A word of warning. In my experience some branches of the local hotel industry have yet to adapt to (let's be polite) those with expectations beyond clean bedding. For expensive amusement, look no further than the huge Old Swan hotel near the Turkish Baths. In this hotel (part of the Macdonalds chain) staff seem engaged in a bizzare game of cat and mouse seemingly to frustrate your every requirement. It is a real gem which National Heritage should preserve for the nation. Very soon there will be no hotels like this left. If you aren't from England, however, or you are not a fan of 1970's sit coms, you may wish it a wide berth. (Stay in Leeds and visit by train).

The Swan hotel is off Ripon Road nr the train station.

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Fancy bank-turned-pub on George Street. An absolutely fantastic place on a Sunday afternoon - live jazz - and you cannot fail to be impressed by the main floor, and especially the domed ceiling from which it gets its name.

14 George Street, EH2 2PF;
tel: 0131 624 8624;
www.thedomeedinburgh.com

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Leave the madness of Edinburgh Saturday afternoons behind, and catch one of the very frequent trains to Glasgow city centre. Have lunch, walk around, shop and drink to your heart's content, and get back to Edinburgh in time to freshen up for a good night out!

Trains are every 20 mins and take about 50 mins, from city centre to city centre;
www.firstgroup.com/scotrail

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Howth is 25 minutes on the DART from the City. It is a working fishing harbour, and on the (wet) Sunday we visited, had a farmers' market, as well as two fishmongers and an awful lot of boats. Of the pubs, I'd recommend the Bloody Stream for its fantastic local seafood - try the chowder - and a great pint. Despite the good food, it isn't expensive or pretentious. Just good beer, and good food in nice surroundings. Best of all, it is underneath the DART station, so you can keep checking when the next one's due. We prolonged our stay by about 2 hours this way, in twenty minute intervals. Howth is a good option for a Sunday afternoon, if you want a break from the City. (Try The Abbot as well)

14 West Pier (just below the DART station), Howth;
tel: 01 839 5076;
www.thebloodystream.com

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Symi is amazing, however it's overrun by day trips from Rhodes - between 11 and 4 every day.

Luckily, they seldom leave the harbour, so if you catch a water taxi to one of five adjacent beaches (with tavernas) in the morning, and return in the evening, you'd never know they had been.

Agios Marina is the best for swimming and food, but it’s not as quiet as some of the others, which may or may not be a good thing.

On return to the harbour, sit for an hour outside Oranges & Lemons and watch the ridiculously expensive looking yachts return. The harbour's busy then, but in a good way. Easily the best part of the day.

The harbour's tiny and the taxi boats are obvious.

Oranges & Lemons is on the Old Town side, opposite the clock tower (where the Catamaran is often moored).

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