Where to stay

Edinburgh's Old Town has the city's most sought-after hotels because of its easy access to the lofty Edinburgh Castle, The Edinburgh Dungeon experience, Museum on the Mound and other historic gems. There are some great accommodations along the cobblestoned Royal Mile, which winds down from the medieval fortress on Castle Rock to the 16th-century Palace of Holyroodhouse and takes in St. Giles' Cathedral too. Edinburgh's New Town is part of the same UNESCO World Heritage district and is anything but "new." To see the nice contrast between these two historic districts, climb up the Scott Monument, a gothic tower next to the Princes Street Gardens, or Calton Hill with its National Monument of Scotland acropolis. Stay anywhere between Princes Street and George Street in the New Town for quick access to both historic outlooks.

Built on volcanic hills and crags, Edinburgh's nature is as dramatic as its history. The city's New Town neighborhood has large urban parks and squares lined with Georgian townhouses that have been turned into boutique hotels. The old Dean Village has lush parks, streams and gardens and its nearest hotels are just a 5-minute drive from the city center as well as the Royal Botanic Garden. By staying in one of the hotels in Newington or near the Holyrood Park end of the Royal Mile, fit vacationers can hike up to the summit of Arthur's Seat for epic views of the Old Town and over the Firth of Forth. To be near the firth (estuary), look for accommodations in Edinburgh Port, where both the Leith and Newhaven neighborhoods have accommodations close to the lighthouse and boat harbor.

Perhaps it's the Scotch whisky and gin, but Edinburgh's nightlife is never boring. The Old Town and New Town's popular hotels are surrounded by the city's most iconic pubs, taverns and live music venues, including the Usher Hall. This eye-catching concert complex below Castle Rock is also close to the accommodations in Fountainbridge, Haymarket and the West End, which is where college students go for a night out. Book a hotel near the West End's Haymarket Station to be able to hop on a train to the Waverley railway station along Princes Street in the New Town. Open-air concerts and bagpipe demonstrations in the Princes Street Gardens entertain crowds, and not just during the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. Scottish bands and singers regularly wow the crowds on The Mound in summer. Follow "the Leith Walk," a nightlife strip that runs from the Edinburgh Playhouse live music theater in the New Town to Leith in the Edinburgh Port. Here, night owls can find cozy bars and some great little hotels as well.

Edinburgh's New Town is the artistic hub of the Scottish capital. Any of the elegant hotels here, or in the Old Town, will place art lovers within walking distance of Scotland's major national galleries, including the Scottish National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy on The Mound, perched high above the Princes Street Gardens. Find a hotel near the Queen Street Gardens for easy access to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and Edinburgh Playhouse theater. From there, art lovers can also walk to the Stockbridge neighborhood to explore its independent art galleries. The hotels near the historic Dean Village or in the nearby residential Coates and Roseburn neighborhoods place modern art enthusiasts closer to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

Whether it's for souvenir and crafts shopping along the busy Royal Mile or Grassmarket of the Old Town, or fashion shopping along Princes Street, Rose Street or George Street in the New Town, there are numerous hotels to choose from in central Edinburgh. For high-end designer fashion shops, the streets around New Town's modern Multrees Walk pedestrian mall also have convenient places to stay. Alternatively, book accommodations in the more upmarket neighborhoods of Morningside and Bruntsfield to browse the boutique shops along Morningside Road.