The Edinburgh Portal
Welcome! — Fàilte! — Walcome!
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Edinburgh panorama from Calton Hill, early evening . -
Old town Skyline. -
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Edinburgh castle and Balmoral Hotel clock tower at night. -
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View across Calton Hill monuments to Firth of Forth and Fife beyond. -
Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags, part of Holyrood Park.
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Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/ ⓘ Scots: [ˈɛdɪnbʌrə]; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˌt̪un ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. The city is located in south-east Scotland, and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth estuary and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in mid-2020, making it the second-most populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area has a population of 912,490.
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, the highest courts in Scotland, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. It is also the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scottish law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of three in the city, is considered one of the best research institutions in the world. It is the second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, the fourth largest in Europe, and the thirteenth largest internationally.
The city is a cultural centre, and is the home of institutions including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999. The city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the UK's second-most visited tourist destination, attracting 4.9 million visits, including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018. (Full article...)
Selected location article
Queen Street is the northernmost east-west street in Edinburgh's First New Town. It begins in the east, at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. It links York Place with the Moray Estate.
It was named "Queen Street" after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of George III of the United Kingdom and was so named on James Craig's plan of the New Town issued by the Town Council in 1768. Most early maps repeat this name but others misname it Queen's Street or Queens Street. (Full article...)
Selected images
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Ratho Park Golf Club -
View looking west along George Street -
Jenners Department Store, the oldest department store in Scotland -
Two Edinburgh Trams seen at the West End - Princes Street stop -
The High Street, part of the Royal Mile -
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The Castle Rock -
View over Edinburgh -
The BT building in Edinburgh Park -
Architecture in Edinburgh -
Charlotte Square, a garden square in the New Town -
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Fountain at Holyrood Palace -
The Dean Gallery, part of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art -
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Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland -
Sir Walter Scott -
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City Observatory, the Gothic Tower -
The ruins of Holyrood Abbey -
The National Monument of Scotland (right) and Nelson Monument (left) -
Edinburgh (from Salisbury Crags) by William Crozier, a painter associated with The Edinburgh School -
The Princes Street Gardens, the best known park in Edinburgh -
St Giles' Cathedral, the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh -
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Scottish baronial-style turrets on Victorian tenements in St. Mary's Street -
Queensferry Crossing road bridge -
David Hume, Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist born in Edinburgh in 1711 -
The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle -
The Governor's House
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Selected transportation article
The Edinburgh Tram network operates a fleet of CAF Urbos 3 low-floor trams that were specially designed for use in the city. Twenty-seven were built in Beasain, Spain, between 2009 and 2011. (Full article...)
Selected area article
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Selected environment article
The River Almond (Scottish Gaelic: Abhainn Amain) is a river in Lothian, Scotland. It is approximately 28 miles (45 km) long, rising at Hirst Hill in Lanarkshire near Shotts, running through West Lothian and draining into the Firth of Forth at Cramond, Edinburgh. The name Almond/Amon is simply old Celtic for "river". (Full article...)
Did you know?
- ... that Prince Philip was the first member of the British royal family to fly in a helicopter?
- ... that George Parks was president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and his son Rowan Parks became president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh?
Selected arts article
This list contains famous or notable people who were either born, residents, or otherwise closely associated with the Edinburgh, Scotland. The entries in each section are listed alphabetically.
(Full article...)Selected education article
The Transport Research Institute (TRI) is a transportation science facility at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Full article...)
Selected sports article
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh is a Scottish golf club, which holds claim to be the oldest golfing society in the world, with references to it being instituted in 1735 dating from 1834. The club enjoys a parkland course located in Barnton, Edinburgh that was designed initially by Tom Morris and Willie Park Jnr, with subsequent revisions by James Braid. Notable members have included Jack Nicklaus and Bernard Gallacher alongside a host of royals, aristocrats and socialites. (Full article...)
Selected religion article
Edinburgh Central Mosque (officially known as the King Fahd Mosque and Islamic Centre of Edinburgh) is located on Potterrow near the University of Edinburgh central area and the National Museum of Scotland. The mosque and Islamic centre was designed by Dr. Basil Al Bayati, and took more than six years to complete at a cost of £3.5M. The main hall can hold over one thousand worshippers, with women praying on a balcony overlooking the hall. The mosque holds chandeliers and a vast carpet, with very little furniture.
The architecture combines traditional Islamic features with some Scots baronial style. (Full article...)
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