Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland is a fantastic place to start your visit. It has a remarkable setting that is unlike any other city in the world. The city centre of Edinburgh manages to blend Old town charms such as Edinburgh Castle with modern architecture like the controversial building of the new Scottish Parliament. Another stunning feature of this exciting city is the dormant volcano, Arthurs Seat, this dominates the city skyline and it is the perfect place to go for an afternoon stroll. On a clear day the summit gives spectacular views over The Firth of the Forth and Ochil Hills.
The most popular area to visit in Edinburgh is The Old Town, or more commonly known as The Royal Mile. The Royal Mile was given its name, as it is the ridge linking Edinburgh Castle with Holyrood Palace. The Royal Mile is divided into four separate streets - Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Cannongate.
Castlehill is situated at the uppermost stretch of the Royal Mile and is home to Edinburgh Castle, situated on top of a dormant volcano. It is the best-known and most visited attraction of Historical Buildings in Scotland and is instantly recognisable as a powerful national symbol. Edinburgh Castle includes many attractions including St Margarets Chapel - Edinburgh's oldest building, exhibitions that include the history of the Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny and The Prisoners of War and finally the traditional One o'clock Gun.
As you leave the castle you can visit the former reservoir for the Old Town. It has since been converted into The Edinburgh Old Town Weaving Centre, and visitors can observe the whole process of weaving before selecting their own tartan. A few doors down you will come across the Outlook Tower. It has been a top visitor attraction since 1853 and its viewing balcony is one of Edinburgh's best vantage points. It is recommended to visit at midday when there are fewer shadows.
The Lawnmarket, which as its name suggests, was once a marketplace. It is here that you will find Lady Stair's House situated in Lady Stair's Close. This now serves as Edinburgh's literary museum that features a collection of personal mementoes including items that belonged to Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Walking further down you will enter into the High Street area - the longest section of the Royal mile. Here you will discover sites such as Parliament Square, where you can admire the monument of King Charles II and you will also have the chance to visit John Knox's House - the gentleman who was responsible for the Scottish Reformation during the 15th century.
The final section, the Cannongate, has been subject to some of the most ambitious restoration programmes in the Old Town. Examples of this include Chessel's court, a mid-eighteenth-century development and most recently The Scottish Parliament that opened its doors to the public in November 2004.
At the foot of Cannongate you will find a host of other attractions. You can visit Holyrood Palace, however as it is a working Palace you must bear in mind that it can be closed to the public for certain periods. This includes the last two weeks in June and the first week in July when the Queen takes up residency for her annual visit. In the grounds of Holyrood Palace you can visit the evocative ruins of Holyrood Abbey, and then you can also visit Holyrood Park - a natural wilderness that includes a variety of landscapes such as mountains, glens, moorlands, crags and lochs. At the end of it all why not relax and enjoy something to eat in Dynamic Earth - a visitor attraction that will take you on an exciting journey back in time to learn about our planet.
Leaving Edinburgh you will make a short journey up to Stirling, in central Scotland, home to some of the most significant developments in the evolution of the Scottish nation. It was here that the English, in the Battle of Stirling Bridge defeated William Wallace in 1297,and then in 1314 it was the Battle of Bannockburn where Robert the Bruce won in victory over the English.
However, today Stirling is known best by its castle which is situated on a crag that has a sheer 250ft drop down the west side of the castle and the Wallace Monument - a massive monolith high on Abbey Craig. As well as these main attractions, Stirling also has an Old Town Jail. This tourist attraction is slightly different as actors who change costumes and characters bring tours to life and there is also a working example of the dreaded crank - a lever that prisoners had to turn 14,400 times a day for punishment.
Around the area of Stirling there are numerous things to do. Five miles northwest of Stirling you can visit Scotland's only Safari park that hosts everything from big cats, to sea lions and Scotland's only elephants. From the Safari Park you can continue a couple of miles onwards and you will approach the sleepy village with a violent past - Doune. In Doune you will find the ruined fourteenth century castle. This castle is still owned by the descendants of its builder The Duke of Albany and you can still visit the present Earls collection of vintage cars, which are at show in the Doune Motor Museum.
Leaving Stirling you will enter the Campsie Mountain Range. Here you can marvel at the wonderful landscapes that will take you to your destination in Perth.
