Portal:Edinburgh

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The Edinburgh Portal
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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

The Church of St John the Evangelist is a Scottish Episcopal church in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is sited at the west end of Princes Street at its junction with Lothian Road, and is protected as a category A listed building. (Full article...)

Selected images

Image 1Scottish baronial-style turrets on Victorian tenements in St. Mary's Street
Image 2The Governor's House
Image 3View over Edinburgh
Image 4The Castle Rock
Image 5David Hume, Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist born in Edinburgh in 1711
Image 6Calton Hill
Image 7Queensferry Crossing road bridge
Image 8Fountain at Holyrood Palace
Image 9The Scottish Parliament Building
Image 10Arthur's Seat
Image 11Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland
Image 12Fettes College
Image 13Architecture in Edinburgh
Image 14Jenners Department Store, the oldest department store in Scotland
Image 15The Princes Street Gardens, the best known park in Edinburgh
Image 16The Royal Scottish Academy Building
Image 17The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle
Image 18The National Monument of Scotland (right) and Nelson Monument (left)
Image 19City Observatory, the Gothic Tower
Image 20The Dean Gallery, part of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Image 21The High Street, part of the Royal Mile
Image 22Two Edinburgh Trams seen at the West End - Princes Street stop
Image 23Charlotte Square, a garden square in the New Town
Image 24The ruins of Holyrood Abbey
Image 25Sir Walter Scott
Image 26The BT building in Edinburgh Park
Image 27St Giles' Cathedral, the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh
Image 28View looking west along George Street
Image 29Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, 2010
Image 30Ratho Park Golf Club
Image 31Edinburgh (from Salisbury Crags) by William Crozier, a painter associated with The Edinburgh School

Selected transportation article

The Fife Circle Line passing the end of Edinburgh Airport runway

The Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (EARL) was a proposed rail link to Edinburgh Airport, Scotland. The project was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2007, but following a change of government, was cancelled in September 2007 on the grounds of cost.

The link was planned to open in 2011 and would have included an underground airport station located beneath the terminal building. A tunnel was to have been constructed to take trains underneath the main runway. The Edinburgh Airport Rail Link would have allowed direct rail travel to and from the airport from Scotland's main towns and cities. New rolling stock was to be ordered for the service to compensate for any extra journey time created by the additional stop. (Full article...)

Selected area article

Lauriston (/lʌrˈɪsˈtən/ Lau-RIS-tən) is an area of central Edinburgh, Scotland, and home to a number of significant historic buildings. It lies south of Edinburgh Castle and the Grassmarket, and north of The Meadows public park.

Lauriston is the former location of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, which moved to the area in 1879 in search of fresher air at the edge of the city. Rather than build entirely new facilities, the Infirmary incorporated George Watson's Hospital into the new David Bryce-designed complex. The Infirmary operated as a voluntary hospital and teaching hospital for the University of Edinburgh Medical School until 2003, when operations were moved and the buildings sold to a private developer. The complex underwent major renovations to a design by architects Foster and Partners, resulting in the £750 million mixed-use development branded as the Quartermile. As of 2021, the University of Edinburgh is investing £120 million to convert the remaining main Infirmary buildings to house the Edinburgh Futures Institute, an interdisciplinary academic hub. (Full article...)

Selected environment article

A small crowd on Wester Craiglockhart Hill gathers to watch the demolition of the tower blocks at Oxgangs

Craiglockhart Hill is a combination of two summits, Easter and Wester Craiglockhart, in the suburb of Craiglockhart, Edinburgh.

Easter Craiglockhart Hill's summit is 158m high. In 2004 this hill was designated a local nature reserve. Wester Craiglockhart Hill has a summit of 175m. (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

Edinburgh supports a large number of active amateur dramatics and musical theatre companies. Most weeks see at least one amateur production running, using one of the myriad small theatres and church halls, many of which are familiar with hosting theatrical productions thanks to being in high demand during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Some of the larger companies use the professional stage at the King's Theatre, whilst the City of Edinburgh Council run Church Hill Theatre is one of the most popularly used theatres for amateur companies. (Full article...)

Selected education article

Heriot-Watt University (Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted university status by royal charter in 1966. It is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the United Kingdom. The name Heriot-Watt was taken from Scottish inventor James Watt and Scottish philanthropist and goldsmith George Heriot.

The annual income of the institution for 2022–23 was £259.5 million of which £33 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £266.7 million. Known for its focus on science as well as engineering, it is one of the 23 colleges being granted university status in the 1960s and sometimes considered a plate glass university similar to the likes of Lancaster and Warwick. (Full article...)

Selected sports article

Turnstiles and grandstand adjacent to the rugby pitch

The Goldenacre Sports Ground is located in the Goldenacre area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is owned by the George Heriot's School. Several sports are played here including cricket, association football, tennis, and rugby. It is also the home ground of Heriot's Rugby Club and Heriot's Cricket Club.

The cricket pitch hosted seven matches (two of which are warm ups) for the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. (Full article...)

Selected religion article

The Church of Scotland offices are located in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland (in the New Town) at 121 George Street. These imposing buildings are popularly known in Church circles as "one-two-one". They were designed in a Scandinavian-influenced style by the architect Sydney Mitchell and built in 1909-1911 for the United Free Church of Scotland. Following the union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland in 1929 the church offices were henceforth used by the newly united church.

A matching extension, incorporating a ground floor bookshop, was built in the 1930s on the east side (119 George Street). A proposed matching extension on the west side (replacing the still-existing buildings at 123 George Street) was never built. 123 George Street is, however, owned by the Church of Scotland and has been incorporated into the offices. The church offices also incorporate a chapel near the main entrance and a staff canteen in the basement. (Full article...)

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v t e Edinburgh
History	Etymology Burning of Edinburgh Mary, Queen of Scots Greyfriars Kirk Burke and Hare Kingdom of Scotland Act of Union 1707 Parliament of Scotland David Hume Edinburgh Review Holyrood Abbey Treaty of Edinburgh Edinburgh town walls Old Town New Town Robert Adam James Craig Church of Scotland Disruption of 1843 Thomas Aikenhead Deacon Brodie North British Railway Visit of King George IV Sir Walter Scott Edwin of Northumbria Devolution Burgh Lothian Edinburgh Stock Exchange Porteous Riots Silvermills Tron riot Greyfriars Bobby Great Fire of Edinburgh
Governance	City of Edinburgh Council Lord Provost of Edinburgh Scottish Parliament
Buildings and landmarks	Arthur's Seat Balmoral Hotel Brass Founders' Pillar Bute House Calton Hill Craiglockhart Castle Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh International Conference Centre Forth Rail Bridge Forth Road Bridge Governor's House Holyrood Palace National Monument New College Old College Parliament House Princes Street Gardens Ross Fountain Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Scott Monument Scottish Parliament Building St Andrew's House St Giles' Cathedral Victoria Quay
Museums and galleries	Fruitmarket Gallery The Georgian House Museum of Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland National War Museum Dynamic Earth Public art Royal Scottish Academy Scottish National Gallery Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Theatres and concert halls	Bedlam Theatre Edinburgh Arena (proposed) Edinburgh Playhouse Festival Theatre King's Theatre Queen's Hall Reid Concert Hall Royal Lyceum Theatre St Cecilia's Hall Traverse Theatre Usher Hall
Economy	Bank of Scotland Caledonian Brewery Edinburgh Park Edinburgh BioQuarter Fort Kinnaird Ocean Terminal Royal Bank of Scotland Scottish Widows Standard Life
Transport	A1 road Airport Edinburgh Airport Rail Link Edinburgh City Bypass Edinburgh Crossrail Edinburgh Waverley railway station Haymarket railway station Lothian Buses Trams
Health and education	Edinburgh College Edinburgh College of Art Heriot-Watt University Hospitals Moray House School of Education Napier University Queen Margaret University Schools Scotland's Rural College University of Edinburgh
Festivals	Edinburgh Festival Fringe Edinburgh International Book Festival Edinburgh International Film Festival Edinburgh International Festival Edinburgh International Television Festival Hogmanay Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Other topics	Geography of Edinburgh Beer in Edinburgh Graveyards and cemeteries in Edinburgh
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