Edinburgh - Scotland's Entertaining Capital

Scotland's capital city has been transformed in recent years from a down at heel place into a striking modern city that offers the perfect destination for a short break for anyone. The city has plenty of things to offer, from museums and galleries through to entertainment, excellent night life, and great shopping, and thanks to its location is less than half an hour from some of the most beautiful regions that Scotland has to offer.

Edinburgh is arguably best known for the enormous arts festival that it hosts each summer. The Edinburgh Festival and the subsequent Edinburgh Fringe offer a range of different types of entertainment, and attract almost a million people to the city. In many ways, the Fringe Festival is the more accessible of the two. Primarily celebrating comedy, the Fringe attracts some of the best known comics in the world to the city in order to compete for the various awards that are on offer.

Another major event in the Edinburgh calendar is the annual Military Tattoo. This takes place in early August each year, and is an opportunity for members of the public to get close to the armed forces in order to see their various displays of precision movement. The Tattoo is attended by senior figures from the Royal family, who are the sponsors of the event, and it is a real treat for anyone who wants to get a taste for the pomp that the UK is capable of.

There are also many stunning attractions around Edinburgh. The most obvious is the castle. Built on the remains of an ancient volcano, Edinburgh Castle dominates every sight line in the city. It is open to the public and contains a number of museums including a collection of armor through the ages. At the foot of the hill is the Scottish National Gallery, which contains a number of well known works of art including the legendary "Monarch of the Glen" by Landseer, which has become something of a symbol of the Scottish nation.

The best time to visit Scotland is over New Year when the annual Hogmanay takes place. This massive party, which features plenty of music and fireworks, takes place on the main shopping street in Edinburgh, and attracts more than a million people to the city, making it larger than the Rio carnival.