Essential Hotels > Scotland > The Lothians > Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city, is one of the greenest and architecturally most beautiful cities in Northern Europe. With over 2 million visitors annually, they come not only for the architecture, but for a city rich in social, cultural, learning and sporting facilities. But it is more than just a tourist attraction: with a population of 500,000 it is a thriving commercial and financial centre, the site of the Scottish Parliament and a gateway to the coastline, hills and open country of the Scottish Highlands.

The rugged Salisbury Crags are the volcanic hills topped by Arthur’s Seat that gaze protectively over the Edinburgh from the east. However, the landmark that essentially defines the city is probably Edinburgh Castle. The castle was built in the 11th century, and soon enough a town began to grow around the fortress. Interestingly, in order to stay under the defensive shadow of the castle, Edinburgh grew up rather than across, and is famous for having some of the earliest examples of high-rise buildings. In the 1500s, King James VI of Scotland moved court to Edinburgh Castle, and the city became the new capital. Being the home of royalty and parliament increased Edinburgh’s status and the city continued to flourish, becoming a centre of culture.

By the 18th century Edinburgh needed to further its boundaries, and the New Town area was born. It is this part of the city that contains the city’s celebrated Georgian architecture. Modern Edinburgh is divided into the areas of Old and New Town, separated by the Princes Street Gardens. The Old Town contains Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile, which stretches from the castle to Holyrood Abbey and is one of the most popular visitor sights in the area. On the north side of the gardens sits the Georgian New Town, which is underlined at the bottom by Princes Street, Edinburgh’s main shopping street. Thanks to the way the city grew historically, Edinburgh is built on a human scale, and many of its highlights are within walking distance of each other.

Modern Edinburgh continues to be a city of art and culture. Each year the city plays host to internationally renowned events such as the Edinburgh International Arts, Fringe, Film, TV and Science Festivals, and the city’s enthusiastic New Year’s Hogmanay celebrations are world-renowned. Edinburgh’s literary heritage is also still very well respected, to the extent that it has been named UNESCO’s first City of Literature. It is easy to see why. Edinburgh offers book festivals, a national library, writer’s museum and numerous literary tours. More importantly, the city has been home to a number of influential writers. This includes the father of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island and the Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; and more recently, JK Rowling of Harry Potter fame.