Royal Lyceum Theatre

It's all well and good being surrounded by hi-design theatre complexes which boast enough conference-technology to fight an alien invasion, but it's still lovely to have the option of a good ol' fashioned velvet seat on which to perch, inside a gloriously grand theatre. And the Royal Lyceum, snuggled between Edinburgh Castle and Lothian Road, certainly delivers.

Harking back to the golden age of theatre with its Victorian architecture, lush internal furnishings and four-storey auditorium, the Lyceum has been firmly established as a tip-top live performance venue since its construction in 1883. In its youth, it was held under the management of acclaimed theatre managers John B Howard and Frederick W Wyndham, remaining a performance space for hundreds of success--drenched years. It was taken over by The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company in 1965.

Today, their schedule features eight quality productions from September to May (including their annual family Christmas show), alongside various travelling companies that take to the space during the International Festival, providing ample entertainment, cultural enrichment and food for thought.