There are people who have an almost pathological aversion to self-indulgent luxury. My father is one of them. For him overt luxury is almost sinful. He would rather draw a plaid about him and sleep on a heather bed in the hills than check into the kind of glitzy hotels that feature top-hatted doormen and foyers the size of Grand Central Station. I, on the other hand, like nothing better than the rather wicked, full-on, five-star treatment that is part and parcel of staying in a great hotel. Which is why in Edinburgh recently I was delighted to accept an invitation to stay, albeit briefly, at The Caledonian, one of the best hotels in Scotland.

The Caledonian is that rarity in Scotland, a grand hotel which offers accommodation and service on a par with the very best in the world. It’s definitely not for backpackers. It’s not for tourists on a budget. It’s for people who have the financial wherewithall to travel first class and not be bothered by the bill; people who spend willingly in the not unreasonable expectation that they will receive value for money. Guests, usually Americans, Canadians and Europeans come back to The Caledonian year after year. It’s not hard to see why.

The Caledonian was once one of the jewels in the crown of The Caledonian Railway Company, a private line founded in 1847. Opened in 1903 as the “Princes Street Station Hotel” it stands at the foot of Edinburgh Castle overlooking the city’s famous gardens. The Caledonian quickly became associated with the rich and famous; so much so that its cable address in those days was simply “Luxury Edinburgh”. Almost a century later and against all the odds, The Caledonian maintains impeccable standards in accommodation and service. At the Caley (everyone in Edinburgh calls it the Caley) nothing is ever too much trouble.

Once I caught sight of the magnificent marble staircase just beyond the foyer I had no difficulty in picturing Gene Kelly dancing down its steps (as he did) in white tie and tails. Rather than take the elevator I chose to walk up and up and up, admiring the art works, the beautiful stained glass windows, the burnished oak panelling, the gleaming brass rails.

The Caledonia boasts 249 rooms and The Caledonia Suite is without a doubt the best and certainly the biggest suite in the entire hotel. I was glad that I had a hotel porter show me the way because the wide carpeted corridors with each wall crammed with delightful Victorian etchings and engravings, seemed to go on for ever. When at last I spotted a gold-leafed sign that said Caledonian Suite I knew I had arrived both literally and figuratively.

The suite – two enormous en-suite bedrooms connected by a sumptuous sitting room – looked as if it had been decorated with no expense spared by Nina Campbell. Beautifully perfumed long-stem red roses and white lilies stood artfully in outsized vases while a bottle of Verve Cliquot sat in a silver ice bucket near a pair of crystal flutes. All this was seen through something of a blur because at that moment my complete attention was focused through the huge picture windows on an amazing view of the Castle. Although I thought I knew Edinburgh Castle intimately, I have to say I was astonished at its sudden dramatic appearance so close I felt I might almost reach out and touch its great stone ramparts. Bathed in the eerie golden glow of the street lights it seemed twice its usual size.

The Caledonian Suite occupies as much space as an average suburban house. The enormous bathrooms have power showers and big white enamelled baths and stacks of those big fluffy white cotton towels so beloved of American travellers. One might easily settle down here and never need to venture out again.

Downstairs the health club with a beautifully equipped gym, spa and steam room also features what must surely be the only swimming pool in Edinburgh with a view of the Castle. Since I had no intention of becoming hot and sweaty I went in search of food. I had hoped to sit down to a bang-up meal in the five star Pompadour Restaurant but much to my disappointment it was closed for refurbishment. Instead I went down stairs to the relaxed and casual ambience of the Platform One Brasserie on the ground floor. Absolutely everything on the menu appealed to me but in the end I asked for my favourite dish (often the hardest thing to get in Scotland): plain grilled Salmon with a simple side salad. No sauces, nothing fancy, just  good eating. Certainly madam! Within a trice my salmon was served, exactly as I’d ordered: char-grilled, moist, succulent and full of wild flavour. It was superb; so much so that I made a note, “10 out of 10” and sent my compliments to the chef.

But there was more. Would Madam care for a teeny dessert ? Madam most definitely would! What dyed-in-the-wool Scot can possibly resist Ecclefechan pie, especially when it comes with lashings of Orkney Ice Cream ? Not I, I’m afraid. It was absolutely scrumptious!

My weekend at The Caledonian was a bit of a fantasy, really, and as I climbed into my huge four poster bed I wondered if, at the stroke of midnight, it might turn into a pumpkin and leave me like a Scottish Cinderella. In the morning the faraway drone of bagpipes beckoned me to the window. Up on the castle ramparts a solitary piper was playing “Will Ye No Come Back”.

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