Things to See in Edinburgh

Armstrong's is an Edinburgh fashion institution (established in 1840, no less), a quality vintage clothes emporium offering everything from elegant 1940s dresses to funky 1970s flares. As well as retro fashion, it's a great place to hunt for 'previously owned' kilts and Harris tweed, or to seek inspiration for that fancy-dress party.

Geoffrey can fit you out in traditional Highland dress, run up a kilt in your own clan tartan, or just hire out the gear for a wedding or other special event. Its offshoot, 21st Century Kilts, offers modern fashion kilts in a variety of fabrics; celebrity customers include Robbie Williams and Vin Diesel.

If it's a drop of the cratur ye're after, head here. Named after the shop's location, these whisky enthusiasts have a thing for single malts. There is a vast selection on offer, in miniatures as well as full-size bottles. They don't turn up their noses at other whiskies either - you can also buy bourbon and blends.

The brooding, black crags of the Castle Rock, shouldering above Princes St Gardens, are the very reason for Edinburgh's existence. This rocky hill - the glacier-worn stump of an ancient volcano - was the most easily defended hilltop on the invasion route between England and central Scotland, a route followed by countless armies over the centuries.

This medieval Old Town alley has survived almost unchanged for 250 years amid the foundations of the City Chambers, a spooky, subterranean labyrinth that gives a fascinating insight into the everyday life of 17th-century Edinburgh. The guided tour can seem a little naff, milking the scary and scatological aspects of the close's history for all they're worth.

Consisting of two buildings - the 19th-century Royal Museum and the late-20th-century Museum of Scotland - which have been cleverly joined together, the National Museum of Scotland covers culture, science, art and nature, from ancient fossils to Formula 1 racing cars. Audioguides are available in several languages, and volunteers give free 45-minute guided tours.

The 'camera obscura' itself is a curious 19th-century device - something like a periscope, using lenses and mirrors to throw a live image of the city onto a large horizontal screen. The accompanying commentary is entertaining and the whole exercise has a quirky charm. The Outlook Tower offers great views over the city.

Founded as a monastery in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is The Queen's official residence in Scotland. Highlights include the royal apartments, with intricately carved plaster ceilings, floor-to-ceiling tapestries and mythological paintings.

Outside the western door of St Giles Cathedral is a cobblestone heart set into the paving that marks the site of the 15th-century Tolbooth. The Tolbooth served variously as a meeting place for parliament and the town council before becoming law courts and, finally, a notorious prison and place of execution. Immortalised in Sir Walter Scott's novel The Heart of Midlothian, the Tolbooth was demolished in the 19th century.

In 1617 Thomas Gledstanes, a 17th-century merchant - and ancestor of the 19th-century British prime minister William Gladstone - bought this tenement building, which gives a fascinating glimpse of the Old Town's past. The comfortable interior contains fine painted ceilings, walls and beams and some splendid furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries. The volunteer guides provide a wealth of anecdotes.

Johnnie Walker meets Walt Disney in this series of interactive exhibits telling the story of whisky from barley to bottle. The tour kicks off with a wee taste of the real thing (soft drinks for the under 18s), and involves a 'whisky barrel ride' (mildly embarrassing for anyone over 12) through 'smell-surround' tableaux depicting the history of Scotland's national drink, before finishing - surprise, surprise - in a shop full of whisky.

The Ardmor is a stylishly renovated Victorian house with five gorgeous en suite bedrooms. You'll get a warm welcome from the charming owners, Robin and Colin, whose impeccable taste and attention to detail have created a perfect fusion of old and new.

Edinburgh's most environmentally aware guesthouse is wholly vegetarian and vegan, uses low-energy light bulbs and recycles as much as possible; even the soap and shampoo are free of animal products. Stay too long in the Greenhouse and you might put down roots.

This modern purpose-built hostel is a big, flashy, five-star establishment with its own cafe-bistro as well as self-catering kitchen, smart and comfortable dorms and private rooms, and all mod cons including key-card entry and plasma-screen TVs.

This centre has an accommodation booking service, currency exchange, gift and book shop, and city tour and Scottish Citylink bus tickets. There is also a centre at Edinburgh Airport.

This huge place has a variable rate of 1.60 per hour.

Edinburgh's main general hospital has a 24-hour accident and emergency department.

Owned by west coast shellfish farmers, the Mussel Inn provides a direct outlet for fresh Scottish seafood. A busy, informal restaurant decorated with bright beech wood furniture, its tables spill out onto the pavement in summer. A kilo pot of mussels with a choice of sauces - try leek, horseradish, cider and cream - costs around 11.

Susie's is a down-to-earth self-service vegetarian cafeteria with scrubbed wooden tables, rickety chairs and a friendly atmosphere. The menu changes daily but includes things such as tofu, stuffed roast tomatoes, cashew pie and Susie's famous falafel plates. BYOB, or try a bottle of organic wine.

Decked out in black leather, purple suede and brushed steel, and perched atop the Museum of Scotland building, this sleek, chic restaurant has hosted countless celebrities, from Joanna Lumley to Catherine Zeta-Jones. Grand views of the castle are accompanied by a menu of top-quality Scottish produce, simply prepared - try half a dozen Scottish oysters followed by a char-grilled Aberdeen Angus fillet steak.

The Balmoral Hotel's brasserie has a 1930s Art Deco feel, with pale green walls, dark-wood furniture, and white-aproned, black-waistcoated waiters. The menu includes posh versions of popular dishes such as French onion soup, haggis with whisky sauce, and roast duck with plum compote. There's a two-course lunch for around 15.

In 2001 this restaurant became the first in Edinburgh to win a Michelin star. The eponymous chef has worked with Albert Roux, Marco Pierre White and Nick Nairn, and brings a modern French approach to the best Scottish produce, from lobster and smoked haddock soufflé to braised saddle of lamb. A set three-course lunch costs around 23.

Set among the modern coloured-glass and steel architecture of the Holyrood district next to the new Scottish Parliament building, the Tun has chunky leather sofas, steel bar stools and a sloping back wall that looks like a page from a floor-tile catalogue. It is frequented by media people from the neighbouring BBC studios and the Scotsman newspaper offices.

The Claremont is a friendly, gay-owned bar that looks like a traditional Scottish pub at first glance. Then you notice the Star Trek paraphernalia (check out the model USS Enterprise behind the bar, and the wee red-eyed alien up the stairs), and the flyers for the cross-dressers' night Absolutely Dragulous, and you realise it's way more special than that! Saturday nights are men only.

The curving glass-and-steel façade of the Festival Theatre houses the city's main venue for ballet, contemporary dance and opera; it also stages musicals, concerts, drama and children's shows. Performances by the critically acclaimed Scottish Ballet are a regular feature of the programme. The Dundee-based Scottish Dance Theatre also performs here.

The raddled old queen of the Edinburgh gay scene, CC's offers two floors of deafening dance and disco. It's a bit overpriced and overcrowded but worth a visit - if you can get past the bouncers. Go early, or sample the wild karaoke on Thursday and Sunday nights.

The Café Royal's main claims to fame are its magnificent oval bar and the series of Doulton tile portraits of famous Victorian inventors. Check out the bottles on the gantry - staff line them up to look as if there's a mirror there, and many a drink-befuddled customer has been seen squinting and wondering why they can't see their reflection.