When people think of taking a holiday in Edinburgh, it is inevitable that the major tourist attractions scattered around the city come to the fore of most people's itineraries. Attractions such as Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Royal Yacht Britannia quite rightly make it onto most people's to-do lists.

Such attractions may, however, not be to everyone's tastes and for those seeking a little more excitement from their Edinburgh visit, the answer may lie just to the east of the city in the East Lothian town of Musselburgh, and a visit to Musselburgh racecourse to view the sport of Kings.

Musselburgh racecourse is situated only six miles from Edinburgh city centre and is well served by public transport, as well as being easily accessible by private car. The course hosts race meetings all year round, and races during both the National Hunt and Flat seasons.

The course has undergone transformation on a massive scale and in 2006 was awarded with a 5-Star Visit Scotland Visitor Attraction accreditation. More recently, the Edwardian Stand has been redeveloped to enhance on-course facilities and create a brand new entrance building into the racecourse.

The racecourse hosts 25 race days each year, across both National Hunt and Flat racing codes, and hosts some high profile meetings including Cheltenham Festival Trials day in February, which sees horses with aspirations of performing at the Cheltenham Festival in March strut their stuff. Some of the best northern trainers in the National Hunt scene send their charges to Musselburgh on this day including Howard Johnson, Nick Richards and Ferdy Murphy, while it's not uncommon for southern or Irish raiders to also make their way to the East Lothian track; in the past, trainers such as Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Charlie Swan and Gordon Elliot have made the journey north to Scotland, or crossed the Irish Sea.

Heading into the summer months and the ladies can get on their glad-rags and head along to the racecourse for Ladies Day in June. This is a hugely popular fixture and has been sold out weeks in advance in previous years so it pays to book early if this meeting is in your plans. Beautiful floral displays and fashion competitions for the best dressed racegoers - men and women - add to the atmosphere in what is one of Scottish racing's premier events.

Although situated outside the city, frequent buses serve Musselburgh from the city centre which stop nearby to the racecourse; while a regular train service also stops at Musselburgh railway station where race-goers can then use the free shuttlebus service for onward travel to the track. Such strong transport links mean that a day at the races is easily accessible from any of the numerous hotels in Edinburgh you choose as your base for your holiday.

What's more, with a successful day at the races you could even win enough money to cover your hotel bill and drinks at the bar!