RECENTLY one of my London pals asked if Edinburgh could ever be “cheap” for a holiday. I thought carefully before answering: “Not cheap, but our capital city offers quality experiences – and experiences that can be more than affordable.”

I really believe this, but felt compelled to put it to the test in these cash-strapped times, so I headed into Edinburgh with my family last weekend for a day.

I know that our choice of hotel does not fall into the affordable category for most of us, but it ticks that quality experience box. The brand new Virgin Hotels Edinburgh (www.virginhotels.com/edinburgh) is an absolute stunner. I’m not a fan of everything Richard Branson stamps his brand on, but this oasis is spot on. If you’ve got the cash to splash out on The Balmoral or the Caley, consider this breath of fresh, ultra-hip luxury instead. My teenager went into Tik Tok overdrive here, my wife loved the cocktails and my youngest couldn’t believe they had Tunnocks in our room. Quality. And playful fun.

For breakfast we ducked into Bonnie & Wild, the ace new Scottish food court in the swish St James Quarter. It proved a delicious, if chastening, choice. Normally I proudly cook my daughters’ pancakes on a Sunday morning, but I was totally upstaged by Stack & Still. So much so that I seriously considered buying a packet of their buttermilk pancake mix to sneak home. Their pancakes went really well with the spot-on brews from Aviemore’s Cairngorm Coffee.

Having blown your hard-earned cash on Virgin’s new hotel, I’ll now help you enjoy a totally free morning. We headed up Calton Hill to savour the views and look at the new things happening, like the Leith trams and the rebirth of Leith. Calton Hill always quickens my pulse as it has a special place in our national story and psyche. I shared with my daughters the monument dedicated to Scottish self-determination with a rock from Bruce’s castle and a stone from France in Auld Alliance democratic solidarity.

Next, we headed south down the little-used steps by what should have been our reformed parliament in 1999. We popped up at the Museum of Edinburgh. This is a brilliant free treasure that tells Edinburgh’s multi-faceted story. I wasn’t totally sold on their attempt to rehabilitate Field Marshal Douglas Haig, but we learned a swathe of history, before easing across to the virtually unknown Dunbar’s Close Garden. We sat in this brilliantly recreated 17th-century garden away from the busyness of the Royal Mile.

Next up was lunch at brand-new Junk. This impressive neighbourhood restaurant comes from inspired couple Cam and Jade, who started doing online recipes during lockdown. That grew into street food stalls. Then well-deserved awards. Now into a lovely restaurant in Newington. We tucked into delicious, flavour-packed streetfood that had the girls asking about all the ingredients and stuffed to the gunnels.

Afterwards, we headed north to Chambers Street, where the old Victorian museum merges with a modern extension architecturally; also culturally and historically to tell many of Scotland’s stories. No two visits to this free hub are the same.

The girls were fascinated by Dolly, our famous cloned sheep, and having a go on the Formula One racing car. My teenager Tara insisted she played the “wolf game”, a rewilding simulator she has loved since she was a toddler. You could easily spend a – entirely free – half day here.

Our love of chocolate is one thing that always unites our family. And we were in choccy heaven at the new Chocolatarium. Our expert guide took us deep beyond the wrapper to look at where sustainable cocoa beans are sourced and how they make the journey to us. En route there was plenty of opportunity for tastings, including the excellent COCO chocolates that we didn’t even know are made near our home. This tour works for all ages and you even get to take the chocolate you made away.

The last stop in a day we didn’t want to end was the new Luckenbooths, named after the old shops that used to line the Royal Mile here. We tucked into smoked salmon, seared scallops and perfectly pink steaks. The staff were great with the girls, something we found throughout our day in what for me is Europe’s most strikingly beautiful capital city.

I’m writing this back in Virgin’s hotel. I’ve just texted my pal to reassure him that, no, Edinburgh is not a cheap destination, but our capital definitely offers both quality experiences and affordable ones. And that. in these cash-strapped times, is something we have both never appreciated more.

For more information on Edinburgh and the affordable things to see and do check out www.edinburgh.org.

Robin McKelvie's Hotel of the Week

Hotel Indigo Dundee

THIS bolthole could scarcely be more Dundee. The city has made huge strides over the last decade in reinventing its past to attract visitors, a renaissance capped in 2018 when the V&A Dundee opened.

This welcoming hotel is housed in a hulking old mill building. They have quite brilliantly woven bright, modern rooms around the old mill without losing a shade of its distinction, or rich character.

And don’t miss dining in at Daisy Tasker – named, of course, after a mill worker. It offers a slice of historical ambience along with spot-on salmon gravadlax and beautiful steaks; a decent wine list too.

Visit www.ihg.com for more.