SCOTLAND // With Edinburgh Castle at one end, Scottish Parliament at the other and St Giles Cathedral in the middle, the Royal Mile embodies history like nowhere else in Scotland. It runs up to Castle Rock (the volcanic plug on which the castle sits) like a great, cobblestoned spine, views stretching across to Arthur's Seat and the Georgian New Town, and down to the Firth of Forth. Its sides are dotted with atmospheric alleyways ('wynds"), and beneath its cobbles are medieval catacombs, which you can visit on tours. It throbs with performers, tourists and salespeople hawking shows during Edinburgh's festival seasons. But it's the historic pubs, attractions such as the Camera Obscura and the Scottish Storytelling Centre, shops packed with souvenirs, and some fine restaurants that make this famed street so appealing to all comers.

---