Two Cities Itinerary

Less than an hour by road or rail from Glasgow on Scotland's east coast lies Edinburgh offering a city experience dominated by the fairytale profile of Edinburgh's Castle and the neo-classical architecture of the Georgian New Town.

Newer landmarks are already under construction. The Home of Scotland's Parliament is literally a few yards from the gates of Holyrood Palace. Nearby Sir Michael Hopkin's tented architecture, housing the 'Dynamic Earth' earth, provides a modern exploration of Earth's evolution overshadowed only by the dramatic remains of the extinct volcano at Arthur's Seat.

Walking the streets of Edinburgh is an ideal way to experience a little of Scotland's history. From Holyrood Palace in its parkland setting visitors can walk up the Royal Mile that links the Palace with the Castle.

Here we find the 'closes and alleys' of Edinburgh's Old Town once so familiar to Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns. Enroute are famous landmarks including 15th St Giles Cathedral, the Museum of Childhood and the John Knox's House - the oldest preserved medieval townhouse.

Edinburgh's Old Town contrasts significantly with the elegant gardens and Georgian townhouses of the New Town. It was in these streets that literary heroes such as Robert Louis Stevenson and famous inventors like Alexander Graham Bell lived and worked, enjoying the 'Athens of the North' . as Edinburgh was once known.

Today Edinburgh is home to the most powerful financial companies outside of New York and London. It houses the National Gallery of Scotland, the Modern Art Gallery, The Royal Botanical Gardens and plays host to some of the world's top conferences and conventions at the Edinburgh International Exhibition and Conference Centre.

As a major conference designation Edinburgh relies on top luxury hotels such as the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, shopping on famous Princes Street. The wide range of restaurants and café bars as well as the parades of design boutiques and antique shops to attract visitors back again and again to Scotland's Capital City.

The recent opening of the New Museum of Scotland and the arrival of the Royal Ship Britannia have ensured Edinburgh's enviable position for many years to come. Glasgow »