Our latest short trip was a visit to Edinburgh. We had both only visited the Scottish capital once before, and that only very briefly. We set off on the Sunday morning amid reports of forthcoming blizzards.

Thankfully, though we encountered some wintry conditions on the journey, we arrived in Edinburgh to find the city without snow (if a little cold).

It was mid-afternoon so we decided upon some walking while it was still light. We were staying just outside the city centre, an ideal location for exploring in fact.

First up The Burns Monument and St Andrew’s House, home of the Scottish government.

Opposite St Andrew’s House is Calton Hill which seemed to contain some really interesting buildings so we decided to go and have a look. We weren’t to be disappointed.

The views were across the city were excellent.

It was also a hill full of interesting buildings and items.

We then decided to head for Princes Street. On the way we spotted another of Edinburgh’s little gems, Old Calton Cemetery. It is the resting place of a number of well known Edinburgh notables including David Hume.

It was heading for dusk now but we took a short walk along Princes Street, one of the major tourist areas and famous for shopping.

It had been a really interesting initial exploration. However now it was time for our evening meal …