Edinburgh: Crags, Closes and Festival Nights in Scotland's Capital

A castle on an extinct volcano and a medieval Old Town built in three dimensions: Edinburgh has to be earned, and this guide earns it with you.

Written in first person by a traveler who dragged his suitcase straight up the stone stairs of Fleshmarket Close, it decodes the Castle and the Royal Mile, pours the Bow Bar's single malts, finds hidden gardens a few yards off the tourist trail, and flags the August festival price warning that can quadruple a room.

Inside the guide:

• The icons decoded: Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile closes, Holyroodhouse and Arthur's Seat

• Where to eat: haggis, neeps and tatties explained, Cullen skink, Makars mash and the deep fried Mars bar

• Whisky pubs and hidden bars, from the Bow Bar to cocktails behind a fake bookshelf at Panda and Sons

• Best photo spots with their light hours, plus hidden gardens and island escapes

• Watch Out traps, tram and bus logistics, and ready itineraries for 1, 3 and 5 days

18 full-color photographs, panoramics leading the way: crags, closes and festival nights.