Heriott Park Guest House, Edinburgh

With many attractions throughout the year, and host to the Edinburgh International and Fringe Festival in August each year, Edinburgh is the ideal place for a short break. City tours are many and varied from open top bus rides to midnight ghost hunts.

Heriott Park commands a prime position for watching the Edinburgh Festival Fireworks and is within walking distance to the Port of Leith, where many Bistros and Fish restaurants have appeared over the years. Leith is home to the former Royal Yacht Britannia which, after extensive refurbishment, is now open to visitors.

Edinburgh has a network of walkways and cycle tracks which can be accessed directly opposite the guest house and provide an alternative route into the city away from busy roads.

Nearby, is the Royal Botanic Garden. The largest section of the garden is the Arboretum where visitors can wander or rest in the shade of trees and shrubs from all over the world. Some of the most brilliant flowering is in the nearby Rhododendron Walk.

Edinburgh Castle is worth a day out by itself and contains a wealth of history. The castle is at the top end of the Royal Mile which is full of interesting architecture and places to visit, such as the Cathedral, John Knox's House and Mary King's Close.

Near the castle you can learn about Tartan weaving and go on to sample a whole range of whiskies in the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre.

At the bottom of the Royal Mile is the Palace of Holyrood - the Queen's official residence when on state visits, as well as the Scottish Parliament and the Dynamic Earth exhibition.

Nearby is Arthur's Seat which is worth a climb on a clear day for the wonderful views it affords over the city and over to Fife. If the weather is good you can see the peaks of the highlands in the far north.

Princes Street, George Street, Rose Street and the Princes Mall provide the visitor with a wide choice of international and local traders and shopping.