If you do nothing else when you arrive at Edinburgh Airport, do yourself a massive favour and hire a car. Edinburgh is, strangely for a capital city, a very car-friendly city and all the stigma about driving in cities can easily be forgotten. So many different types of car for every type of family or group are on offer and I understand why someone would decide not to hire a car and choose to chance it on the bus instead. Fair enough when it used to take hours to get the car but now that it can all be done in advance over the internet, it is much more convenient to jump in the hire car soon after arriving and get to the hotel quickly, ready for you to fall into bed after a long day travelling.

Why would you choose to try and navigate around a completely new city on a transport system that you are unfamiliar with and will not take you directly to where you want to go? Many of the main attractions in Edinburgh are too far apart to be able to walk it unless you have amazing stamina. Imagine trying to walk from the castle to Arthur’s seat in a day; impossible! It’s a ten minute drive at most, but a good 2 hour walk up and down hills – not what you want to be spending your holiday doing! And when you’ve been for a day shopping on the Royal Mile, you can put the shopping in the car and not have to wear yourself out carrying them all around Edinburgh.