Life & style and Travel

Top five Michelin-starred restaurants in Edinburgh

The Kitchin, Martin Wishart, The Plumed Horse, Number One and 21212

16 Feb 2011

1: The Kitchin The menu here reflects chef/owner Tom Kitchin’s passion for locally-sourced Scottish produce with French interpretations. One of Edinburgh’s A-list restaurants, it won its accolade just six months after opening in the summer of 2006…

The best free and cheap things to do in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Visit a library, go for a walk, bake a cake or see some cheap theatre

21 Jan 2011

Beat the January blues with these guaranteed pick-me-ups, suggested by our writers and some friends of The List. They’re all free, or cost just a few quid, so you’ll come out of winter with your bank balance intact and a smile on your face

The best Scottish castles you can stay in near Edinburgh

Many Scottish castles are open to residents looking to live like royalty

16 Feb 2011

Voted favourite UK city by Condé Nast Traveller magazine in 2010, and named Britain’s best city for tourists – for the 11th year in a row – in the Guardian and Observer travel awards, you might wonder why anyone would ever want to leave the city that…

The historical events that shaped Edinburgh

An overview of Edinburgh's history provides further insight into Scotland's capital

16 Feb 2011

In prehistoric times, our ancient ancestors hunted and farmed on the plain between the Forth and the Pentland Hills, and settled on the heights of Castle Rock and Arthur’s Seat, strengthening these rocky outcrops with primitive ramparts. Later, in the…

Bar Crawls: Glasgow - The Subcrawl

A truncated version of Glasgow’s infamous subway circuit

18 Nov 2011

The Subcrawl – a circular navigation of pubs nearest the 15 stops of Glasgow’s underground – is an institution not strictly for all. Many stations on the route of the city’s beloved Clockwork Orange, particularly south of the Clyde, emerge in locations…

A guide to the best ghost tours of haunted Edinburgh

The best of the spooky and haunted side of the historic Scottish capital

16 Feb 2011

In the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, one of Edinburgh’s most famous literary sons, ‘Only a few inches separate the living from the dead.’ And nowhere is that more true than in the Old Town. From Burke and Hare to Half-Hangit Maggie, the city has more…

The best golf courses in Edinburgh

Edinburgh and East Lothian courses include Musselburgh Links, Turnhouse, Gullane and Muirfield

16 Feb 2011

The game of golf got its first written mention in 1457, when King James II was so worried that his subjects were busy playing golf rather than practicing their archery that he issued an act of parliament, banning the game, with severe penalties for all…

Belfast

27 Mar 2008

St George’s Market on a Saturday morning. High, tented ceilings filling up with barbeque smoke; cheerful art graduates selling hand-printed T-shirts side by side with grumpy, knowledgeable fishmongers and cheese merchants; stalls offering gourmet olive…

A guide to Edinburgh Castle

The capital's most iconic landmark is a must-see for any visitor

16 Feb 2011

Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano, is estimated to be 350 million years old. Archaeologists say that its grassy shoulders were the site of a settlement at least as early as 900bc, and by ad600 there was probably a feasting hall on the…

Where to explore the world of Scotch Whisky in Edinburgh

The best single-malt whisky tastings, tours and shops

16 Feb 2011

The purpose of Scotch whisky is to give pleasure,’ says Charles MacLean in his Whiskypedia: A Gazetteer of Scotch Whisky, and Edinburgh is the place to pursue this principle. You can literally immerse yourself in a whisky barrel at the Scotch Whisky…

The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh

Newly renovated NMS showcases Scottish achievements

16 Feb 2011

A country with as many scientists, inventors and explorers as Scotland needs a place to show off all its achievements – and nowhere does the job better than the newly renovated National Museum

City Beaches

10 Apr 2008

The busy beach and Old Port at Barceloneta (head to the bottom of La Rambla and keep walking past Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Barcelona Head’) is one more reason to fall for Barcelona, although it’s not the only city where visitors can find sand and surf within…

Rome on a budget

The cheap life

16 Jan 2007

The Romans have a saying: ‘you’d need a lifetime to see all that Rome has to offer’. This seemed a laughable notion as my partner and I only had a few days in Italy’s capital. After not having taken a holiday in over three years, I was determined to…

A guide to the best cheese shops in Edinburgh

The finest purveyors of Strathdon Blue, Dunlop Cheddar and many more Scottish cheeses

16 Feb 2011

In the popular parlour game of ‘if you had to give something up for life, what would it be?’ (Strictly Come Dancing or X Factor, partner or friends, stilettos or trainers), many have foundered over the choice between cheese or orgasms. You think it’s an…

Ratho climbing centre in Edinburgh offers world-class facilities

World’s largest indoor climbing complex is just outside Edinburgh

16 Feb 2011

If you’re in the capital looking for adventure but the windy city’s climate has you running for cover, you’ll find activities to get your adrenalin pumping at the world’s largest indoor climbing complex at Ratho. Built in an old quarry by a stretch…

The best attractions in Edinburgh for children

Edinburgh is a great city for travelling with children

16 Feb 2011

1 Our Dynamic Earth Just up the road from Holyrood, Our Dynamic Earth is perfect for a rainy day, with lots of interactive exhibits to keep the whole family amused. 2 National Museum of Scotland Museums may not be top of your children’s must-do…

Travel - Stavanger

17 Jan 2008

If Disney had designed the streets outside Duncan Robertson’s studio, you’d say it was too Mickey Mouse to be true. Like the view of the sunlit mountains that skirt the edge of the city, the wooden houses of Stavanger’s old town are chocolate box cute.

Eating in Inverness

15 Nov 2007

I’d never really thought about Inverness as a holiday destination. To be perfectly, shamefacedly honest, I hadn’t really ever thought much about Inverness. In an age of £20 flights to Europe, the idea of the weekend city break has come to mean something…

Top ten ways to get in shape – and stay there!

27 Jun 2011

1. Go slow Whatever your goal, whether it’s losing weight, toning up or eating better, start slowly, says diet and fitness expert Laura Williams. “Wearing yourself out by overdoing it is unlikely to get results. You need an exercise routine and diet…

Bus trips to the Scottish Highlands from Edinburgh

How to explore the best of the rest of Scotland

16 Feb 2011

Edinburgh has culture, history, shops and sustenance, but there’s a whole country beyond to be explored and it would be a shame to limit a visit to Scotland to the capital alone. If you visit just one other part of the country, make it the Highlands…

WIN a 4-night adventure break for 4 to the eco-friendly Loch Lomond Waterfront Lodges worth £1,800

16 Mar 2009

Explore a thrilling variety of adventure activities, whilst taking in the awe-inspiring landscapes that Scotland has to offer. With over 10,000kms of coastline, spectacular scenery, and unspoilt countryside, it’s no wonder that Scotland is known as…

Take a break this winter - without breaking the bank

Winter fun or winter sun?

23 Nov 2011

Whether you’re into winter sports or winter sunshine, look out for special deals and packages. Avoid school half-term and the Christmas holidays if you can, and be flexible about dates and times – flights are often cheaper mid-week or at unsociable…

Bar Crawls: Edinburgh - No Sleep Till Leith

From central Edinburgh and Leith the best way possible – by the bars

18 Nov 2011

Determining the point at which Leith Walk starts has baffled philosophers, locals and postal workers for decades. Haddington Place and Leith Street have (understandably) become subsumed within this long, iconic thoroughfare that joins Edinburgh with…

Bar Crawls: Glasgow - The Sauchiehall Street Saunter

Making the most of Glasgow city centre drinking

18 Nov 2011

Both ‘pub crawl’ and ‘Sauchiehall Street’ can evoke images of large groups of revellers staggering from one ropey watering hole to the next, the night hurtling towards a climax of kebab sauce and lost cloakroom tickets. Well this route aims to redress…

Bar crawls: Edinburgh - The Prudent Student

A cheap and cheerful crawl from Marchmont to Grassmarket

18 Nov 2011

I have a confession to make. I’ve never really been much of a bar crawl sort of gal. The idea of systematic drinking (vb. to lash, I suppose) with a bunch of overgrown rugby boys, with their girlfriend’s underwear on as outer wear, has never really…