All is fair in the candlelit rooms of James Thomson’s enthralling 16th- and 17th-century buildings overlooking the Royal Mile, with their hidden doors and dramatic nooks and crannies. The atmospheric restaurant-with-suites, by the gates of Edinburgh Castle, is swathed in tapestries and fine carvings. An indulgent Scottish menu is served in two theatrical dining rooms under a painted ceiling, with such dishes as roast loin of Cairngorm venison, honey-roast root vegetables, parsnip mousseline, bramble jus. There’s no lounge, but each of the eclectic, Gothic-style bedrooms has a bottle of champagne on arrival, a bath made for sharing, a huge four-poster, high-spec technology. Come morning, a breakfast hamper may be delivered to the room. See also Prestonfield (main entry).