It is the sight that welcomes drivers from north, south, east and west back to Edinburgh. At 250 metres tall, Arthur's Seat is visible many miles from the city centre, a beacon that draws people home after they have been foolish enough to venture away.

A friend has given me a copy of the beautiful book 'A year at an Italian table'. Written by Mary Contini, the book pays homage to well-loved Edinburgh delicatessen and cafe Valvona & Crolla.

One of my highlights of the last couple of years was riding a giant tricycle around a farm in East Lothian. My husband and two children were perched on the contraption as well. That added to the fun.

It's hard to explain the sense of exhilaration and freedom the experience gave me. I had been unwell and somehow our family to trip to East Links Farm helped put me on the mend.

It was voted favourite visitor attraction in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife last year. And it's not hard to see why.

Our Dynamic Earth offers the chance to explore the earth through interactive displays and impressive technology. Writing from personal experience, it makes a great day out for children and adults alike.

Edinburgh author Alexander McCall Smith immortalised it a few years ago in his Isabel Dalhousie novels. But even before literary fame, Cafe St Honore; has held a special place in the hearts of many Edinburgh residents for a long time.

It is the first site greeting anyone who arrives in Edinburgh by train. It dominates the skyline along the south of Princes Street, the city's main shopping street. And it offers panoramic views of Edinburgh's old and new towns.

It was snowing in Bruntsfield when we dived into Falko Konditormeister. But that still doesn't explain the utter deliciousness of the hot chocolate we drank there.

If you're in Edinburgh over Hogmanay, don't worry: the party doesn't end on 31 December. The city's Hogmanay programme has a schedule of events to keep us entertained well beyond Hogmanay itself and into the first few days of the new year.