One could get lost here for an afternoon, shopping and seeing the sites, but never be more than a short walk from the Royal Mile. To the castle's north is New Town, much of it well over 200 years old, which is the city's business center. Princes Street is a bustling thoroughfare of modern shops and businesses that is often choked with traffic, both pedestrian and vehicle. But it has sweeping views of the castle and a landmark of its own, the 200-foot Scott Monument, erected in memory of the author. There are direct flights from major U.S. cities to Glasgow, about an hour away from Edinburgh by bus, train or car.
Tour buses make frequent trips through the area.
We also visited friends staying in one of the name hotels downtown and found it less than luxurious. While Scotland is certainly not known for its culinary delights, Edinburgh has some fine restaurants and ethnic offerings, including French, Italian and Indian. For less-expensive fare there are the local pubs offering soups, beef, steak pie and fish and chips. For the adventurous there's haggis, a mixture of sheep's liver, offal, oatmeal and spices, traditionally cooked in a sheep's stomach. Edinburgh has a castle and palace both open to tourists, as well as other vestiges of Scotland's past.