The GoUK.com Guide to areas in the UK
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| Edinburgh | |||||
| Location | East Scotland | ||||
| Population | 500,000 | ||||
| Travel | Edinburgh International Airport, which is 30 minutes by road from the city centre, has flights to the UK and to European cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Copenhagen. London is one hour by air, 4.5 hours by train and 9 hours by bus from Edinburgh | ||||
| Description | Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland home to the new Scottish Parliament. The city is situated on the east coast of Scotland, on the edge of the Firth of Forth. It is one of the most beautiful and historical cities in the world. Edinburgh is built on 7 hills, which are the remains of a series of extinct volcanoes. The largest of these hills is Arthur’s Seat to the south east of the city and which can be seen on the city’s skyline. Edinburgh Castle, dating from the 12th century, lies on the top of the central hill, Castle Rock, and dominates the city. The most famous road in Edinburgh, the Royal Mile, dates from the 16th century and runs from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House. The area around this road is known as the Old Town with its distinctive narrow streets and winding alleyways. The area to the north of the Castle is known as the New Town and dates from the Georgian era. The New Town has 3 main roads running parallel to each other, Queen Street, George Street and Princes Street and each road is bounded by beautiful squares at each end. Edinburgh is also a thriving commercial and financial centre | ||||
| Entertainment and Sports | Edinburgh is a lively city with a great nightlife. During August the internationally renowned Edinburgh Festival is held which is the largest arts event in the world as well as the Edinburgh Fringe Film, Dance, Jazz and Book Festivals. The city is filled with street musicians and performers. In the New Year, Edinburgh's Hogmanay draws people from all over the world, and there are festivals of science, of puppetry and for children. Edinburgh has 7 cinemas, many theatres including the Royal Lyceum, King’s Theatre and the new Festival Theatre. There are many pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants. Edinburgh has golf courses, swimming pool, ice rink | ||||
| Surrounding Areas | Mountains, lochs, castles and stately homes, distilleries and woollen mills, championship golf courses, trout and salmon rivers are all within easy reach of Edinburgh: Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, is a short drive away. Glenkinchie Distillery, a malt whisky distillery close to Edinburgh has guided tours and tastings. To the north of Edinburgh lies the Scottish Highlands with its magnificent scenery. The Forth Bridge, one of the greatest achievements of Victorian engineering lies to the north of the city | ||||
| Location Map | Edinburgh | ||||