Edinburgh: a city that thrives in winter

As records prove, Edinburgh is not a warm city. Not even the most ardent festival fanatic will claim that the weather, as well as the laughs, are incredible in August.

So don’t deny or ignore the cold – embrace it.

Because Edinburgh is built for it, Edinburgh thrives in winter: It’s built for short days and long nights with many open fires and cavernous pubs. Options to escape the bite of the cold are not in their hundreds, but in their thousands.

The Scottish capital is not only one of the UK’s, or one of Europe’s great winter cities – it’s one of the world’s. Here are my top-5 things to do during the winter months.

Become a master of scotch

Scotland’s most famous export? Scotch whiskey. If you’re in the capital of Scotland and, like me, don’t really appreciate it, then all the more reason to educate yourself.

There are several whiskey-tasting options in the city. Anyone who’s enjoyed a wine-tasting session before will be…