Three Days in Edinburgh, Done Properly

Edinburgh is a city best understood from above, which is why we start every itinerary at height.

Day one — the Old Town

Climb Arthur's Seat early. It takes about forty-five minutes from the Holyrood car park and gives you the whole city at once: the castle on its rock, the Royal Mile running downhill, the Firth of Forth beyond. Come down for breakfast, then walk the Royal Mile from the top rather than the bottom, so gravity is on your side. Take a guided walk through the closes in the afternoon — the street makes far more sense once you have been shown what is behind the doorways.

Day two — the New Town and Stockbridge

The Georgian New Town is the counterargument to the Old Town: order, symmetry, wide streets. Walk Charlotte Square and George Street, then drop down into Dean Village and follow the Water of Leith into Stockbridge. The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art sits along that walk. Stockbridge is where to eat lunch and browse; the Sunday market is worth planning around.

Day three — Leith, or out of town

Leith has the city's most interesting dining and a waterfront that has been comprehensively reinvented. Alternatively, take the day out: South Queensferry and the Forth bridges, or a run out to the Borders. Either works. What does not work is trying to do both.

Timing

Avoid August unless the Festival is the reason you are coming — it is extraordinary, and it triples the cost of everything. May, June and September give you long days without the crowds.