Where to stay in Edinburgh

The village within the city: a 10-minute walk from the New Town, Stockbridge feels like a different place entirely. The Sunday market (local produce, artisan food, no tourist tat), independent bookshops and coffee roasters, and the Water of Leith walkway running through it. Inverleith Park is the best picnic spot in Edinburgh. The neighborhood has some of the most affordable restaurants in the city - excellent brunches and relaxed dinners without the tourist markup.

The port district: 2 miles north of the city centre, reached by bus or a 40-minute walk along the Water of Leith. The former docklands have become Edinburgh's most creative neighborhood - the Shore is a strip of restaurants and bars along the Water of Leith with the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in Scotland. The Royal Yacht Britannia is moored here (PS18). The Leith market on Saturdays is the best food market in Edinburgh.

The ancient volcano at the edge of the city: Arthur's Seat is a 251m hill inside Holyrood Park, a 15-minute walk from the Royal Mile. The climb takes 45-60 minutes from the base and rewards with a 360-degree view over Edinburgh, the Firth of Forth, and on clear days the Highlands. Completely free. The Palace of Holyroodhouse (PS18.50) at the base is the monarch's official Scottish residence. The Scottish Parliament building next door (free tours) is architecturally controversial but genuinely interesting.

The spine of medieval Edinburgh: the Royal Mile runs from Edinburgh Castle at the top to the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom, with closes (narrow alleyways) peeling off on both sides into a warren of courtyards and staircases. The castle (PS18.50) dominates the skyline from its volcanic rock. Grassmarket below it has pubs and the former gallows site. The Grassmarket and Cowgate pubs are the best in the city for atmosphere - centuries of drinking history in stone-flagged rooms.

The 18th-century planned city north of Princes Street: a UNESCO World Heritage Site of neoclassical terraces and garden squares. Princes Street itself is more commercial, but George Street has the best restaurants and bars. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery (free) and the National Museum of Scotland (free) are both nearby. The Queen Street Gardens are private (residents only) but Charlotte Square Gardens host the Edinburgh Book Festival every August.

The prosperous south Edinburgh neighborhoods: broad Victorian streets, independent cafes and delis, and the best brunch scene in the city. Bruntsfield Links (a short-hole golf course, the oldest public golf course in the world - free) and the Meadows park are both here. The Dominion Cinema (the last independent cinema in Edinburgh) is a neighborhood institution. Quieter and more residential than the tourist center - a good base for a longer stay.