EDINBURGH

It’s impossible to ignore Edinburgh’s assets: the clifftop castle, Princes Street Gardens, the duelling architectural styles of the UNESCO-endorsed Old and New Towns. It’s little wonder the city, which is home to many of the country’s best restaurants and hotels, receives almost as many tourists every year as Scotland has residents. The city’s old Trainspotting-tinged reputation has long been blown away by a polish of its centuries-old magnificence, and out of the centre, formerly rundown neighbourhoods have benefitted too, while still maintaining their character and charm. Historically known as ‘Auld Reekie’ (literally ‘Old Smokey’), today Edinburgh’s atmosphere is as clear as its ambition.

Leith

In the decades since Irvine Welsh’s was released (the novel is largely set here and its streets appear in the film), the once-notorious neighbourhood of Leith has