In New Town, sample Victorian elegance at Cafe Royal Circle Bar (19 West Register St.), with its glazed tiles, ornate terra-cotta, and hearty hot beef with horseradish and gravy (£3.95/$6.15), or wonderfully ripe Stilton cheese with strawberries (£4.25/$6.60). The central bar dispenses local ales (£1.80/$2.80 or so), fulfilling a vital role; once, Old Town had at least a brewery a block, and even today, the Scottish £10 note depicts a whisky distillery. Tippoo Sahib (129A Rose St.) scores with a two-for-one Indian dinner special, subtle chicken kurma (£7.50/$11.60), mango-and-spice pathia chicken (£7.50/$11.60), and garlic nan (£2.50/$3.90) that could swaddle a baby. Wok Wok, a stylish chain, serves noodles with a kick (£5-£7/$7.75-$10.85, 137 George St.), but my new favorite is The Lost Sock Diner (11 East London St.), on the eastern edge of New Town. If it smells of soap, it's because it adjoins a laundromat; folks nosh as they wash. Concoctions include baked avocado (£4/$6.20), parsnip chips (£1.50/$2.30), and creamy scrambled egg with salmon and dill on a savory waffle (£4/$6.20).

Traditional Scottish fare, like the famous haggis, is unusual-as we do, modern Scots eat deep-fried junk or corporate cuisine. For dessert, or "pudding," don't order a Deep Fried Mars Bar (sadly, they exist) from a chippie; visit Casey's of Edinburgh (52 St. Mary's St.), a tiny, old-time sweet shop that makes Willy Wonka look like a rookie. Behold towers of hand-labeled jars full of Rhubarb Rock, Soor Plooms, Berwick Cockles, Raspberry Fizzies, and the gemstonelike Parma Violets. Just 56p/87¢ buys enough candy to give even the British instant sugar shock. I asked the elderly woman behind the glass counter how she controlled herself among such temptations. "Actually," she admitted, "I don't eat sweeties." And a good thing for her, too.

Glimpsing Glasgow Some Americans try to "do" Scotland with 12-hour day trips to Loch Ness-not a good plan. Glasgow, 50 miles west of Edinburgh, isn't just a better springboard, it's worth a day or two itself. ScotRail's 50-minute Edinburgh-Glasgow shuttle departs every 15 minutes; from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. it's £7.50/$11.60 round trip (at Waverley Station, scotrail.co.uk). From Glasgow, it's easy to reach much of Scotland (info: visitscotland.com), including the espresso waters of Loch Lomond, the glory hikes of the Highlands, and the pastel Isle of Skye. But if you're like me, you'll want to hurry back to bonny Edinburgh as often as possible. I admit it: I have fallen in love. I'm plaid to the bone.

Senior Editor Jason Cochran, whose forebears fled Scotland for Georgia, visits Edinburgh often; he lost count at ten visits.

Going tartan

My most recent trips to Edinburgh were handled by go-today.com, which charges $499 for six-night air/hotel packages from New York, $649 from Chicago, and $679 from San Francisco and Los Angeles, November 1 to February 28, per person, double. Prices are around $150 higher in March.

No North American carrier flies direct to Edinburgh's small airport, but Glasgow is nearby; Continental (800/525-0280, continental.com) flies there from New York and Air Canada (888/247-2262) flies from Toronto; British Airways (800/247-9297, britishairways.com) can bring you from many U.S. cities via London.

Maximize your trip by flying to London and reaching Scotland by other means: by overnight coach from Victoria Station to St. Andrews Square, New Town, for £35/$55 round trip (gobycoach.com), or by five-hour train from King's Cross to Waverley stations for £35/$54 round-trip advance purchase (gner.co.uk).

The festival of festivals

When people say they're off to the summer "Edinburgh Festival," they really mean to August's six simultaneous festivals.

Edinburgh is packed then, so book hotels far ahead (six months isn't too early). But unless there's a show you must see, don't buy tickets in advance. Do what everyone does: Read the local paper to catch the buzz, then head to the ticket offices.

The Fringe is the queen of the August festivals, hosting nearly 1,500 shows and comics and some 20,000 performances in three weeks. The cheapest are £3/$4.65, and since curtains begin rising in the morning, it's easy to get carried away (box office: 180 Royal Mile, 0131/226-0026, edfringe.com). You can have a complete Fringe experience without paying a pence. With the city awash in art, performers give away tickets just to build word of mouth. Stroll up the Royal Mile-among the fire-eaters, jugglers, and musicians-and fend off the invitations. Not all shows are good, but most are creative and interesting. The original International Festival (0131/473-2001, eif.co.uk) mounts highbrow dance, opera, and theater. Prices range from £5/$7.75 for matinees to £30/$46 for opera. Buy these ahead; they aren't discounted much, so don't hope for freebies unless a show's unpopular (read: terrible). Another one to buy ahead is the Military Tattoo (box office: 33-34 Market St., 0131/225-1188, edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk). As the sun goes down each August evening, torches flare like flags and hundreds of bekilted bagpipers paint the summer breeze plaid. The £25/$39 tickets are too much; the lateral £9/$14 seats are adequate. Other concurrent festivals (with few discounts) include the 12-day International Film Festival (0131/229-2550, edfilmfest.org.uk); past premieres include Velvet Goldmine starring local boy Ewan McGregor. The 17-day International Book Festival (about £7/$11 per event, 0131/624-5050, edbookfest.co.uk) regularly attracts 100,000 to New Town's Charlotte Square and focuses on author talks, particularly by Scottish writers. The 10-day Jazz & Blues Festival (jazzmusic.co.uk) is the U.K.'s oldest and is held starting in late July. The Scotsman, a local paper, summarizes all attractions at edinburghfestivals.co.uk.

Plan ahead for Hogmanay, the New Year's party attracting some 100,000. Tickets are mandatory; hotels tend to supply them to guests (hogmanay.net).