High and handsome

If you are thinking about London, think again. The destination I have in mind is Scotland's handsome capital Edinburgh, which is just two hours by GNER train from Darlington.

It struck me as I emerged from the anthill that is Edinburgh's Waverley Station that most of the things we expect in London can be found considerably closer to hand just across the border.

To start with. Visually, Edinburgh has got to be one of the most dramatic cityscapes in the country. From the moment you reach pavement level after climbing the stairs from Waverley's subterranean depths you are immediately hit between the eyes by the great, looming bulk of Edinburgh Castle above you, the lush green valley of Princes Street Gardens below you, the elegance of New Town to your right and the ruggedness of the Old Town to your left.

As you fight your way to the surface you have probably taken in the multi-lingual babble around you which tells you that this is a city people travel the world to see.

The weekend I visited Edinburgh with my wife as guests of Visit Scotland, the Scottish national rugby team was kicking off the Six Nations tournament by entertaining France. Everywhere you looked over the weekend you could see groups of French rugby fans. Prosperous looking, well-behaved, cheerful and unmistakeably Gallic. My wife noticed that the men were looking for bars and pubs while their women were sightseeing from the top of open top buses, systematically working away along George Street's chic up-market shopping emporia or joining the crowds heading for Edinburgh Castle and the city's slightly tacky but unmistakeably impressive Royal Mile.

My wife was particularly impressed at the up-market 'name' shops which line George Street, Edinburgh's equivalent of Bond Street. These included Penhaligons and Jo Malone (for perfume) and Hobbs, Phase Eight, Russell and Bromley and LK Bennett.

I discovered a wonderful bar called Tiles just off Princes Street which looked as if it had been converted from a sumptuously tiled Edwardian banking hall.

But away from the fashionable boutiques there lurks another, more homely Edinburgh.

Nosing around near the rather odd-looking new Scottish parliament, a jumble of angular concrete buildings opposite the historic Holyrood House, we came across an old fashioned sweetie shop tucked down a back street. The sort of place that would sell you a sherbet dip or a penny chew.

For a couple or a group of friends, Edinburgh seems to have plenty for everyone. This was summed up on Sunday afternoon. As we emerged from the quite wonderful Charles Rennie Mackintosh in France watercolours exhibition at the beautifully restored Dean Gallery (a former orphanage which is now an exquisite art gallery and close to the main Scottish Museum of Modern Art) and picked our way through wooded slopes to join a waterside pathway following the Waters of Leith, we could see streams of rugby fans heading the opposite way and hear the strains of a pipe band warming up the crowds at nearby Murrayfield.

It's seven years since we were last in the Scottish capital and it struck us how many new cafes, bars and restaurants have opened since we were last there. One of the taxi drivers who ferried us around over the weekend asked me whether I was heading for one of the city's grand Victorian gin palace pubs or one of the numerous 'brown leather' bars, named after the ubiquitous leather sofas found in such establishments. He seemed to approve when I said that I was going to 'a proper pub', the high-ceilinged, magnificent Caf Royal on West Register Street.

Eating out is the same. There is no end of trendy eateries in the city, providing every kind of ethnic food you might hanker after.

But being curry fans we opted for the Lancers' Brasserie, a smart but reasonably priced Indian restaurant in the Western inner suburb of Stockbridge. Even better, it was only a few minutes taxi ride from our hotel, the Melvin House.

Part of a handsome late Victorian terrace in Edinburgh's distinctly posh West End, the Melvin is a comfortable, very traditional base to explore the city. Built by the Scots tycoon who founded The Scotsman newspaper, it was intended to show off his wealth to Edinburgh society. It is still impressing residents today. The magnificent dining room with its ornate wood panelling is a particular delight.

While I enjoyed the hand-pulled Deuchars IPA in the Caf Royal pub on Saturday night, a few hours earlier my wife had been equally impressed by the sophisticated big city atmosphere and laid back vibe of Browns, an upmarket, American style caf-bar in George Street (which runs parallel to Princes Street but is more exclusive).

With attentive waiters dressed in long white aprons and Van Morrison on the sound system, it was the perfect place to chill out before heading back to our hotel to prepare for a night out in Scotland's buzzy, exciting capital.