Edinburgh
The capital of Scotland sits beside the Firth of Forth in north east Britain, and thanks to its imposing castle, love of whisky and hefty doses of history and culture, it has long been one of Europe's top backpacker destinations.
Explore
Edinburgh's main city center is split into two distinct areas - the historic Old Town with cobbled streets and plenty of tourist traps, and the slightly less older (but still not very new) New Town, where you'll find the brand name stores and chains.
The West End, a short walk from Princes Street, is also well worth a visit, as here you'll find plenty of boutique and independent stores, and the Leith district, which borders the Firth of Forth, has plenty of bars and pubs to try out.
Edinburgh Castle rises high above the city and acts as the perfect bearing while you're exploring the winding streets, which are packed with dozens of visitor attractions and backpacker bars, all within minutes of each other - just make sure to do some stretches before you set out, as several of Edinburgh's streets involve a steep climb.
Attractions
Edinburgh's busy city center has plenty of tourist attractions to keep your day full, but once you've had your fill of castle walls and kilt factories, you'll need to explore further than just the city center. One of the best ways to achieve this is on an Edinburgh Cycle Tour, these three hour guided tours wheel their way through the Old Town and the monuments of New Town - so be prepared for a few hills along the route.
Walking tours revealing Edinburgh's rather gruesome past and haunted catacombs are also a popular attraction in the Old Town, but if you're looking for a cheaper option, download a self guided audio tour from Visit Scotland instead.
For something a little greener than the city streets, take a trip a mile north of the city center to the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens. The gardens were founded in 1670 and house plants from across the globe in impressively vast greenhouses, which include Britain's tallest Palm House. The gardens are free to visit and seasonal guided tours also take place throughout the year.
Should the Scottish weather take a turn for the worse there are several green-minded indoor attractions too. Just east of the city center is the science discovery center, Our Dynamic Earth. Like most attractions of this kind it is aimed at children, but is still a lot of fun for adults. Exhibits include volcanic, polar and rainforest zones and an exhibit on how the Scottish highlands were formed millions of years ago. If the crowds of children are too much for you, the eco-friendly Scottish Parliament Building may offer a respite. The building is open to visitors and offers an insight into the workings of Scottish government, and the workings of a sustainable building - which features solar heated water and bore hole wells, adapted from the site's previous use as a brewery.
Nature, of course, is also one of Scotland's main attractions, and while you're in Edinburgh a visit to the Scottish Seabird Center, is well worth the journey. The center, half an hour from the city center, overlooks the islands of the Firth of Forth, which are home to seabirds such as puffins, gannets, guillemots and kittiwakes. Dolphins and seals are also often spotted in the area.
More animals and birdlife can be seen at Edinburgh Zoo, which like most modern zoos supports a wide range of conservation efforts, including a plan to reintroduce beavers to Scotland. The zoo itself features solar powered heating for the otter enclosure and makes use of its own 'zoo poo' for composting.
For some of the best views in Edinburgh you'll need to take a walk up to Arthur's Seat in Holyroood Park. This rocky outcrop is the highest point in the area and offers some fantastic loch, crag and city views. If you're hiking boots need a longer workout though, then the John Muir Way can offer a challenge. The path, named after the conservationist and founder of the Sierra Club, links Edinburgh with the Scottish Borders and can be picked up near Musselburgh. Edinburgh also makes a great base for exploring further afield, such as the Cairngorms National Park and Loch Lomond.
Shopping
As you would expect from a capital city, Edinburgh is a hotspot for retail junkies. The winding streets of Old Town are home to several small, independent clothes and craft stores, as well as numerous tourist focused gift stores and whisky dens. New Town, on the other hand, is where you'll find the larger chains and highstreet stores, including the famous department store, Jenners, often dubbed as the 'Harrods of the north'.
Second hand and thrift stores in Edinburgh are clustered in the West End and around the university, and for organic treats it's hard to beat Coco of Bruntsfield, which specializes in creating organic chocolates infused with organic spices & peppers. Organic treats of a more adult nature (including organic lubricants) can be found in the Organic Pleasures store.
Food and Drink
Scotland is famous as the home of haggis, but if you want to try some traditional fare with a little more appeal, head to the organic Stoats Porridge Bar which appears every Saturday at the Edinburgh Farmers' Market. Here you'll find organic porridge with flavors such as 'superjam', whisky and honey and white chocolate and roasted hazelnut.
Other organic options include The Iglu, an ethical eaterie that specializes in organic, local and wild produce such as wild boar burger and wild caught salmon, and all at very reasonable prices; and Henderson's Vegetarian Cafe, which has been an Edinburgh institution for more than 40 years, serves up a varied menu of meat-free organic dishes. Highlights here include the excellent salad bar and the fresh, baked-in-store bread.
Another eaterie worth tracking down is the Urban Angel deli, which creates a range of homemade dishes made from seasonal, organic ingredients. If you're planning on cooking your own meals, however, the Edinburgh Farmers' Market offers the perfect way to stock up on fresh produce. The market is held every Saturday, year round, from 9am - 2pm at Castle Terrace under the imposing backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.
Green Accommodation
Edinburgh has a huge choice of backpacker hostels, as well as bed & breakfasts and guesthouses, the greenest of which are granted a Green Tourism Gold Award from the Scottish Tourist Board. A word of warning though - if you're planning on visiting during the Edinburgh Festival, make sure you book well in advance and expect to pay a premium.
High Street Hostel 
Edinburgh's greenest hostel offsets its carbon emissions by planting trees in its own 75 hectare forest. The hostel also recycles its waste and buys its electricity from renewable sources. As an added bonus the hostel offers a free walking tour and organizes a weekly pub crawl for its guests.
Book at Hostelworld
Straven Guesthouse
This small guesthouse in the Portobello neighborhood is a Gold Green Award winner thanks to numerous eco-initiatives, which include recycling and composting waste, using eco-friendly cleaners and low-flow toilets and donating old furniture to the local community.
Straven Guesthouse
Edinburgh Central YHA
A clean and modern YHA hostel with free WiFi and plasma screen TV's dotted all over the building. The hostel has a large self catering kitchen as well as a cafe/deli serving locally sourced food, and guests can take advantage of a free shuttle service to the airport.
Book at Hostelworld
Going Green
Edinburgh has been designated a 'Fairtrade capital city' thanks to its support of the scheme, and each February various Fairtrade events, including tastings and coffee mornings, are held around the city as part of the UK-wide Fairtrade Fortnight.
Another green-focused event to look out for is Bike Week, an event held each June to promote cycling. The event features organized group rides, cycle challenges and a bike themed film festival.
In 2007 Edinburgh Council signed up to the Scotland Climate Change Declaration, and committed to making Edinburgh 'the most successful sustainable city in Northern Europe by 2015' - quite a challenge. The council has launched several green schemes to help the city go green, one of the largest being the construction of a tram system, which is expected to be operational by 2011.
To encourage more people to use the current bus system, however, the council has also installed solar powered bus shelters across the city, which is hoped will make after dark bus travel a little safer, and therefore a little more appealing.
Nightlife
As a popular backpacker city with a large student population, Edinburgh has plenty of choice for evening entertainment. Search the winding streets of Old Town and you'll stumble on the bulk of the city's DJ bars and nightclubs, or head to the nearest Irish bar for some traditional Gaelic music. George Street, the University district and the Grassmarket also have plenty of bars to crawl to.
For organic tipples (which many claim reduces your hangover), seek out the Iglu Bar. The Iglu serves organic beers, wines and spirits, including the Scottish brewed Black Isle Brewery organic blonde beer.
Whisky, of course, is a key part of Scottish culture and there are plenty of whisky tasting centers and tours to test out. One of Scotland's only organic whiskys, however, is produced at the Benromach distillery, and can be found in several bars in the city.
Music
Edinburgh has a well established live music scene, and if you want to try and catch the latest crop of new talent before they make it big, head out to clubs such as the Liquid Room, The Venue and The Attic. For jazz, seek out Henry's Cellar Bar, and for some energetic folk, search out Whistebinkies, a lively pub that stays open till 3am.
Edinburgh's busiest month is August, when thousands of visitors flock to the city for hundreds of live music, performance, comedy and dance events as part of the world famous Edinburgh Festival. Other major events include hogmanay at New Year, and the Beltane Fire Festival, a celebration of the end of the Scottish winter held on April 30th each year, with three hundred performers drumming their way through the night.
Getting Around
Edinburgh is stuffed full of hop-on hop-off tour buses, although most are on the expensive side. The regular bus service is operated by Lothian Buses and day tickets can be purchased on board, or in advance online, for $5. For trips outside of Edinburgh, to explore the highlands for instance, there are numerous backpacker tours available at a good price, such as Haggis Adventures, who work with Trees for Life to green-up their tours.
Edina Cars, Ediburgh's first carbon neutral cab company, launched in November 2008. Airport pick ups and drop offs can be aranged in advance online. If you have plenty of money for gas, hiring a car may be a good option if you want to explore the more remote areas of Scotland.
Bicycles can be hired from several stores in Edinburgh, one of the most convenient is Cycle Scotland based in the Old Town, prices start at around $20 per day.
Getting There
As you would expect from a major touist destination, Edinburgh is very easy to travel to. Mega Bus runs buses twice a day from London, with prices as low as $3 one way, and high-speed intercity trains leave from london every half an hour. Edinburgh airport is connected to the city center by bus, with shuttle buses leaving every 15 minutes.
