High 5: Shauna Hay

Shauna Hay, 45, is communications manager at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Here, she shares her top five places to visit as weekend treats.

1 Morningside's charity shops. A favourite distraction since my student days, Edinburgh has an eclectic selection of charity and secondhand shops, with some real gems to be found.

2 The Malt Whisky Society. The original one in Leith, where a lunch or early supper in a relaxed atmosphere is a real treat.

3 Art galleries. For a relatively small city, Edinburgh holds such a rich collection of art works and exercises its ability to draw amazing visiting exhibitions. I still have vivid memories of last year's Picasso exhibition, staged at the Dean Gallery and the Museum.

4 The Barony Bar. Along with a small handful of notable contemporaries this epitomises everything a good, traditional, city pub ought to be.

5 The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. It had to be in there, and not because I'm paid to promote it. Just a mile from Princes Street, it is a truly world-class garden, with arts and activities for everyone to enjoy.