Old city with a heart that burns bright

The Life: Business travellers would be lucky to get a stop-off in Edinburgh, which is known as not only the physical capital of Scotland, but the cultural and economic heart as well.

Edinburgh Castle is on top of an extinct volcano. Lionel Bonaventure / AF

Edinburgh is not only the capital and seat of the Scottish parliament, the city has long been the country's cultural and financial centre as well.

The now beleaguered Royal Bank of Scotland was founded in the city by Royal Charter in 1727 and became the first bank in the world to offer an overdraft facility the following year.

It slowly established a network of offices throughout Scotland during the 19th century, acquiring the rather grand Dundas House building for its headquarters in 1821.

A government bailout brought the institution back from the brink of collapse during the financial crisis that began in 2008 and it continues to suffer from the fallout today, having had its credit rating down-graded by Moody's last week.

But the bank's headquarters still stands proud in heart of the city in St Andrew Square, a stone's throw from Princes Street.

Anyone with a few hours to spare in the city should certainly take a walk along the shopping thoroughfare, which features many well-known brands, as well as smaller tourist shops.

Towering over the street is Edinburgh Castle, perched atop an extinct volcano.

The fortress ceased to be a royal residence centuries ago but to this day remains the home of the crown, the sceptre and sword of state, otherwise known as the ancient Honours of Scotland.

The walk up to the castle is steep but worth the journey, offering an view of New Town - an area of impressive Georgian townhouses built in the 18th century to give the rich a more salubrious place to live away from the squalor of the city.

The castle, which attracts more than a million visitors every year, sits at the top of the Royal Mile, a succession of cobbled streets featuring tourist shops, restaurants and hotels. The area features centuries-old buildings alongside some newer additions.

One of those is Hotel Missoni, the winner of Europe's Leading New Hotel of the Year 2010, among other awards, which was built in place of a demolished 1960s office block. It neatly sums up the mix of history and modernity that marks Edinburgh as a fascinating city.

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