Traveller's Guide

FOUR AIRLINES brawl it out on the route linking English and Scots capitals: British Airways (0345 222111) from Heathrow and Gatwick, British Midland (0345 554554) from Gatwick, easyJet (0870 6 000 000) from Luton, and Go (0870 60 54321) from Stansted.

Fares are likely to be lowest on the latter two airlines. You can also fly non-stop from Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cardiff, East Midlands, Glasgow, Jersey, Kirkwall, Norwich, Shetland, Manchester, Southampton and Wick. Most of these, though, are commensurately high.

Trains are more reliably affordable. From London, GNER (0345 225225) has a return fare of pounds 20 if you book through its website, www gner.co.uk. Good first-class fares from GNER services are available if you book in advance. The best bargain is the After Eight summer special on GNER: pounds 12 single and pounds 20 return for any journey on GNER between 8pm-2am, Mon- Fri. Scotrail (0345 550033) has deals on sleepers from London Euston. Virgin Trains (0345 222333) also has good prices.

Once there, the Collins Edinburgh Streetfinder Colour Map (pounds 2.99) covers the Water of Leith. Malmaison is at One Tower Place, Leith (0131-468 5000). Dean Gallery (0131-332 2266) is open from 10am (2pm, Sundays) to 5pm, with longer hours during the Festival.