Edinburgh

Edinburgh is one of Europe's most dramatically beautiful capital cities — a place of volcanic rock, medieval spires and brooding grandeur, where a castle sits atop an ancient crag at the end of the Royal Mile and the views from Arthur's Seat stretch across the city to the Firth of Forth. Scotland's capital is a city of remarkable contrasts: the medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while the city's extraordinary arts scene — culminating in the world's largest arts festival each August — gives it a creative vitality matched by few cities anywhere.

For students, Edinburgh is a perennial favourite — home to one of the world's great universities, a legendary whisky culture, and a nightlife scene centred on the lively Grassmarket and Cowgate. For leisure travellers, the combination of historical depth, outstanding museums like the National Museum of Scotland, and the wild natural beauty of the surrounding Highlands make Edinburgh an outstanding European destination.