Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, and has been since 1437. However, Edinburgh’s history dates back much further, and in fact the earliest human sites date back to 8500BC. Over time, Edinburgh has evolved into one of the world’s most picturesque cities, and attracts millions of tourists every year due to it’s beauty, history and Summer arts festival.
 
Perhaps Edinburgh’s most famous landmarks is Edinburgh Castle, which sits high above the city on Castle Rock, a dormant volcano. While a fort existed around 900BC, the castle as we know it today dates back to around 1103. Being built on top of the huge Castle Rock, it meant that the castle was well defended and made attacking it particularly difficult. Today, it is essentially a museum, and attracted thousands of tourists every year.
 
Another dormant volcano is an important part of Edinburgh’s history and landscape. Arthur’s Seat is situated near the Scottish Parliament, and is only a ten minute walk from the city centre. The fact that you can essentially be surrounded by countryside and green space such a short distance from the centre of Edinburgh makes Edinburgh a particularly attractive place. Walking up Arthur’s Seat is a particularly rewarding and beautiful past time, as it gives stunning views over the city of Edinburgh, as well as beautiful views across the Firth of Forth where the Forth Bridge is situated. Even on a windy day, the walk is worth it.
 
For those who prefer a cultural experience in Edinburgh, there are plenty of museums and art galleries to keep you occupied. The National Museum of Scotland is particularly popular, offering visitors a showcase of history, culture, nature and science, as well as international collections and regular exhibitions. The museumholds over 12 million items, so there is bound to be something there to interest everyone. Art galleries include the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, and Modern One and Modern Two, showcasing modern and more contemporary art. As these museums and galleries are free to enter, it is always worth a wander round.
 
Edinburgh is also an incredibly green city. As already mentioned, there is Arthur’s Seat with it’s stunning views of the city and beyond. There is also Princes Street Gardens, which is sandwiched between the main shopping zone Princes Street, and Edinburgh Castle. This is a particularly beautiful place to relax, as are the Meadows in the Tollcross area of the city. And not only in Edinburgh can you find green spaces: take a short journey out of the city and you will find plenty of picturesque places to walk and catch your breath, or if you fancy a little further out, you can reach The Borders area fairly easy.
 
As mentioned, Princes Street is the most popular shopping area of Edinburgh. It is a long street with runs opposite to Edinburgh Castle, and is usually bustling with locals and tourists alike. Even with the growth of online shopping, high street shops in Edinburgh continue to thrive.
 
One of the most popular attractions to Edinburgh for tourists is the Edinburgh Festival, or Fringe, which takes place for the whole month of August every year. The festival includes comedy, music and film, and basically takes over the whole city for a month. Pub licensing laws are relaxed and if you happen to be in Edinburgh during August, it will be impossible to avoid a performance of some sort, be it on the Royal Mile, any pub or any street corner. The tourism that comes with the festival brings a lot of income to Edinburgh, and seems to grow year on year.
 
Edinburgh is also historically a place of learning. The likes of Charles Darwin, Robert Louis Stevenson, Alexander Graham Bell and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to name a few all studied at the University of Edinburgh, making it one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
 
If you are looking for a city weekend break or even a longer holiday, you could do far worse than choose Edinburgh. Even though it is in Scotland, in Spring the weather is generally pleasant and there are warm Summers, and there is always plenty to do. Also it is not far from Glasgow, Stirling of The Highlands, so you will never be short of something to do.