MATTHEW WOODCOCK enjoyed a packed day trip to the Scottish capital.

ADVICE to anyone planning a day trip to Edinburgh from York: bag a window seat on the train.

The two-and-a-half-hour journey is a joy in itself, with spectacular views of Durham Cathedral, Newcastle and the Northumbrian coastline.

Pick the wrong seat like I did, and your only view could be a pair of demonic toddlers messily devouring packets of cheesy Wotsits.

Pulling into Edinburgh Waverley station was a relief.

Tackling this gem of a city in a day needs a game plan, because there is so much to cram in.

For my girlfriend Anna and I it was to be: museums, the castle and an art gallery in that order.

But by far the most enjoyable activity was simply to stroll. We walked miles, savouring the magnificent architecture in the medieval Old Town, where great buildings "rush up like rockets" as one historian put it.

Being big kids at heart, we couldn't resist visiting the Museum of Childhood, just off the Royal Mile.

It certainly lived up to its billing as the "noisiest museum in the world", with all manner of bleeps, whistles and cracks emanating from the various toys on display. The sense of nostalgia was intense as we remembered bouncing on Space Hoppers and playing with Action Man/Barbie in our youth. But we came out feeling old.

Just a short walk away is the Writers' Museum, which pays homage to Scotland's literary giants including Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. It has an impressive collection of memorabilia, letters and some of their original manuscripts.

Edinburgh Castle lived up to the hype and was worth the climb up there just for the view. Unfortunately, it is a victim of its own success and the sheer number of fellow tourists swarming around spoilt the experience somewhat.

We topped off our sightseeing with a visit to The National Gallery of Scotland, the pick of the city's galleries for both its architecture and collection. It boasts magnificent works by Gainsborough, Rembrandt and Poussin that are well worth checking out.

Exhausted, it was a relief to end the day at arguably the city's most popular attraction - the pub!

Fact file

- Edinburgh & Lothians Tourist Board, telephone: 0845 225 5121.

- Museum of Childhood,

telephone: 0131 529 4142.

- The Writers' Museum,

telephone: 0131 529 4901.

- Visit the National Gallery of Scotland website at www.nationalgalleries.org

- For GNER information, call Rail Inquiries on 0845 748 4950.

Updated: 16:24 Friday, October 31, 2003