Edinburgh

Through the winding, cobbled streets of Scotland's coastal capital, ancient history meets a modern, vibrant world

-  MORAG LINDSAY

Seaside And The City 
Dip a toe into quirky, chilled Portobello - the best of both worlds

PORTOBELLO is where Edinburgh goes to let its hair down. If the capital's image leans a little to the staid side - a city of finance and governance and buttoned-up propriety - Portobello is its carefree little cousin, greeting each day with a breeze at her back and a lopsided smile.

The seaside suburb is just a short bus ride from the city centre, but it has a character all its own.

There's an award-winning sandy beach that seems to stretch on forever. There are amusement arcades, ice-cream parlours and side streets alive with independent traders.

But there's also a relaxed, laid-back attitude that makes it the perfect place for sunbathers, beachcombers, day-trippers, dog walkers or anyone who fancies kicking back and soaking up some good old-fashioned Scottish seaside escapism.

Portobello was a town in its own right until 1896 and it still retains much of that free spirit.

A former brick-making centre, it became popular as a seaside resort in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Visitors used to flock in their droves from Glasgow and Edinburgh to take the sea air along the promenade and the now-demolished pleasure pier with its concert pavilion at the end.

Sir Sean Connery was a lifeguard at the old lido before Hollywood came calling. And while it, too, has been bulldozed, "Porty" has held on to that ever-so-slightly faded charm that all the best seaside towns boast.

The Victorian swimming pool is still there, featuring an original Aerotone - the forerunner to the modern hot tub - and Turkish baths.

There's a conservation area, plenty of parks and green spaces, and a bustling high street.

And, of course, there's that beach. Two miles of sands with views across to the north side of the Firth of Forth and out towards Inchkeith Island.