Edinburgh is a vibrant and exciting city that boasts modern living with a rich historical past.
Whether you are visiting for a week or a weekend, here are 10 things you'd be sorry you missed.
1.
Edinburgh Castle.
Experience Scotland's most visited attraction and take your time to explore this ancient medieval fortress.
Hear the famous One O'clock Gun and enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of the Edinburgh skyline.
2.
Shopping on Princes Street.
Princes Street is a very popular shopping destination as it caters for all tastes.
High street favourites such as Gap and H&M are located here along with Edinburgh's famous Jenners - a locally owned unique department store.
Around the corner is Harvey Nichols which is packed with designer names among them being Prada and Gucci.
Nearby is Multrees Walk where you will find other designers such as Armani and Louis Vuitton.
George street - adjacent to Princes Street - is full of stylish shops and hip bars that are not to be missed.
3.
Visit the theatre.
Edinburgh is famed for its comedy, music and theatre.
There are countless venues and thousands performances take place each year.
The August Fringe Festival is a month long celebration of all things theatrical, where visitors come from all around the world.
4.
Eat haggis on the Royal Mile.
A visit to Scotland wouldn't be complete without trying its national dish - Haggis.
There are numerous Scottish restaurants along the Royal Mile that serve haggis.
Most places will serve it as a starter (entrée) in case you don't want to risk getting it as a main meal.
5.
Experience a ghost tour.
Edinburgh is an old city steeped in history.
Why not let a guide take you through the Edinburgh of old where you will hear stories of tragedy, executions, murders and body snatching.
6.
Visit the old town.
Spend a whole day walking through Edinburgh's Old Town, which is the entire city centre area south of Princes Street.
The main street of the old town is the Royal Mile which is actually a concoction of a number of streets, stretching from the castle wall at one end to the ruins of Holyrood Abbey at the other.
There are many small lanes (closes) that lead off the Royal Mile to other similar streets, many with unique features.
The old town boasts a multitude of quirky shops and lively atmosphere filled bars 7.
Walk up Arthur's Seat.
Take some sandwiches, something to drink and take one of the many well trodden paths up Arthur's Seat, one of the great hills looming over Edinburgh.
Even if you don't make it to the summit at 823ft, you will still be able to take in spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle, the old and new towns and on a clear day the forth bridges and beyond.
8.
Visit up-and-coming Leith and walk along the shore.
The Leith shoreline is so good; it has to be mentioned separately.
Boasting three Michelin-starred restaurants, numerous funky bars and a number of quirky little businesses, you'll struggle to find something here that isn't of interest.
9.
Visit the Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal.
When the Royal Yacht was decommissioned in 1997, Leith docks were its new home.
Why not visit this floating palace once used by Royal family and see the grandeur of the decks and apartments within? Nearby is the fantastic shopping mall - Ocean Terminal - home to retailers such as Debenhams.
There is also a multitude of bars, restaurants and coffee shops on offer as well as a cinema and a day spa.
The perfect place to visit after a hard days sightseeing.
10.
Make time to visit some of Edinburgh's many museums and galleries.
Edinburgh is packed to the rafters with museums and galleries most notably the newly reopened National Museum of Scotland which has just undergone a £46m redevelopment.
Within this building you will find out the history of Scotland as well as its people and its culture.
Readers may enjoy visiting the National Library of Scotland - containing over seven million books and 14 million printed items.
Art lovers will enjoy the National Gallery of Scotland and the Dean Gallery to name but a few.