Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. In 2001, Edinburgh had a population of 448,624, and has since grown quite rapidly. Edinburgh is also home to the devolved Scottish Parliament.

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The unfinished National Monument, on Calton Hill, Edinburgh

Edinburgh hosts the Edinburgh International Festival every July, as well as the Fringe festival, the largest festival of performing arts in the world. It has some of the most famous tourist sites in Britain, including Edinburgh Castle, and attracts about 13 million tourists each year. Edinburgh's "Old Town" and "New Town" districts were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Edinburgh also hosts the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, as well as jazz and book festivals. Other notable events celebrated in Edinburgh include the Hogmanay street party (31 December), Burns Night (25 January), St. Andrew's Day (November 30), and the Beltane Fire Festival (30 April).

The Royal Mile

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View down the Royal Mile, Edinburgh

The Royal Mile is the main street in Edinburgh's Old Town, and runs between the Castle to Holyrood Palace. The New Scottish Parliament building is at the foot of the Royal Mile, opposite the palace.

Arthur's Seat

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Arthurs Seat, the mountain in the centre of Edinburgh that overlooks the new Scottish Parliament (bottom left) and "Dynamic Earth" (bottom right)

In the centre of Edinburgh, enclosed within Holyrood Park (adjacent to the Royal Palace of Holyrood) is Arthur's Seat, the plug of a long extinct volcano. The hill rises to a height of 251 m (823 feet), and overlooks Edinburgh's Old Town to the West.

Hotels

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The Balmoral Hotel, Princes Street Edinburgh

• The George
• The Balmoral Hotel, at the east end of Princes Street
• The Caledonian Hotel, at the west end of Princs Street