edinburgh visitor attractions. From 5-star visitor attractions and tours, to fabulous food to suit every taste (and wallet), Edinburgh's got it all. The city is home to some of the best galleries and museums in the UK, so whether you're into modern art, want to learn more about Scotland's history or fancy a trip down memory lane with the toys of your childhood, the city has something for you. Add great shopping and world-class theatre to the mix and you really are spoilt for choice. Take a look at the listings below and find some of the best isitor attractions in Edinburgh. Royal Yacht Britannia. The winning of Britannia, against strong competition from other centres, and the huge investment in Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre are just recent manifestations of the Leith boom. Alistair Scott, The Sunday Times. Leith was chosen as the home for The Royal Yacht Britannia after an exhaustive government analysis of sites around the UK. There was healthy competition from 23 other locations, including London, Manchester, Portsmouth and Glasgow. The Yacht today looks just as she would have appeared to Royal honeymooners, world leaders, and the thousands that visited her during years of faithful service. Visitor numbers have dramatically exceeded expectations, with 436,000 paying visitors in the first year. It was judged the best new tourist attraction in the UK in 1999, and was awarded a Five Star Visitor Attraction rating by the Scottish Tourist Board in 2001. Also available for major corporate events, Britannia is a unique attraction; a new landmark for the millions of tourists that visit Edinburgh each year, and a key component in the success of Ocean Terminal. Forth Ports have played an important role in bringing art to the waterfront, with the proposal of a Sculpture Trail that follows the Water of Leith Walkway, linking the galleries in Edinburgh with the waterfront. Since 1994, their schemes have included commissioning the design of ornamental screens and a jardiniere for the new piazza at Malmaison Square, and constructing a walkway from Queen's Quay to Victoria Bridge that incorporates the last whaling gun from the Christian Salvesen fleet. Edinburgh's most innovative shopping and leisure destination located in the heart of a new city quarter on the waterfront. Shop in some of the UK's finest stores, eat and drink in a superb choice of bars and restaurants, see a movie day or night, walk the decks of the Royal Yacht Britannia, enjoy expansive views over the Firth of Forth, the hills of Fife and the skyline of the City of Edinburgh. All this within an exciting, modern environment. There's so much to do you'll just have to come back. Cinemas, bars restaurants open until after midnight. web site for more information. Or telephone on 0131 555 8888. Our Dynamic Earth offers a totally new concept in visitor entertainment. It combines the very latest interpretative technology and special effects with cutting edge scientific thinking. It will take you on a fascinating, ever-changing journey around planet Earth. You will travel back through time to witness the Big Bang. You will experience earthquakes, ice ages and tropical rainstorms. You'll travel to the depths of the oceans and fly high above towering glaciers and mountains. You will see, hear, feel and smell the planet as it was millions of years ago and how it might be in the future. And because all the information is regularly updated by a selection of the world's leading scientists, every visit to Our Dynamic Earth will help you to discover something new. Something fascinating. Something you will remember for the rest of your life. Special thanks for the copy - The Official Website. Deep in the heart of Scotland, buried beneath the paving stones of Edinburgh, lies the world's most chillingly famous horror attraction. Step through its imposing portal and you are at once transported to the darker, sinister side of Scotland's turbulent and troubled past. Terror and torture, mutilation and mass murder, persecution and pestilence: scenes from the more terrible chapters of centuries of Scottish history envelop you in all their grisly and gruesome detail. Witch-hunters, grave-robbers, murderers, cannibals, executioners - you will find them all here, along with their wretched victims. And remember, as you wander further into the Dungeon's grim and bloody depths, all that you see and experience really happened - much of it disconcertingly close by. In these deep shadows and dark caverns, it's wise to keep your wits about you. Some of the dead have an unnerving habit of coming back to life... National Trust for Scotland. The Georgian House is part of Robert Adam's masterpiece of urban design, Charlotte Square. It dates from 1796, when those who could afford it began to escape from the cramped, squalid conditions of Edinburgh's Old Town to settle in the fashionable New Town. The house's beautiful china, shining silver, exquisite paintings and furniture all reflect the domestic surroundings and social conditions of the times.It is worth comparing this example of 18th-century New Town architecture with Gladstone's Land, a typical 17th-century house of Edinburgh's Old Town. Video Programme. The newly-opened Lamont Rooms provide excellent facilities for corporate hospitality and space for small meetings. Charlotte Square, in Edinburgh's renowned New Town, is considered by many as the finest Georgian square in Britain. It was the last commission designed by Robert Adam (1728-92), one of the world's most influential architects. The square's light, spacious town houses attracted Scottish landowners and professional people, who could afford to move out of the crowded tenements of the Old Town, and the south side's first feus were sold in 1796. During the 20th century the houses on the south side were used increasingly as offices by legal and financial companies, many of whom had moved out by the early 1990's. In 1996 the Trust bought Nos 26-31, with the vision of initiating a renaissance of the square. The houses are now the head office of the Trust, with exhibition, retail and catering areas open to visitors. On display is a collection of 20th century Scottish paintings, recently donated to the Trust, and shown in a domestic setting. It is complemented by a loan collection of fine Regency furniture, re-creating the effect of an opulent Drawing Room of the 1820s. For more information please visit - The Official Website. Following the death of Sir Walter Scott on 21st september 1832 there was a widespread feeling in Edinburgh that a monument should be erected to his memory, and the initial decision to proceed was taken at a public meeting on 5th October. A competition was declared in order to select a design for the monument. The competition was won by George Miekle Kemp, a working joiner who had attained recognition as an accomplished draughtsman, especially through his drawings of Melrose Abbey and Glasgow Cathederal. In 1838 Kemp was awarded the contract to build the monument. At the same time John Steell, later Sir John and H.M. Sculptor for Scotland, had been declared winner of a competition to select the sculptor of the statue of Sir Walter Scott to be included in the monument. In the autumn of 1844 the last stone was placed in the pinnacle by Kemp's young son, Thomas. The monument including the statue was officially inaugurated on 15th August 1846. The Scott Monument is 200 ft. 6in. High and 55ft. Square at the base; the highest gallery is reached by climbing a total of 287 steps. It is constructed of Binnie stone, taken from shale workings near Linlithgow; this stone contains natural oils which are said to aid its preservation. Sir John Steell's statue of Sir Walter Scott is executed in Carrara marble and is more than double life-size. The monument has 64 niches, in each of which, in accordance with the original design, a statuette has been placed. Several of these were contributed at the time of the original...

travel tips to edinburgh. Wherever you're coming from, however you choose to travel, getting to Edinburgh is easier than you might think. Whether you choose to take a train, plane, car, coach or boat to the city, Scotland's capital is within your reach. Excellent rail links throughout the UK make the train a great way to get here. And numerous direct scheduled flights from major airports, both in the UK and overseas, mean a trip to Edinburgh is more than just a flight of fancy. Edinburgh International Airport is 12km (8 miles) west of the city centre and is easy to reach thanks to an excellent - and regular - Airlink Coach service and good taxi services. However you get here, once you arrive you'll find that getting round is just as simple. Getting around edinburgh. By Bicycle: If you don't mind the hills, then Edinburgh is a cycle-friendly city. By Bus: Lothian Buses cover the city centre while First Edinburgh offer commuter links to the outskirts. Main bus stations are at St Andrew Square and Waverley Bridge. The latter has airport services and tourist buses. Buses are reliable, comprehensive and good-value if you invest in a day ticket which can be purchased onboard. By Car: Edinburgh's narrow, one-way streets and limited/expensive parking make city-centre driving frustrating for all but locals. Car-hire is recommended for excursions out of the city. By Taxi: Black cabs can be hailed on the street or at taxi ranks. A 10% tip is normal practice. On Foot: Edinburgh is a lovely city to explore on foot. It takes just 15 minutes to walk the Royal Mile and 15 minutes to walk between the Old Town and the New Town. Car hire for excellent car hire rental rates at Edinburgh airport and in Edinburgh itself go on to www.scotland-carhire.co.uk and fill in the online enquiry form. Useful telephone numbers. Rail enquiries 08457 484950. Edinburgh Airport 0870 761 9603. Central Taxis 0131 221 2236. Radio Cabs 0131 225 9000. City Cabs 0131 228 1211. Skycabs (Airport) 0131 333 2220. Lothian Buses 0131 555 6363. A selection of Day Saver Tickets offer unlimited one-day travel on buses and trains at off-peak times (including weekends and bank holidays). They are available from travel centres, metro stations and selected newsagents.