The city of Edinburgh dates back nearly a thousand years, and from its beginings on the volcanic rock of the Old Town, it has expanded to include most of the surrounding villages.

With so much to see and do, visitors to the city may be overwhelmed, so here's our guide to the essential Edinburgh experience.

Use these guides as walking itineraries for your own walking tours and walk the actual routes while in the city, or simply enjoy the history, architecture and charm of Edinburgh with these clickable walks.

The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is a good focus point for visitors to Edinburgh. The city's oldest street. it leads from Edinburgh Castle at the west end to the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the eastern end. There are many interesting buildings, from all stages of the city's history, from the oldest buildings in Edinburgh to modernist design. Plenty of pubs and cafes cater for varying budgets and tastes, and there are many varied shops to buy souvenirs from tattoos to whisky.

Take the essential tour of the Royal Mile

New Town

Edinburgh's New Town is a unique architectural experiment. The basic design for this stage-managed extension to the city was decided by competition which was won by an unknown 22 year old called James Craig. The area to the north of the Waverley Valley which was part of this initial scheme is defined by three parallel streets running roughly east west. The most southerly of these streets is Princes Street, which looks up at the splendid elevations of the Royal Mile and the Old Town across Princes Street Gardens.

Take the essential tour of the New Town

Leith Walk & Leith

Leith, once an independent burgh with its own trade and customs, is usually thought of as little more than Edinburgh's last remaining link with the age of sail. But the Port of Leith is much more than simply the harbour serving Scotland's capital, it is a distinct urban entity with its own personality and charm. Whilst it may not be everyone's ideal tourist attraction, there is plenty in Leith to interest and entice.

Take the essential tour of Leith