Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital, with its spooky yet enchanting old town and spacious grand Georgian new town, it’s an architectural wonderland that can rival any of Europe’s major cities in the beauty stakes. What other European city can boast a castle perched on a cliff right at its centre? There is so much to see and do in Edinburgh, but here are the top 5 things to do.

First off, why not go for a walk up Arthurs Seat, an extinct volcano, which sits right on Edinburgh’s eastern edge. On a clear day it gives you incredible views across the city and a good idea of where everything is, as on the ground Edinburgh’s old twisting and winding streets can make it very difficult to get your bearings. It’s not a difficult climb, but make sure you are dressed for the weather conditions and bear in mind that it is almost always very windy at the top.

Edinburgh Castle is one of the most striking castles in the world. Built on top of a large, cliff-faced volcanic rock that makes it unapproachable from three sides, Edinburgh Castle was a safe haven for the kings of Scotland for hundreds of years. It is now home to the Scottish crown jewels – some of the oldest in Europe – and a fantastic amount of military memorabilia from throughout the ages. There are also fantastic views to be had and if you are there at lunch time you will hear the one o’clock gun, which has been fired nearly every day for 150 years, originally fired as a way of conveying the time to the ships in the Firth of Forth and the docks at Leith.

Recently re-opened and refurbished, the National Museum of Scotland is well worth a visit. There are exhibits on nearly everything including history, culture and technology from Scotland and around the world. The building itself is incredible to look at from outside and within. Get there early if you want half a chance to see everything properly. There is also a fantastic gift shop and café area, where you can buy souvenirs or just refresh your batteries with a nice cup of tea.

When you visit Edinburgh Castle you may very well think that the accommodation isn’t really fit for a King and you’d be right, the Scottish royal family stopped using the medieval Edinburgh Castle as the royal residence in the 15th century in favour of the more contemporary and modern accommodation that had been built at the bottom of the Royal Mile called Holyrood Palace. Holyrood Palace is the Queen's official residence in Scotland, but is open to the public when Her Highness is not in.

Edinburgh has a rich and fabulous history, some of it very dark and mysterious so why not go on one of the city’s many ghost walks and find out a little more about Edinburgh’s more sinister past.

You can get to Edinburgh easily by plane and there are a huge number of hotels and other accommodation to choose from, but be warned Edinburgh can be extremely busy during the Edinburgh Festival, so book early to avoid disappointment. If you are planning on traveling out of Edinburgh at all perhaps you might want to hire a car. There are many companies offering car hire Edinburgh airport so have a look online for the best deals.

Dave MacKinder writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.