From the air,Edinburgh looks horizontally expansive and vertically modest.
It blends greenly with the surrounding countryside, thanks to its profusion of parks and gardens.
There are no skyscrapers of the kind youll find in London or New York City.
From left: An afternoon picnic in Princes Street Gardens, in Edinburgh; a bagpiper in traditional Scottish dress.Hayley Benoit
Edinburghs tallest building, St. Marys Episcopal Cathedral, measures 295 feet.
I was all the more surprised, then, to discover that this is a city of panoramic vistas.
The bar is open only to members and hotel guests, and is just subdued enough for conversation.
From left: The Water of Leith walkway as it passes through Dean Village; a Victorian-style bathroom at Gleneagles Townhouse.Hayley Benoit
Dessert is my love language, and at the Spence, its an occasion in itself.
Ellis used to work at Londons Soho House, and wants the Townhouse to attract a similarly diverse clientele.
Were not going for middle-aged blokes in suits and ties, he said.
From left: The Edinburgh branch of Topping & Co., one of Scotland’s largest independent bookstores; mackerel with shrimp, coco beans, and shiitake mushrooms at Borough, a restaurant in the neighborhood of Leith.Hayley Benoit
(Ellis himself was dressed neatly but casually in chinos and white sneakers.)
The average age of the Townhouse staff, he pointed out, is 29.
A glass cupola soars high overhead, while carved portraits protrude from the ceiling.
From left: The Spence, the all-day restaurant at Gleneagles Townhouse; cocktail hour at the Lamplighter, the hotel’s rooftop bar.Hayley Benoit
Marble columns support wedding-cake layers of molding.
As it happened, we planned to have dinner at the Spence on my birthday.
Dessert is my love language, and at the Spence, its an occasion in itself.
From left: Victoria Street, in Edinburgh’s Old Town; the Spence’s dessert and cheese cart.Hayley Benoit
But the menus Valrhona chocolate Nemesis, a wedge of dense, fudgy goodness, beckoned.
I paired it with did I mention it was my birthday?
a side of salted-caramel ice cream.
Teatime at the Balmoral Hotel’s Palm Court.Hayley Benoit
But Gleneagles Townhouse has been something of an event.
Like English food, Scotlands national cuisine has historically been ripe for parody.
Little did my inquisitors know, Edinburgh is a great dining city.
From left: The Balmoral Hotel clock tower; James Irvine, a staffer at the Balmoral.Hayley Benoit
I could have put away a dozen.
I looked up to its peaks and felt like I had landed in Tolkiens Middle-earth.
It must be said:parts of Edinburgh are touristy.
The Edinburgh skyline as seen from Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano in Holyrood Park.Hayley Benoit
Down in New Town, Princes Street, a main shopping thoroughfare, is also crowded and hectic.
(Like many major commercial streets these days, it has a lot of shuttered storefronts.)
But its not difficult to step away from the scrum.
From left: High tea at the Balmoral, a grand hotel in the heart of Edinburgh; an afternoon picnic in Princes Street Gardens, in Edinburgh.Hayley Benoit
Inside, all is cool and calm an elegant counterpart to Gleneagles Townhouses buzzy fun.
Starting west of the city, it runs for 22 miles.
With its sloping streets and lack of discrete bike lanes, Edinburgh is not an obviously cyclist-friendly city.
I looked up to its peaks and felt like I had landed in Tolkiens Middle-earth.
The next day we returned to Arthurs Seat, this time to hike to the top.
Within minutes, the city fell away.
The elevation requires a bit of stamina, so the main path wasnt too crowded.
About midway up, Caleb, a bird-watcher, wandered off to look for chaffinches and dunnocks.
I found myself walking in a kind of hollow.
The land gently rose around me, and all I could hear was the wind.
Space and time took on new proportions.
A notification popped up on my phone a DM from a friend back in the States.
Can I write you a little later?
Im cupped in the worlds palm right now.
Where to Stay
The Balmoral:Edinburghs grande dame is celebrating its 120th anniversary.
Dont be put off by the busy location inside, all is calm and collected.
Eleanore:Shareable dishes that pack a wallop.
Fhior:Strap in for an adventurous multicourse meal that takes a creative approach to Scottish seafood.
Holyrood Park:Climb to the top of the 823-foot Arthurs Seat for the best view in the city.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art:A superb collection of 20th-century works.
Set aside time to wander the art-filled grounds.
Water of Leith:Stroll the 13-mile walkway that runs through picturesque Dean Village and Stockbridge.