Edinburgh is a favourite destination for both domestic and international visitors. Only second to London it has a perfect blend of culture and history, dining venues, shopping opportunities and visitor attractions. Edinburgh is not only a city for a short break it is also the gateway to the rest of Scotland.

Amongst other prestigious awards, in 2008 Edinburgh was named one of the world's top ten cities by travel magazine Wanderlust, and cited as one of the most popular destinations in Europe by the Trip Advisor Destination Awards.

The city attracts thousands of travelers every week for its beautiful medieval buildings, appealing cobblestoned streets, stylish Georgian town homes, and amazing views.  Streets steeped in Scottish history, a rich culture, inspiring festivals and excellent range of dining and accommodation are just some of the reasons behind its popularity.

The centre of the city contains the medieval Old Town, Georgian New Town and award-winning contemporary architecture and has been made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Edinburgh city centre can easily be enjoyed on foot; admire its elegant terraces, walk its cobbled streets, be in awe of the stunning views from the castle, and explore the abundance of shops, bars and restaurants.

Edinburgh has something to offer all types of visitors of any age and the variety and quality of activities in the city is the key to its success. If you are here on a family break, with a partner, or a group of friends you will find activities and entertainment to keep everyone happy. Here you will find first-rate museums and galleries, amazing shopping, fine dining, monuments, sporting facilities, theatres, beaches, hills and countryside. Visit Edinburgh Castle, perched above the city centre, or take a cruise on the River Forth, head out to the volcanic Arthur’s Seat, wander the Pentland Hills, stroll along the cosmopolitan streets of the Port of Leith stopping off at one of its many restaurants and bars, or take a tour on an open-top bus to see the wonderful architecture the city has to offer.

There are 4 casinos in Edinburgh, Circus Casino Edinburgh is located on Dundee Street presenting high-tech gaming and one of the Stanley group’s newest casinos. Maxims Casino is also part of the Stanley group and based in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre with all the favourite games such as American Roulette, Blackjack with Perfect Pairs and Progressive Stud Poker. Gala Maybury Casino is located in a prized Art Deco building and offers ladies night and slots promotion. There is also Stanley Cascades Casino in nearby Leith which features twelve gaming machines and eleven table and poker games.

Edinburgh is well-known for its many festivals and this is an exciting time to visit. The city’s streets swarm with visitors from around the world, most of the summer festivals are held in August each year or at Christmas. The Hogmanay Festival starts off with a torch lit procession through the city and the partying goes on for 4 days.

Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was born in Edinburgh along with many other famous and interesting people. Robert Louis Stevenson was also born here and went on to write Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and Treasure Island. Sir Walter Scott well-known for the novel, The Waverley along with numerous books and poetry was immensely popular everywhere.  More recently, born and brought up in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, Sean Connery worked for a while as a delivery boy on a horse-drawn milk cart before becoming famous as James Bond.

Edinburgh is not so well-known for its music scene, however there are a few good bands that have emerged from the Scottish capital. Garbage, best-known for their hit ‘Stupid Girl’ hail from Edinburgh and the most famous band have to be The Proclaimers, Scotland's most famous twins.