water of Leith, ten minutes from the New Town, with Well Court reflected in the river.