A day in Edinburgh for $200 (ish)

If you fancy something a bit different for breakfast, you should absolutely try Dishoom. Perhaps you will fancy a bacon naan, or a sublimely melted kejriwal (chilli cheese toast), and make sure you get the chai tea. You’ll spend around $20 per person and the food, service and surroundings are all brilliant. When you get there, ask about the dice game, Matka, and something nice might happen.

Most visitors, for good reason, start with the World Heritage Sites, museums and galleries of Old Town — which lies densely packed on a hill around Edinburgh’s castle — and the Georgian-era New Town.

Many of the city’s greatest treasures are huddled close together. There’s the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (free) and the National Museum of Scotland (free), for starters. One of the lifts at the back of the national museum takes you up to a nice rooftop terrace area with fantastic views. Top tip: Look for alleys off the side of the Royal Mile. Known as “wynds”, they’re worth wandering up and down to get a feel for the city’s medieval street plan. To guarantee entry to Edinburgh Castle, buy your tickets in advance ($35). Alternatively, you could hike up Arthur’s Seat — a must if the weather is decent. The peak gives excellent panoramic views of the city and beyond and is relatively easy to climb.

At the bottom of the hill is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the Monarchy in Scotland. A combined ticket ($40) includes admission to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Russia, Royalty and the Romanovs at The Queen’s Gallery.

An $11 Uber will get you to the red sandstone building that was once the Swann Inn, Roseleaf Bar and Cafe. The eclectic but homely interior and woodpanelled bar is difficult to escape. Famed for its drawn-out brunches, it also has some extremely elaborate cocktails. Be warned: the china pots serve up drinks far stronger than tea. They recommend you “give us a tinkle” to reserve your table. The recommended Cullen Skink is not made of adorable lizard-friends, as I feared, but instead is a smoked haddock soup. Budget $25. Only 0.7km from Roseleaf is the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Queen’s 126m pleasure yacht. Since HMY Britannia’s retirement in 1997, the public are now able to visit the historic vessel and “floating palace” in Leith docks. Tickets are $30 per person.

At the site of the old ferry from Aberdeen is waterside pub Teuchter’s Landing, voted Scotland’s best of 2018. Full of rugby paraphernalia, the Teuchter’s offers food, drink and — for the rare sunny afternoon — a generous beer garden. Expect excellent pub food, including the required haggis, neeps and tatties. $45. TOTAL: $206