Situated near the top of the Royal Mile, this building included the 17th-century home of a prosperous merchant. It is now owned by the National Trust of Scotland, which has furnished it "to avoke the old town of 300 years ago."

Wandering through the house doesn't take that long because it is so small, but there is and was a lot crammed into a very small space. After visiting Gladstone's Land, you can visit the Georgian House in the new town to see what the rich moved to, as soon as they could.

This visit includes guides in each room, who are there to both keep an eye on you and answer questions. This seems to attract little old ladies who really would like a chat and will answer the same question three times, even though you haven't actually asked it. There are also information sheets in each room.

Unfortunately, Gladstone's Land is only open from March to October. Each year the exact dates vary, and unfortunately, on my first visit to Edinburgh I arrived the day after it closed.

To find out opening dates and times you can ring 0131 226 5856 or try the National Trust of Scotland website: www.nts.org.uk

This is a 17th-century merchant's house that has been restored as a museum. The guided tour, which is included in the price of admission, is a must and you will learn all about life in a typical Edinburgh town house in the 1600's. Don't forget to look at the wooden overshoes that had to be worn outside in the dirty streets. The household pig used to be let out each morning to eat all the refuse in the street and was then slaughtered and salted in the late autumn!

After visiting the castle, we stopped at Gladstone's Land, which has been restored to a typical 17th century dwelling on high street. There was a small tweed shop downstairs, with living quarters for a few families in the stories above. It was a fascinating portrait of life in that very place four hundred years ago, with a bed that folded into the wall for extra space, and even a children's walker much like the ones we place our toddlers in today. There was a beautiful ornately carved Scottish bed, the likes of which I had never seen before. It was dark, finely polished mahogany. When the newer plaster was peeled from the wall during restoration, stencilled walls were revealed. The stencils were in color, and looked almost like wallpaper. Gladstones land was a special delight because it is owned by the National Trust, which we joined before the trip, so our admission was free.