In the heart of Edinburgh's New Town, Hotel Indigo® Edinburgh - Princes Street hotel blends Victorian heritage with contemporary style. Our elegant Victorian facade opens onto the city's main shopping street, with stunning views of Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town skyline. You'll spot nods to the city's literary heritage throughout our hotel and stylish guest rooms, and you only need to step outside to start exploring the New Town's graceful Georgian architecture. In our sleek restaurant Twenty Princes Street, Chef Elzane Louwrens creates seafood dishes and steaks on the Josper Grill using fresh, seasonal Scottish produce. Grab a window booth in our cocktail bar Juniper for small plates and inventive concoctions, or curl up in a comfy armchair with a novel in our library.
In the mid-18th century, the appetite to build a New Town grew as conditions in Edinburgh's medieval Old Town deteriorated and tenements became overcrowded. A design competition was won in 1767 by architect James Craig. His innovative grid layout featured wide boulevards flanked by grand squares, Charlotte Square and St. Andrew Square. Later extensions brought sweeping crescents and pockets of urban greenery. Today you can wander along Edinburgh's New Town streets to gaze at neoclassical masterpieces by notable architects such as John and Robert Adam and William Playfair. Pop into the Georgian House in Charlotte Square for a taste of life in late-18th-century Edinburgh, or browse upscale boutiques in converted townhouses on George Street.
A five-minute stroll from the hotel at the top of Calton Hill, Collective showcases emerging artists in the William Playfair-designed City Observatory. Enjoy exhibitions of newly commissioned art in the City Dome and warm up with a Cuban Alturo coffee and house-baked cake in open-air café MILK. New gallery spaces open in 2016.
Power up 287 steps to the top of the Scott Monument, just streets away from the hotel in Princes Street Gardens. The Gothic tower is dedicated to writer Sir Walter Scott, and you can keep your eyes peeled for statues of 64 characters from Scott's novels. Panoramic views of Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth reward your climb.
Familiar faces greet you at every turn in the world's original purpose-built portrait gallery, which opened in 1889. Architecture fans can snap shots of the building's intricate Arts and Crafts design. Inside, celebrated Scots like Robert Burns, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Billy Connolly gaze at you from the walls.
Claiming to be "probably Edinburgh's oldest pub", this Grassmarket watering hole dates in part back to 1516. Robert Burns is said to have stayed here on his last visit to the capital in 1791, and murderers Burke and Hare reputedly used to drink here. Today you can tap your toes to live folk music or dance a jig on ceilidh nights.
Set your watch by the One o'clock Gun, fired from Edinburgh Castle's Mills Mount Battery every day except Sundays. The tradition was introduced in 1861 so ships in the Firth of Forth could set their maritime clocks accurately. You can hear it from Princes Street, or wander up to the castle to watch the firing up close.
It's less than a mile from the hotel to this striking Beaux Arts, copper-roofed concert hall. Completed in 1914, the venue stages an eclectic mix of performances, from rock and pop to jazz, blues, and classical works performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Behind a modern glass facade, the ornate century-old auditorium of this theatre plays host to productions by Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet. In summer, it's home to the Edinburgh International Festival, and throughout the year you might catch a top comedian, West End musical or variety show.
A two-minute walk from the hotel, this venue combines a stylish bar and restaurant with intimate live-music spaces. Listen to jazz or blues over inventive cocktails in the black-and-gold-themed Speakeasy or dance along to up-and-coming Scottish bands and live DJs in the larger Ballroom.
Hop into a whisky barrel for a virtual distillery tour and an insight into whisky production. The venue displays a collection of more than 3,000 bottles, with the chance to swirl a dram round your mouth at the end of the tour. Dedicated aficionados can compare the flavours of four whiskies at morning masterclasses.
More a G&T person? Walk a few blocks from the hotel to the West End and duck into this basement gin distillery. Take a tour and sip a sample, or sign up to a three-hour gin-making workshop, where you can bottle a one-off custom gin. Hang out afterwards at Heads & Tales bar and order a Gin-It-Yourself cocktail.
Tuck into brunch at this Hanover Street eatery. You can fuel up on jumbo oat porridge with mixed seeds and goji berries or sink your teeth into eggs benedict topped with smoked haddock. Leave room for a side of haggis or black pudding, and clear lingering hangovers with a banana-and-peanut-butter recovery angel smoothie.
The baristas here know how to brew a seriously mean cup of coffee. The nearest café in this small Edinburgh chain is less than half a mile from the hotel on Broughton Street. As well as sipping a flat white, you can indulge in freshly baked pastries or a warming bowl of soup, before exploring Broughton Street's independent stores.