Edinburgh

© Roy Digital Design

Edinburgh is one of the world's most interesting cities. It has an historic Old Town that boasts an extraordinary architectural heritage. The Georgian New Town is a historical site on its own and Edinburgh's surroundings include the Firth of Forth, the Pentland Hills and Calton Hill.

The center of Edinburgh can easily be explored on foot and a good focus point is Edinburgh Castle. Its foundations date from 850 BC, but the oldest surviving sections were built in 1130 AD. Between the 11th and 16th centuries the castle was the symbolic seat of the Scottish royalty and nowadays it houses the army's Scottish Division. The castle sits at the western end of the so-called Royal Mile, which runs into the holyrood thoroughfare. The building along this road all date from the 16th and 17th centuries and if you walk down the alleys that run off this road you'll find yourself in a virtually unchanged 17th century city. There are several museums and house-museums that gice excellent insights in 17th century life in Edinburgh.

For the best views over the city you should climb nearby Calton Hill. There are also several monuments that date from the period known as 'the Enlightment', when Edinburgh was know as the 'Athens of the North'. The National Covenant was signed at the nearby Greyfriars Kirk in 1638. Parts of the old town were damaged in a huge fire in December 2002.

To the north is the New Town, which is separated from the Old Town by the sunken railway line and Princes St. Gardens, where you can see the Sir Walter Scott Monument. The New Town boasts numerous Georgian squares, circuses and terraces. The National Gallery of Scotland with its impressive art collection is also situated in the New Town. Scottish art and history is displayed at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

There are numerous festivals and cultural events going on in Edinburgh throughout the year, but especially in summer it gets very busy with tourists and accommodation can get tight. It is better to book in advance if you are planning to visit Edinburgh during that time of year. Just north of the New Town and in the district of Newington are numerous B&B places. On the Royal Mile you'll find many nice and affordable restaurants. Edinburgh is 535 km northwest of London.