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A great place to start, as this 150-year old observatory has a roving mirror that projects a 360° panorama of the city. It also drops you into a world of illusion and warped images to startling effect.

Occupying Lady Stair’s House (built 1622) and set in a charming courtyard, this is the place to learn about the three great Scots writers, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, through portraits, manuscripts and personal possessions.

Often incorrectly called a cathedral, this monumental building has been a landmark and a marvel since 1160. Look for the bagpiping angel (near entrance), the exhilarating rib-vaulted ceiling of the Thistle Chapel and those ancient tatty flags.

A fascinating tour can be taken of Mary King’s Close, a medieval street sealed up in 1646 after its inhabitants died of the plague. Alternatively, choose an adrenalin-pumping ghost tour – evenings are best. Enlightening and fun.

A theatre with a wide range of entertainment, but the insider thing to do here is enquire about the local storytellers. They hold regular and informal meetings, usually in pubs, where anyone can enjoy the “crack” (good yarns). Nothing showy or flamboyant, but real local culture.

Teddy bears, rocking horses, toy soldiers, castor oil and Lady Penelope – childhood memories come rippling back in the minds of adult visitors. But children find it just as enthralling to see what amused the “oldies” long ago. A remarkable collection.

The best-known little house in Edinburgh, with its quaint steps up from the street. This was the home of Scotland’s fiery religious reformer, John Knox, in 1599. Worth squeezing into for its antiquity alone.

Another medieval house that has battled through the centuries and now houses a specialist local collection, comprising primitive axe heads, Roman coins and all manner of historical finds gathered from the street since the Neolithic Age.

Spanish architect Enric Mirrales’s controversial design of “upturned boats” won the competition for a landmark building for the new Scottish Parliament. Inspired or folly: decide for yourself. Higher up the Mile is the old Parliament House (now the Law Courts).

The magnificent royal residence best known for love and murder in the time of Mary Queen of Scots. The state rooms are still used by the current Queen. Climb nearby Arthur’s Seat in Holyroodhouse for sensational views across town and to the hills and coast beyond.