What a great place Edinburgh is, as well as being the capital
of Scotland it's full of people from all over the world. A perfect example of this is
Edinburgh University
where less than half of the students are native to this land. Edinburgh is a tourist's dream,
it has fairy tale winding streets, dungeons and a castle, not to mention the traditional pubs,
monuments and local folklore stretching back hundreds of years. It also has quality restaurants,
art galleries, museums and hotels to rival any other European capital. Famous for the Edinburgh Festival
during the summer, and its Hogmanay street party at New Year, it is a vibrant and beautiful city, in
spite of the weather!
Some of my roots are from Edinburgh, and despite having only lived there for a couple of months throughout
my whole life I do tend to find myself there every time I'm back in Scotland. A pleasure to visit at any time
of year, could there be a greater city anywhere else...?
Edinburgh Castle is said to have been founded around 600 AD.
Built on a volcanic neck, the solid core of an ancient volcano, the castle was one
of the best protected in Scotland during the wars of independance. Yet is has been
beseiged many times, held by the English and nearly demolished on more than one instance.
It was here that the King of Scotland sat, and it was here that Mary, Queen of Scots
gave birth to James VI of Scotland, who united the crowns of Scotland and
England
in 1603. One million people visit Edinburgh Castle every year, make sure you are one of them!
Princes Street is of course the main shopping street in Edinburgh.
It was built as part of the New Town arrangement starting in 1759 when the Nor' Loch
was drained to make way for Waverley Station. A new Edinburgh had to be
built as conditions in the old town around the Royal Mile were dire. Although Princes
Street is the main street today, it was George Street that was designed to be the
hub. In the distance you can see Scotland's unfinished National Monument atop Calton Hill
that gives Edinburgh one of its many nicknames; the Athens of the North.
It is said that Princes Street is the most
beautiful street in Europe, with its cultivated gardens, views of the castle and
of the Old Town. The domed building on the right is the Bank of Scotland, and in the
centre is the City Chambers, built on top of the famous Mary King's Close, a buried street.
Edinburgh Castle again, this time seen across Salisbury Crags from Arthur's Seat, a long
extinct volcano in the city. This was during a climb of Arthur's Seat in March 2002 on one of
my many visits to Edinburgh with my university flatmates from
Glasgow.
Looking towards the Scott Monument, built in memory of Sir Walter Scott, the novelist,
poet and playwright. You can climb the narrow steps inside to the observation deck at the
top, for an equally sky-high fee.
Mons Meg, a 6 tonne battle cannon which sits in Edinburgh Castle, was
presented to King James II in 1457 and used against the English to good avail. The
weighty projectiles were often found up to two miles away. It
was last fired in salute in 1558 when the barrel burst.
Another shot of Princes Street Gardens, this time
looking up towards the National Gallery of Scotland, the Castle and the Old Town.
South of the centre of town lie The Meadows, a large green space which was once a
loch. It was here that golf was first played, on Bruntsfield Links, and during sunny days
The Meadows make a great place to hang out.
Jenners is an Edinburgh institution, being to
Edinburgh what Harrods is to
London.
Be prepared to part with some serious readdies if you want to shop in here!
The mighty rail bridge from Edinburgh to the north was built around 1890, and is
uncommonly cantilever in design; extremely strong but very expensive. It is an icon
of Scottish engineering and well-known around the world.
The Firth of Forth is also crossed by a suspension road bridge alongside the rail bridge.
The Forth Road Bridge was opened in 1964 and is now having problems due to the excessive weight
of traffic crossing it daily. A third Forth crossing is being investigated.
Scotland moved towards independence, or at least greater autonomy, in 1999 with the reconvening of
the Scottish Parliament, last in session in 1707. As part of this devolution, a new parliament building
was erected at Holyrood, designed by
Catalan
architect Enric Miralles. The completed structure was ten times over budget at £414 million. Worth it?
You decide.
Outside the Parliament even the bike racks are fancy, designed in such a way that four of
the twisty posts when viewed from a certain angle give the illusion of a bike. Pretty clever.
