IF YOU were thinking of a Spring break in a European capital city, but the collapse of the pound against the euro has made you think again – Edinburgh has the answer.

Not only is the Scottish capital one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, it’s far enough away to make you feel that going there is that bit special, it’s not in the euro zone and – unlike Glasgow – you can usually understand what the locals are saying.

Add to that the fact that it’s amazingly compact, with more than enough architecture, historic sites, bars, restaurants, galleries, museums and cultural events to keep you busy for days, and you’re on to a winner.

Assuming you’re not a fanatical cyclist with calf muscles like upside down wine bottles, there are three ways of getting there: l You could drive – all 400 bum-numbing miles of it – releasing 140 kilos of CO2 (according to the RAC) into our overburdened atmosphere.

l You could guzzle some more gas, and get the plane. But… it’s the kind of short hop no-sooner-are-you-airborne-than-you’re-landing journey, that has all the disadvantages of air travel: getting there hours before take-off, queueing for ages for some total stranger to scrutinise your shoes, your belt, your pockets; sitting crammed in your seat breathing someone else’s recycled air, etc etc l Or, you could do the smart, green, thing: nip down to London and, after a relaxed dinner, pick up the Caledonian Sleeper - Scotrail’s overnight sleeper train north. If you’re quick off the mark, aren’t too choosy about dates and plan ahead, you can get a berth for £19 one way… Leaving Euston station at 11.45pm, you can have a leisurely drink and/or late night snack in the train bar before turning in for a good night’s sleep in your small, but perfectly formed cabin, as exotic locations like Watford whizz past you in the dark.

Unlike some overnight ferries I’ve been on, where your bed is made up with sheets that appear to be some kind of recycled J-Cloth, you get a proper bed with cotton sheets and a decent duvet.

Getting the sleeper there (and back) also maximises your hard-earned time away – all that tedious travelling takes place while you’re snoozing.

As the train approaches Edinburgh, you get woken up by breakfast in bed, and a copy of The Scotsman to catch up on local news.

On arrival at Waverley Station, plonk in the middle of town, you get an hour to sort yourself out before they want your cabin back.

A short walk to your hotel to dump the luggage, and you’re out on the tourist trail refreshed and ready to roll, with the whole day ahead of you.

Be warned – you need that good night’s rest. It may be compact – the historic centre’s not much more than a mile square, but boy is it hilly.

The old town straddles a narrow ridge running down from the castle.

This ancient pile, sitting on top of an ancient volcano, still dominates a skyline which boasts some splendid Gothic Victorian additions: notably the over-the-top monument to romantic fictioneer Sir Walter Scott.

A short, stiff climb from the rail station and Princes Street Gardens, which divide the centre into the Old and New Towns, brings you to the castle, from where the Royal Mile runs – for a mile – downhill to the new Scottish Parliament building and Holyroodhouse, HRH the Queen’s modest residence when in town.

Tall stone buildings spill off both sides of the ridge, fronting a series of quaint streets and alleyways to explore.

Despite large numbers of tourists, there’s not too much tourist tat – a few shops by the main sites like the Castle selling McTartan and musical sporran fridge magnets. Crucial.

You also get the odd piper in full kit entertaining the Americans, but, unlike the late unlamented Cornmarket Street busker, they can at least play the bloomin’ thing!

Once a crowded slum, the Old Town’s now all very bijou, with plenty of little shops to check out, and a reassuring high number of cafes, bars and restaurants to keep you fuelled until it’s time to take the weight off your feet and return to your hotel.

After lots of pavement pounding, a hotel with a pool comes high up the wishlist.

Through the website Luxury Edinburgh – a collaboration of the city’s best hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions – you get the inside track on how to get the best value out of the place.

We stayed at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa, a luxury pile just a stone’s throw from Princes Street and the castle.

Its builders had heard about those hotels where the swimming pool is an afterthought, carved out of some dim basement or situated on the wrong side of the car park, and decided to go for broke.

The result is a four-floor spa complex with a stunning top floor pool, a jaw-dropping outdoor spa bath and more varieties of sauna than I knew existed. Perfection.

Another sweet night’s sleep in a vast bed, followed by a full Scottish breakfast (that’s a full English with added attitude, not to mention haggis) and it’s time to hit the streets again.

Down the hill from the castle and up the other side, taking in the National Gallery, if you have a moment, brings you to Princes Street, the main shopping drag and beyond, the New Town – now a not-so-new 300 years-old, but still a model of town planning.

A succession of elegant terraces, squares and crescents, it’s reminiscent of Bath but on a much bigger scale.

It’s still largely a residential area, but boasts the city’s main shopping area, along with plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants.

Again through Luxury Edinburgh, we had lunch at the charming Stockbridge restaurant.

Tucked away in an elegant basement, a short walk through the New Town from Princes Street, it offers excellent food and attentive, friendly service at prices that won’t break the bank.

As the Michelin guides say, it’s worth a detour – but book ahead.

If you’re still standing, and want to work off all the fine food, Edinburgh offers some more serious excursions. Just beyond Holyroodhouse, but well within the city boundary, is Arthur’s Seat, a mountain in miniature that seems much more impressive than its 823 feet above sea level – particularly when you’ve clambered up it.

The popular half-hour hike offers a stunning panorama of the city.

Heading out in the other direction, the Waters of Leith walk takes you in the direction of the city’s Botanic Gardens, which boast some impressive Victorian hothouses, out to the old port of Leith, now much gentrified and home to the Queen’s erstwhile transport of choice, the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Back in town, there’s time for one last meal – check out the delightful Maison Bleu restaurant in Victoria Street – then it’s back on the train, waking up in London just in time to get back to work on Monday morning.

Haste we back.