Doing business
As with other domestic cities, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to conducting face-to-face business. Edinburgh being what it is, the best tip would be to choose where you want to meet wisely – it offers everything from cutting-edge modernism to log-fire tradition, so decide which environment suits your particulars best. Don’t be surprised if the nights become slightly longer than intended either.

Cool hotel
Revelling in its role as ‘the mother of all Mals’, the original Malmaison was one of the first to herald the rise of trendy boutique properties. It offers 100 rooms, including six suitably dandy suites with a range of design quirks, and four meeting spaces for a maximum audience of 70. The in-house brasserie serves up seasonal ingredients year-round, while a bar and gym provide further distraction.
See: www.malmaison-edinburgh.com

Hip restaurant
The classy Edinburgh branch of Harvey Nichols has been lionised by city tastemakers since its opening in 2002, and its four floors of ultra-chic goods are topped by a quality rooftop restaurant. ‘Forth Floor’ gives superb views over the town centre and its surrounds, with exclusive-hire opportunities making it available to groups of up to 160 diners. The menu offers everything from Roast Highland venison to grilled halibut with cardamom and orange couscous. See: www.harveynichols.com/output/Page126.asp

Happening bar
Sitting on the edge of Grassmarket and still proudly boasting its ‘Scotland’s Most Stylish Bar 2005’ gong, Dragonfly is the kind of place where you can enjoy an upmarket experience without having to deal with snootiness. The location’s décor is one of the main draws – an eye-catching mix of colourful frescoes and bold wallpaper – but the cocktails will have you coming back for more.

Must-see sight
Edinburgh’s castle is its iconic centerpiece, and it serves as far more than just a tourist draw. The millennium-old site can be hired for exclusive use for groups of up to 1,000 and also offers a number of smaller spaces – the stunning 18th century Jacobite Room, for example, takes 150. Private tours of the Scottish Crown Jewels can also be arranged, but it’s the overall ambiance of the place that stirs the senses.

Getting downtown
Waverley Station could hardly be any more central, dispatching rail passengers into the Georgian heart of the town. Those arriving into Edinburgh Airport will find black cabs adjacent to the coach park – a typical journey into town takes 25 minutes. The Airlink 100 express bus runs to Waverley Bridge every ten minutes and costs £3 single, £5 return. 

Getting there
The line from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh takes just over four hours, while the city’s airport is served by over 40 different airlines, with more than 200 flights between London’s airports and Edinburgh on any given day. Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Inverness, Jersey, Kirkwall, Leeds Bradford, Lerwick, Manchester, Newquay, Norwich, Nottingham East Midlands, Southampton, Stornoway, Sumburgh and Wick also have direct connections.

INSIDER’S TIP
“I’ve always found that people are pleasantly surprised by First ScotRail’s Caledonian Sleeper service. It runs in both directions between London Euston and Edinburgh’s Waverley Station and really adds something to a trip.

During the week it leaves Edinburgh after 11pm and gets into London at 7am. You get the privacy of your own cabin and hot drinks and breakfast are served, so you arrive back feeling refreshed.”
Annette Fox, Parador Travel Management

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