subject: Get to know Edinburgh: a city guide [print this page] Get to know Edinburgh: a city guide Get to know Edinburgh: a city guide
Are you off to the Scottish city of Edinburgh but not quite sure what you'll encounter? Well this city guide is designed to give you a brief but comprehensive overview of what you can do in this historical castle city and the capital city of Scotland! Situated in the South-East, Edinburgh is often thought of as Scotland's cultural capital and is the second biggest city in the country. Needless to say, there is plenty to see and do here with an abundance of tourist sights to take in.
Perhaps the first thing you will notice upon arrival to the city is the stunning Medieval and largely Georgian architecture. The beautiful streets surround Edinburgh Castle, the centrepiece of the city, separating the Old Town and the New Town districts. In fact, a walking tour of Edinburgh is one of the best ways to see the city, with over 4,500 listed buildings and 40 conservation areas. More than a million visitors from all over the world visit Edinburgh every year and it is easy to see why it is the second most visited city after London in the UK.
The site of Edinburgh Castle atop a volcanic crag has been occupied since the latter half of the Bronze Age, with the castle itself being built in the 12th century. It has withstood the Wars of Scottish Independence and the Jacobite Rising. It now lies home to the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum of Scotland. The Old Town has the Royal Museum of Scotland as a key landmark worth visiting, which houses an enormous suspended whale skeleton. The New Town is the home of Bute House, the residence of the First Minister of Scotland. Princes Street is also in the New Town and is the shopping centre of the city, with Princes Street Gardens nearby.
One of the most famous aspects of Edinburgh for the tourist, local dweller or Edinburgh office worker is the Edinburgh festival. Established in 1947 as the Edinburgh International Festival, the arts and cultural event of the summer is the home to multiple events, performances and shows. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival began as a spin-off to the main official events of theatre, classical music and opera with a host of theatre, comedy and musical theatre shows. However, the Fringe has now become a mainstay of the Edinburgh Festival scene and the reason that thousands of visitors flock every year to the famous Scottish city.
