2 Best Sights in Leith, Edinburgh and the Lothians

The Water of Leith, Edinburgh's main river, rises in the Pentland Hills, skirts the edges of the city center, then heads out to the port at Leith, where it flows into the Firth of Forth. For a scenic stroll from the West End out to Leith, you can join this waterside walkway at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, follow it through pretty Dean Village and Stockbridge, and continue past the Royal Botanic Garden, before emerging at The Shore. It takes about 90 minutes at a leisurely pace—and with all the tree-lined paths, pretty stone bridges, colorful wildflowers, and stunning birdlife (including herons, kingfishers, and buzzards) to see, we do suggest taking your time. Keep an eye out, too, for Antony Gormley's "6 Times" artwork, a series of life-sized human sculptures dotted along the river.

Moored on the waterfront at Leith is the Royal Yacht Britannia—launched in Scotland in 1953, retired in 1997, and now returned to her home country. A favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth II (she is reported to have shed a tear at its decommissioning ceremony), it is now open for the public to explore, from the royal apartments on the upper floors to the more functional engine room, bridge, galleys, and captain's cabin. The visitor center, based within the hulking, onshore Ocean Terminal shopping mall, has a variety of fascinating exhibits and photographs relating to the yacht's history.