Things to see in Edinburgh

This is Scotland's most famous tourist attraction. The castle has had a rich and colourful history, withstanding numerous attacks from Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads in 1650, and William and Mary's army in 1689. It was also the birthplace of James VI of Scotland (who became James I of England in 1603), who was born to Mary Queen of Scots in a tiny room in the Royal Residence in 1566. It became the main castle of Scotland's monarchs in the Middle Ages; the buildings within the fortress include a 12th century chapel - Edinburgh's oldest building- and the Great Hall, completed in 1511.

Today, from its perch on top of an extinct volcano, it is home to the National War Museum of Scotland, hosts the Edinburgh Military Tattoo every August, and is still an active army base. In 1996, after 800 years in England, the Stone of Destiny (the coronation stone of Scottish monarchs) was returned to Edinburgh Castle. It and the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels) are on display there, as is Mons Meg, a giant siege gun given to James II in 1457. The view from the battlements provides a splendid panorama of the city.

Thomas Gladstone's "land", or tenement, was built in 1620 near the top of the Royal Mile, which connects Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Six of its rooms have been fitted with period furniture and objects to give a sense of what life was like in the 17th and 18th centuries. A 17th-century shop has been replicated in the original 1620 "luckenbooth" or kiosk; the first-floor apartment shows how the rich would have lived, with beautiful furnishings and a spectacular painted ceiling. The Gladstone Gallery has temporary exhibitions by local artists.

Located in a series of interconnecting 16th- and 17th-century buildings in the heart of the Old Town, the Museum of Edinburgh specialises in the history of the city from its earliest settlement. Exhibits include the original plans for the New Town, drawn by the architect James Craig, the National Covenant (the 1638 petition for religious freedom) and a spectacular collection of Edinburgh glass and silver.

The Museum of Scotland opened in 1998 in a spectacular purpose-built landmark building. The exhibition offers over 10,000 artefacts telling the story of Scotland, from its prehistory through its emergence as a nation and union with England to the present day. Many of Scotland's finest regional treasures are on display, including a communal drinking cup (the Bute Mazer), made after the Scots beat the English during the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Other treasures include Pictish engraved stones, medieval silverware and the world's first cloned mammal, Dolly the Sheep. Museum staff lead free tours every day, while children can try out the themed Discovery Zones. The rooftop terrace houses an excellent restaurant (the Tower) and offers great views of the city.

The Royal Museum, the other half of the National Museum of Scotland, will reopen - completely transformed - in early 2011.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse sits at the eastern end of the Royal Mile and is the Queen's official residence in Scotland. This July, the palace will be used to host the wedding reception of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall.

The palace was once the home of Mary, Queen of Scots and served as Bonnie Prince Charlie's headquarters during the 1745 uprising. The Royal Apartments are renowned for their fine plasterwork ceilings, tapestries and magnificent paintings and furnishings. The first building on this site was Holyrood Abbey, which was founded in 1128 by David I and whose ruins still stand in the Palace grounds. The Queen's Gallery holds outstanding exhibitions throughout the year of paintings, photographs and other works of art from the Royal Collections.

Launched from John Brown's Shipyard in Clydebank in 1953, the Royal Yacht Britannia was in the service of the Queen and the Royal Family for over forty years travelling on 968 official voyages as far afield as the South Seas and Antarctica. Decommissioned in 1997, the Britannia now resides in the port of Leith in Edinburgh and is a popular tourist attraction. Visitors to the Britannia are able to board the yacht and view exhibits and displays from the Royal voyages, gaining an insight into the lives of both the Royal Family and the ship's crew. A multilingual audio headset is also available.

Highlights of the Britannia tour include The Royal Apartments, The Sun Lounge, The Royal Bedrooms and The Drawing Room - all lavishly furnished with prints, paintings and fine furniture. The State Dining Room has hosted many eminent guests over the years including Sir Winston Churchill, Rajiv Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Today, it can be hired for corporate functions. Other interesting exhibits onboard include the Queen's Rolls-Royce Phantom V worth over £1 million.

This elegant late 18th-century townhouse is located on Charlotte Square, which was designed by Robert Adam in 1791 to symbolise the Georgian ideal of Edinburgh's New Town. Restored by the National Trust for Scotland, the house is furnished with period fittings and accoutrements; a film presentation explains the social and economic conditions of the time; and staff in period costume enact scenes which show how the owners of the house and their servants would have lived.

The Scottish Parliament meets in a purpose-designed building at the foot of the Royal Mile opposite the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Although controversial during the process of its design and construction, the building has subsequently won several prestigious architectural awards. Designed by Enric Miralles who was inspired by the dramatic landscape that surrounds the site, the striking building is made from a mix of steel, oak and granite. Sustainability and minimal impact were key factors in the design, and the building is famed as one of the most progressive and innovative buildings in Britain today.

Much of it is open to the public and one-hour guided tours are offered every morning. The tours give access to the floor of the Chamber (when Parliament is not in session) and a Committee Room, as well as views of the parliamentarians' office block and the historic Holyrood.