The charm of Edinburgh, if you live in London, is that it has all the familiar trappings of a capital – the shops! The National Gallery! – only it is blessedly compact, with a spectacular topography. Plus there’s the lure of its literary history, cobbled streets and beautiful architecture.
If you are planning to escape the capital for a Scottish weekend, you can get there in four and a half hours by train, taking in some of the finest views in Britain from Durham northwards along the sea.
