Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. With around 450,000 inhabitants,
it is considerably smaller than Glasgow, but with its towering castle it
has been the political center of Scotland for centuries.
Edinburgh not only houses the world-famous Edinburgh Castle as the
former seat of the Scottish kings, but also the Scottish Parliament,
which was reconvened in 1999. The two are linked by the Royal Mile,
which stretches from the foot of Arthur's Seat to the castle. At its
foot is Holyrood Palace, a residence of the British royal family.
Edinburgh city center can be roughly divided into Old Town and New
Town. The medieval old town is dominated by Castle Hill, which slopes
gently to the east towards Holyrood Palace. The Royal Mile stretches
along the castle hill. Typical of the old town are the closes, small
winding streets that often descend from the Royal Mile to the south and
north with many stairs. The Georgian new town was redesigned from 1766
according to plans by the architect James Craig. It originally consisted
of three parallel streets (Princes Street, George Street, Queen Street)
north of the old town and was later expanded to the north. Edinburgh's
New Town is considered one of the best preserved examples of Georgian
urban architecture.
The city center consists mainly of historical
buildings and therefore attracts a large number of tourists.
Furthermore, Edinburgh is known for its numerous festivals, in
particular the Fringe Festival, the Edinburgh Tattoo and the Edinburgh
Hogmanay.
St Giles' Cathedral . St. Giles' Cathedral, also known as "High
Kirk", is Edinburgh's main church. Built in the 15th century in Gothic
style, the church is 63m long and 30m wide. Located on the High Street,
it has served e.g. as a weaving workshop, prison, courtroom, police
station, school and depot for gallows(!). The tower helmet, which is
modeled on a crown, is particularly striking.
Holyrood Abbey,
Edinburgh (Midlothian).
Edinburgh Castle, Castle Hill. At the top of the Royal Mile.
Surprisingly large area with many winding streets, has more the
character of a medieval village than a classic castle. Inside there are
several exhibitions, e.g. the Scottish crown jewels and their history or
"Prisoners of war" about the living conditions of the prisoners of war
in the fortress. You should plan at least 3 hours. Admission £16.50 -
those wanting to see more of Scotland's historic buildings should
consider purchasing an 'Explorer Pass' from Historic Scotland. Feature:
Disabled toilet. Open: Apr-Sept 0930-1800, Oct-Mar 0930-1700. Price:
Adults £16.50.
Palace of Holyroodhouse. At the bottom of the Royal
Mile. Famous by Maria Stuart, among others. The Queen's Scottish
residence, who is here every June. If she is not there, you can visit
parts of the palace and receive an (electronic) tour in German. Duration
approx. 2 hours. Feature: Disabled toilet.
Craigmillar Castle. A bit
outside, preferably buses 8 and 33 from North Bridge to the "New Royal
Infirmary" and from there continue on foot. Small castle ruins, quite
well preserved. Price: £5.50.
Scottish Parliament. Parliament reintroduced in 1999 opposite
Holyrood Palace. In addition to an exhibition, the architecturally
attractive plenary hall can be visited. Guided tours are offered.
Queuing at peak times, security check at the entrance.
Edinburgh City
Chambers. Royal Mile: Built against the mountain, it is ten storeys high
(natural stone!) when viewed from the train station, but only two when
viewed from the Royal Mile. The staircase is worth seeing.
Scott Monument. In honor of the writer Sir Walter Scott. On Princes
Street, right by the train station. The four floors can be climbed. The
stunning view costs £5.
Greyfriars Kirkyard and Greyfriars Bobby.
Picturesque historic cemetery in the southern inner city. At the
entrance is the memorial to Greyfriars Bobby, a dog famous for guarding
its owner's grave for 14 years.
Calton Hill wikipediacommons. with
the Nelson Monument and the Acropolis, which never got beyond a row of
columns, offers a view over Princes Street and New Town towards the
Castle, Palace of Holyrood House, Arthur's Seat and the new Scottish
Parliament to the port of Leith. A wonderful place to end the day,
especially at sunset.
Royal Museum/Museum of Scotland, south parallel to the Royal Mile.
Double Museum on Chambers Street. The Royal Museum is a natural history
museum with an impressive Art Nouveau hall. The Museum of Scotland
(opened in 2000) is dedicated to the history of Scotland from the Stone
Age to the present day. Feature: Disabled toilet. Price: Admission free.
National Gallery (Scottish National Gallery), Mound (between West and
East Princes Street Gardens). Phone: +44 (0)131 624 62 00 . Entrance
from East Princes Street Gardens: small but fine picture gallery.
Feature: Disabled toilet. Price: Admission free. Special exhibitions in
the annex cost around £5.
National Portrait Gallery (Scottish
National Portrait Gallery), 1 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JD. Phone:
+44 (0)13 1624 62 00 . Feature: Disabled toilet.
National Gallery of
Modern Art / Dean Gallery (Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art),
Behind Dean Village (from there walk along the river or take the free
shuttle bus from the Mound). Tel.: +44 (0)13 1624 62 00
wikipediacommons. National Gallery is free entry, special exhibitions at
Dean Gallery between £5-£10. Feature: Disabled toilet.
Museum of
Childhood, Royal Mile
Writers' Museum, High St. Feature: Disabled
toilet.
Princes Street. Main shopping street, between the Old and New Towns
along Princes Street Gardens and overlooking the Castle, Old Town and
Arthur Seat.
RoyalMile. famous street between the Castle and Holyrood
Palace with historical backdrop. Interesting are the numerous small
alleys (most of them are called Close), some of which lead under the
houses on both sides. Definitely take the time to roam up and down some
of these, and you'll discover just how short it is to Newtown. Anyone
interested in the origins and earlier life in the houses between the
narrow streets can follow a guided tour through the underworld of Mary
King's Close (in small groups every 20 minutes, admission £10, advance
booking is recommended, duration approx .1 hour). What is special is
that the underworld you are visiting was created around 1750 when the
current town hall was built over it. Otherwise, the Royal Mile impresses
with numerous souvenir shops. If you really want to buy there, you
should compare carefully. There are price differences of more than 100%
for the same items between the individual shops.
Grassmarket. The pub
street in Edinburgh. Located below the castle and offers an impressive
atmosphere, especially on weekends. Originally the place was a gallows
place where the sentences were carried out. A small monument in the
middle of the square commemorates this today. In summer, a stage and
music are used to upgrade the square even more.
Many of Edinburgh's inner city areas have retained their own
character. It's worth just walking through.
Dean Village. Below
Dean Bridge on the northwest edge of New Town.
2 stock bridge.
Considered an artists' quarter. Adjoins the new town north to
north-west.
Marchmont . Similar to Neustadt, also 3- to 4-storey
natural stone houses, but more ornate. Student area, south of the
Meadows.
Princes Street Gardens. share the east-west valley between the old
town and the new town with the railway. Well-kept garden and park
landscape with a beautiful view of the old town and castle with lots of
green spaces. Pure relaxation with the muted city noise enjoyed by
locals and visitors alike.
The Meadows. on the southern edge of the
city center between the university district and Marchmont invites you to
go for a walk with its wide lawns. Somewhat discredited after dark
despite some lighted trails.
Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh. a
little north of the city center impresses with its grounds and the
plants exhibited there in the open air as in greenhouses. Admission to
the garden is free, but not to the greenhouses. There is also a café
with a beautiful view. Feature: Disabled toilet.
Holyrood Park at the
bottom of the Royal Mile with the prominent Arthur's Seat hill. The site
has little to do with a park in the usual sense - as a former royal
hunting ground the area is largely unspoiled and many a picture one
would expect more in the Highlands than in the capital. A climb up
Arthur's Seat (approximately 30 minutes) in fine weather is rewarded
with stunning 360-degree views of the city, from the harbor to the Royal
Mile, Old and New Town to the Castle and beyond.
Water of Leith
Walkway. Tel.: +44 (0)131 455 73 67, +44 (0)131 455 73 67. Walking and
cycling path along the Water of Leith, a small river through the city.
The path connects the districts of Leith to Balerno along the shore.
Easiest to get to from Dean Village and Stockbridge.
Edinburgh Zoo. Tel.: +44 (0)131 334 91 71. Mainly concerned with
species conservation, therefore more unusual animal species. The Penguin
Parade, where the penguins (voluntarily) walk around their enclosure
behind the keepers, is famous.
Camera Obscura, Castlehill, Royal
Mile, Edinburgh EH1 2ND. Phone: +441312263709 . Located directly at the
castle, offers a nice overview of the city. Price: £15.75.
Scottish
Whiskey Heritage Centre, Royal Mile, 354 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE.
Tel: +441312200441 wikipedia. Guided tour (also with German translation)
and a rehearsal. In addition, in the bar at the end of the tour you can
get four whiskeys from different areas of Scotland together for another
8 pounds and the differences in taste are explained. In the end you may
not be an expert, but even the layman will be surprised at the clear
differences between the different varieties. But you should buy the
whiskey somewhere else, it's much too expensive here (possibly even at
home or duty-free). The tour lasts approximately 1 hour plus a stop in
the bar and closes at 5.30pm. Price: from £17.
Royal Yacht Britannia,
Ocean Drive, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ. Former Royal Yacht, available to visit
in the harbour, accessed via the Ocean Terminal Shopping Center. Since
you can even look into the (separate) bedrooms of the queen and her
husband, who both furnished themselves, you probably get closer to
royalty here than anywhere else on the "island". Queues form at peak
times, so it's best to show up either very early or very late. Duration
of the visit approx. 1-2 hours. The dining room can also be rented.
Edinburgh is nicknamed Festival City. In summer, especially in
August, the city is in a state of emergency, as several festivals are
held there at the same time, attracting visitors from all over the
world.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival. A festival with cabaret,
theatre, music, comedy, street performance etc.
Edinburgh
International Film Festival
Book festival
Edinburgh International
Festival. Here it is more about the "classical" arts such as opera,
ballet, concerts. The final concert accompanied by fireworks in Princes
Street Gardens is worth seeing (tickets for the park only by postal
raffle, but you can listen and watch from the cordoned off Princes
Street).
Edinburgh Tattoo. A military music festival on the Esplanade
in front of the Castle. Worth seeing, but very tight seating!
Especially during the festival time you should reserve the (then more
expensive) accommodation in good time in advance.
Edinburgh has one International Airport (IATA: EDI) located on the
western outskirts about 10km from the city centre. Edinburgh Airport is
Scotland's busiest airport and is connected to most UK airports, most
European airports and some overseas airports.
Lufthansa flies
three times a day from Frankfurt am Main and Munich, Eurowings from
Cologne/Bonn Airport and Düsseldorf, easyJet from Hamburg, Berlin,
Geneva, Basel and Munich. Ryanair flies from Berlin, Frankfurt-Hahn,
Hamburg, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Weeze and Bratislava. Edelweiss Air
flies from Zurich (as of 2021).
When entering via Edinburgh
Airport, sufficient time should be allowed for in the event of an onward
journey, as the airport is completely overwhelmed with regard to
passport control. Even if only two planes arrive at the same time, very
long queues form and progress is extremely slow. After that, the luggage
of all travelers is usually already on the output belt.
There are
several ways to get from the airport to the city center:
by the newly
built tramway running via Haymarket, Princes Street to York Place (upper
Leith Walk). 6.50 pounds one way, 9 pounds return. Approximately 30-35
minutes drive, departures every 8-12 minutes. The tram is so expensive
only to the airport. If you have more time than money, you can walk
almost 2km to the Ingliston Park and Ride tram station and only pay 1.80
GBP one way.
by bus: The Airlink (100), takes 25 minutes from the
airport to St Andrew Square bus station with just a few stops directly
in the city. Departure is every 10 minutes. In addition, the Skylink 200
line connects the north and port district of Leith, Skylink 300 the west
and south downtown area, and Skylink 400 the south and east of the city
directly to the airport, albeit significantly more slowly than the
Airlink 100 express line. A one-way journey with The bus routes to and
from the airport are £4.50 and the return ticket is £7.50. Children
travel at a discount.
Taxis to the city center cost around £25.
An
environmentally friendly method is to travel by bicycle. This can be
parked at the international arrivals terminal. The easiest way to get to
the airport by car is via the A8. Parking tickets can already be booked
online.
Buses also run from Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow, Fife,
Dundee, Stirling and Newcastle upon Tyne.
Alternatively, you can
fly to Glasgow (IATA: GLA) to the west and then continue by bus and
train. It should be noted that from the airport you have to take a train
or bus to Glasgow (journey time approx. 45 minutes) and from there you
have to take a train or bus to Edinburgh. Most trains to Edinburgh
service Queen Street train station and all buses depart from Buchanan
Bus Station.
Edinburgh's Waverley Station in the city center is on the East Coast Main Line, which runs from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh and beyond. The service is operated by the railway company GNER. Scotrail connects Edinburgh with Glasgow, Aberdeen and Perth and further into the Scottish Highlands. Almost all trains also stop at Haymarket Station in the West End, 1km west of the castle.
Scotish CityLink connects virtually every significant location in
Scotland.
MegaBus connects Edinburgh to a number of major UK cities.
If you book online, you can get unbeatable prices, even by German
standards. Examples: Edinburgh - Glasgow, travel time approx. 1 hour,
price 1-2 pounds! Edinburgh - Inverness, journey time approx. 3½ hours,
price approx. 7 pounds.
The very large St. Andrews Square bus station
is tucked away in the courtyard of a block. If you want to travel by
bus, you should find out about its location beforehand.
Edinburgh is accessible from Glasgow, Stirling and Perth via the M8,
M9 and M90 motorways. Edinburgh can be reached from London via the east
coast (A1/A1(M)) approx. 600 km, or via the west coast M6/ A74(M)/ A701
approx. 650 km.
In 2022, Edinburgh city center was declared a Low
Emission Zone (environmental zone), in which cars are only allowed to
enter with Euro 4 and higher (petrol) or Euro 6 and higher (diesel). The
zone includes the entire New Town and Old Town as well as the Canongate
area up to Arthur's Seat to the east, Meadows to the south and Tollcross
to the west (see map here. Motorists still enjoy puppy protection until
June 2024, after which illegal entry into the area costs 60 GBP.
From mainland Europe (Ijmuiden near Amsterdam) you can take the
overnight ferry (DFDS) to northern England (Newcastle) and then drive
north on the motorway for 120 (2.5 hours) miles. From Ireland to the
west coast of Scotland. From there continue on the country roads.
Cruise ships calling at Edinburgh disembark (depending on size and
traffic) in the Newhaven area in the north of the city or in South
Queensferry with disembarkations or call at Rosyth about 20km north-west
of Edinburgh.
Houseboat skippers or paddlers can reach Edinburgh
on the Union Canal from Falkirk. Canal terminus and mooring is at
Fountainbridge, south west of the Old Town.
As a city on the North Sea coast, Edinburgh is of course also connected to the international North Sea Coast Cycle Route. This runs from Aberdeen in the north via Dundee on National Cycle Route 1 (NCN1). From the English border at Berwick upon Tweed, take the NCN 76 along the coast to get here.
Public transport in Edinburgh is almost entirely based on buses.
Lothian Busses (with burgundy buses) and First Edinburgh (pink/purple
buses) compete with each other. Both have a similar price structure:
tickets are bought from the bus driver, there is no change. Lothian
Busses currently (3/2021) cost £1.80 for a single journey and £4.50 for
a day ticket. If you are in Edinburgh a little longer, a Ridacard can be
worthwhile. The card costs £3 and can then be used e.g. B. be charged
£19 with a weekly ticket. You can get these in the Lothian offices. It
is valid for 7 days from the day of first use. In contrast to the normal
day ticket, it is also valid for the Airlink 100 and night bus journeys
(£3) cost only half as much with the card. Double-decker buses run at
regular intervals on the main routes (route network maps at the bus
stops), the secondary routes are used every 15-30 minutes. Line maps and
timetables are available from the Lothian Travelshop on Waverley Bridge
or from Tourist Information. The retention of the unit price system is
discussed again and again.
It should be noted that on busy routes
not every bus stops at every stop: the stops are staggered, signs at the
stop indicate which buses stop there. Buses run approximately from 5am
(8am on Sundays) to midnight, plus there are hourly night buses on the
main routes.
In addition, since 2014, the tram has operated on a
line that runs from the airport via Haymarket, the West End, Princes
Street to York Place in the north-east of the city centre. The fare
within the city corresponds to the price of the buses (1.80). A tidy
surcharge of 4.70 (up from 6.50) has to be paid for the trip from the
airport. The original plan was to run the tram across Leith Walk to
Ocean Terminal Leith. After massive time and cost overruns, this part
was not completed. The Edinburgh tram project is just as traumatic for
the city as the new major airport in Berlin. In March 2019, Edinburgh
City Council decided to complete the line to Newhaven, with this part
scheduled for completion in 2023. A stop at the Ocean Terminal with the
Royal Yacht Britannia is also planned.
The bus tours offered are
particularly recommended for exploring the city centre. The tourist
destinations of the city are approached on four different routes. The
particularly courageous can even combine the four different routes. The
double-decker buses, which are open at the top, travel around the round
trips every 30 minutes. You can get on and off the buses at any stop on
the chosen round (hop on hop off). The 24-hour bus tickets are available
for adults, seniors/students, children and families. Tickets can be
purchased online, at special ticket offices around town, or on the buses
themselves. In some cases, discounts are granted on admission prices
after presentation of the tickets.
Alternatively, there are many
taxis and, for a few suburbs, the train.
Parking in Edinburgh
city center is expensive (around £0.40/15min) and hard to find.
The main shopping street is Princes Street with clothing shops and
department stores (Bhs, Debenhams, Marks&Spencer, House of Fraser). The
Royal Mile has mostly tourist kitsch. Small grocery stores are scattered
throughout the city (supermarkets too, of course). Close to the center
there are some supermarkets in the Newington district (1-2km out of town
follow the North Bridge), such as a Lidl, Tesco Metro and 24h Alldays on
Nicolson Street (extension of the South Bridge, 5 minutes walk from the
Royal Mile).
There are several large shopping centers in
Edinburgh. In the city center, the Waverley Mall directly at Waverley
Station, it shines above all with a lot of vacancies. Just around the
corner is the St. James Shopping Center with a John Lewis department
store, at the end of which you end up in one of the parallel shopping
streets to Princes Street. In the port district of Leith you will find
the ultra-modern but somewhat oversized Ocean Terminal. You can also eat
here in a modern ambience with a view of the water or go to the
integrated multiplex cinema center. Significantly cheaper offers can be
found in the Cameron Toll shopping center in the south of the city and
in the GyleCentre in the west.
Valvona & Crolla, 19 Elm Row
(Leith Walk). Phone: +44 131 556-6066. Known far beyond the city limits
With a wide selection of Italian and local specialties that are stacked
up to the ceiling in the narrow and always crowded shop. An Edinburgh
institution since 1934, where you can often hear different European
languages at the same time and because of the smell you buy more than
planned anyway. Now also offshoots at Jenners and in the House of Fraser
on Princes Street and with Royal Warrant, because the Queen also bought
cheese here when she was in town. Open: Mon-Sat 9-18.
A shopping
experience of a special kind are Ramsay Cornish Auction House's Lane
Sales, every Thursday at The Stores, 15-17 Jane Street, Leith.
Everything that the auction house does not consider worthy enough to be
included in the "right" auctions is cleared out on Thursdays and goes
under the hammer from the 11th stroke. The auctioneer walks around and
doesn't stop until everything is gone, often including the tables on
which the pieces are presented. The helper with the brown leather bag
collects cash immediately, the only accepted payment method. Even if you
don't intend to buy, it's an event full of character. From 1 pound.
Scottish butter biscuits (shortbread) are everywhere. Another
national specialty is haggis, cooked sheep innards in (today mostly
artificial) stomachs. Scottish breakfast is hearty with vegetables and
meat.
Cheap
To improve occupancy, many restaurants have cheap
(by British standards) lunchtime specials. The Pizza Hut chain (several
times on Princes Street) offers e.g. For example, consider an
all-you-can-eat buffet for £3.99. Soft drinks are available 24 hours a
day for £1.79 with unlimited free refills.
Buffet King, Nicolson
Street 6a (approx. 200m from the Royal Mile) is also unbeatably cheap
until 4.30 p.m. An all-you-can-eat Asian buffet for £5.49 (prices up at
night). For non-Asia fans there is also lasagna, fries, fish fingers and
even a soft ice cream machine! Since some dishes are cooked very oily,
you should try them beforehand. The ambience is more like that of a
canteen, but everything looks clean. A sign hangs in the entrance
stating that J.K. Rowling started writing her Harry Potter series here.
While that's true, management has since changed (it used to be a café).
Edinburgh has a vibrant nightlife with a wide range of classical
opera and theatre, musicals, cinemas, pubs and clubs.
Stages for
opera, concerts, theater and musicals are mainly found in the West End,
such as Usher Hall (Lothian Road), the King's Theater (Leven Street),
the Traverse Theater (Cambridge Street), or the Royal Lyceum Theater
(Grindlay Street). ). The large newly built Edinburgh Festival Theater
(Nicolson Street) is south of the old town, the Playhouse (Greenside
Street) on the eastern edge of the new town.
A higher
concentration of pubs can be found around the Grassmarket (old town, now
a bit touristy), in the adjacent Cowgate (old town, wild mix of various
clubs and bars), in George Street (new town, for the stylish fraction),
Broughton Street (north of the new town, various scenes) and the Leith
Walk (especially in the lower part, drinking is still real work here,
invitations to bar fights can be turned down as a foreign visitor) and
the adjacent side streets.
Cheap
In any case, the Three
Sisters (139 Cowgate) is free and, in addition to the "best" music of
the last 30 years, offers authentic Scottish party culture, i. H.
drinking a lot, little clothing, flashy costumes. The best thing is to
adapt quickly to the general alcohol level. Either way an experience.
In the Left Bank (37 Guthrie Street) there are often good concerts
or cabaret evenings. Admission is mostly free. Otherwise you can also
have a drink there.
The Stramash Live Music Bar hosts cèilidhs,
traditional Scottish dance nights, on Wednesdays at 9:30pm. The steps
are explained before each dance to live music. Prior knowledge is
therefore not necessary. Admission is free. Dates of other concerts can
also be found on the website.
Edinburgh offers accommodation in all price and comfort categories,
from simple hostels to 5-star castle hotels. Accommodation options are
adequate most times of the year. Things can get tight during the
Edinburgh Festival (late July to mid-September), around Christmas and
New Year's Eve ("Hogmanay") and during major rugby internationals
(usually in February/March). At these times you have to book early, plan
an increased budget if you cannot or do not want to avoid them.
The large city hotels are usually located in the old town or on its
western and northern edges. Simpler quarters can be found everywhere in
the city with a focus on the south (Newington Road/Minto Street, in
Leith (Pilrig Street/Newhaven Road) and partly in the west (Queensferry
Road)
Cheap
hostels
There are various privately run youth
hostels (hostels) of varying quality in Edinburgh. There is an external
list that does not claim to be exhaustive.
High Street Hostel,
High Street Hostel, 8 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh EH1 1NE Scotland.
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 3984 Email:
highstreethostel@scotlandstophostels.com. Showers are disguised as
closets in the unisex washroom. Breakfast costs extra. Open: 24/7.
Price: Shared room (dorm): from 13 pounds; Twin rooms from 40 pounds
(both pp).
The two youth hostels of the Scottish Youth Hostel
Association offer the usual standard of the youth hostel movement (excl.
breakfast). However, the Edinburgh Metro Youth Hostel is only open from
the beginning of July to the end of August, the rest of the year it
functions as a student residence.
Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel,
9 Haddington Place, Edinburgh EH7 4AL Scotland. Tel: +44 (0)131 524 2090
Email: central@syha.org.uk. Open all year, wheelchair access possible
without assistance.
Edinburgh Metro Youth Hostel, 15 Robertson's
Close, Edinburgh EH1 1LY Scotland. Tel: +44 (0)131 524 2090 Email:
edinburgh.metro@syha.org.uk. No elevators, only stairs.
Camping
There are three campsites around Edinburgh that offer tent pitches as
well as caravan sites, with the sites in Musselburgh and Mortonhall
being well outside the city. On the northern outskirts, not far from the
Forth Bridge and the banks of the Firth of Forth is the only campsite
relatively close to the city:
Edinburgh Caravan Club Site, 35-37
Marine Drive. Tel.: +44 131 312 6874. Well-kept campsite with very
clean, new sanitary facilities, very friendly and dedicated staff. Small
tourist information, sale of some groceries. The shortcoming of the
field is that it is located in the flight path of Edinburgh Airport,
which means that during peak times a plane flies relatively close every
three or four minutes, with the corresponding background noise. But if
you like planespotting, you've come to the right place. At night it is
mostly quiet, but even then two or three planes fly. Good hard standing
gravel pitches for motorhomes/caravans (156 pitches). The campsite is
supposed to offer space for 50 tents, but it is so hilly that this can
hardly be possible. In addition, it is located directly on the winding
road, where some motorcyclists and car drivers like to turn it up - this
is definitely not a place for quiet and restful nights, earplugs are
recommended! For cyclists, however, it is the only place around
Edinburgh from which you can easily reach the city on very beautiful
cycle paths (about 8km one way).
Middle
Scotlandflats.de
brokers holiday apartments right in the center of Edinburgh.
University of Edinburgh. The University of Edinburgh rents out student
accommodation during the school holidays, either as self-catering
apartments or as B&B accommodation. Outside of the semester break,
individual rooms in various houses on campus are also available.
Upscale
Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, 1 Festival Square, Edinburgh EH3
9SR. Tel.: +44 131 229 9131. As the name suggests, includes a spa and a
view of the castle.
Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh (The Caledonian),
Princes Street, Edinburgh EH1 2AB. Tel: +44 131 222 88888, Fax: +44
(0)131 222 88 89, Email: caledonian.reservations@waldorfastoria.com.
Also with a view of the Castle. Feature: ★★★★★.
The Scotsman, 20
North Bridge, EH1 1TR. Phone: +44 131 556 5565.
The antecedent in the name Edinburgh is the Cumbrian word Eydin, the
early medieval name of the region in which Edinburgh is today. As the
original city name, this means Din Eydin in Cumbrian "castle of Eydin"
can be deduced. The meaning of the landscape name Eydin is unknown. The
Anglo-Saxons invading what later became southern Scotland translated
Cumbrian din with their equivalent burh, from which modern-day Edinburgh
developed.
The city is also often called "Athens of the North"
(after a quote from Theodor Fontane), "City of the Seven Hills" or
"Festival City". Sir Walter Scott called it My own romantic town. The
nickname Auld Reekie "Old Smoky One", which Edinburgh owed to its
formerly constantly smoking factory chimneys, is outdated. Scottish
emigrants brought the name of Edinburgh to the world. Today it is found
in Indiana and - with the Gaelic name Dunedin - in New Zealand and
Florida.
Surroundings of Edinburgh
About 15 km north-west, the Forth Bridge
spans the Firth of Forth. 10 km east of the city is the beach of
Portobello. Set against the Pentland Hills is Fairmilehead, Edinburgh's
southernmost and highest borough.
There are numerous prehistoric relics in the Edinburgh city area.
Before the area was drained, there were lakes and swamps between the
hills on which the dwellings and settlements were located. During the
last two centuries, prehistoric burial sites (Arthur's Seat) and hoards
of bronze artefacts have been discovered. In the Caiystane View street
towards Oxgangs Road there is a large menhir (English standing stone)
with small bowls (English cup marks). Adjacent to Newbridge Roundabout,
on the west side of town, is the Bronze Age ritual center at Huly Hill
Cairn. There are Iron Age fortifications from the 1st millennium BC. on
Wester Craiglockhart Hill and on the Hillend, the nearest of the
Pentland Hills. Mesolithic traces and those of a Roman fort lie in
Cramond, a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh. A statue of a lioness
devouring a man was found in the Almond Estuary (Firth of Forth). A
Pictish symbol stone was found in Princes Street Gardens used as part of
a clapper bridge.
At the end of the 1st century the Romans landed
in Lothian and discovered a Celtic-British tribe they called the
Votadini. Sometime before the 7th century AD, the Gododdin, who were
probably descendants of the Votadini, built the hilltop fortress of Din
Eidyn ('Castle of Eydin'). Although the exact position is not known, it
is likely that they chose a prominent location such as Castle Rock,
Arthur's Seat or Calton Hill.
Initially, Scone (now Old Scone)
was the center of the United Kingdom of Alba. It declined in importance
in the later Middle Ages, and Perth, just 1½ km downstream, took its
place. Other burghs (free cities) such as Stirling also played an
important role in Scottish history. After the assassination of James I
in 1437, Edinburgh became the capital of Scotland. The capital city
function in the Middle Ages resulted from the frequent, long-lasting
presence of the royal court, which stopped at different places. The
historic Parliament of Scotland also met in different locations.
In 1093 a castle is mentioned in Edinburgh, from which the
city-dominating Edinburgh Castle developed.
The Church of St.
Giles, known as St Giles' Cathedral, became the focal point of the
growing town. It was first mentioned in a document in 854, the building
that still exists today was built around 1120. In the 16th century, John
Knox preached at St Giles, which is now the High Kirk of Edinburgh of
the Church of Scotland.
In 1128, Holyrood Abbey was built by King
David I, but far outside the then city. Between Edinburgh and the Abbey
of the Holy Cross (holy rood) lay the town of Canongate (canon means
canon). Next to Holyrood Abbey, of which only ruins remain today,
Holyrood Palace was subsequently built. As the Palace of Holyroodhouse,
this is the official residence of the British monarch and forms the
eastern end of the "Royal Mile".
In 1583 a university was founded
in Edinburgh, which, however, is only the fourth in history in Scotland;
the University of St Andrews dates back to 1413.
The eventful
history of the city also includes the so-called Bishops' War of 1639.
King Charles I of England and Scotland tried to impose his will on the
Church of Scotland through bishops he liked and also to introduce a
prayer book created according to the English liturgy. Riots ensued, the
initiator of which is said to have been the market woman Jenny Geddes,
who threw a chair at the vicar in St Giles Cathedral.
One of the
most important dates in the history of Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole
is the Act of Union, which came into force on 1 May 1707. This Act
created the basis for the union of the Kingdom of England and the
Kingdom of Scotland.
During World War I, Edinburgh was bombed by
two German zeppelins on April 2, 1916, with 24 dropped bombs falling on
the city, killing 13 and injuring 24. Among other things, two hotels and
residential buildings were hit by bombs. During World War II, Edinburgh
was hit several times by German bombs between 18 July 1940 (first air
raid) and 6 August 1941, killing 20 civilians and injuring 210. In the
heaviest attack alone on April 7, 1941, three churches and 270 houses
were damaged.
The re-established Scottish Parliament was
constituted after almost 300 years on May 12, 1999 in Edinburgh.
Most residents of Edinburgh are Scots, but there are also many Irish, Germans, Poles, Italians, Ukrainians, Pakistanis, Sikhs, Bengalis, Chinese and English. There are schools for Catholic and Protestant children. Edinburgh hosts one of the largest Orange Walks outside Northern Ireland each year in July (commemorating the Protestant victory at the Battle of the Boyne).
Superior administration
Edinburgh is the historic capital of
Scotland and the former county of Edinburghshire, now called Midlothian.
Along with Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen, Edinburgh has been one of the
four counties of cities in Scotland since 1890. In 1975 Edinburgh became
a district of the Lothian Region and in 1996 the City became Council
Area City of Edinburgh as part of the introduction of a single tier
government structure. Edinburgh is also one of the lieutenancy areas of
Scotland.
Edinburgh City Council has 63 seats. Since the 2017
local elections, the Scottish National Party has held the majority with
19 seats.
Frank Ross (Scottish National Party) has been the Lord
Mayor (Lord Provost) since the 2012 election.
City coat of arms
Edinburgh has had a coat of arms since the 14th century, but it was not
officially mentioned until 1732 by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. After the
administrative reform in 1975, the City of Edinburgh District Council
commissioned a new coat of arms based on a historical model: the black
basalt rock with the castle can be seen in the shield, above which the
Scottish crown and an admiralty anchor are emblazoned, the towers of
which carry red flags. The city motto "Nisi Dominus Frustra", taken from
Psalm 127, proclaims that without the help of God nothing can last.
Shield holders are a girl and a hind, the symbol of St. Egidius, the
city's patron saint. The castle was known in the Middle Ages as Castrum
Puellarum - Castle of the Maidens - and is said to have been a safe
haven for princesses.
Town twinning
Edinburgh has official
bilateral relations with other cities. These collaborations aim to
enable the exchange of information and expertise in areas of common
interest.
The partnership with Munich has dynastic reasons. As
the great-grandson of Maria Theresa of Modena, a descendant of the
Stuarts, Duke Francis of Bavaria could lay claim to the Scottish throne.
Traditionally, Edinburgh has been an important trading center linking
Scotland with Scandinavia and continental Europe. However, the
importance of the port of Leith has steadily decreased in recent
decades.
Edinburgh has the second strongest economy of any city
in the UK, after London, and has the highest proportion of workers with
a vocational qualification, at 53% of the population. In the 2013 UK
Competitiveness Index, which compares the competitiveness of British
cities, Edinburgh was ranked 4th among all major cities in the UK. It is
second only to London in terms of earnings and unemployment.
While in the 19th century brewing, banking and insurance as well as
printing and publishing were the main economic sectors, the focus in the
21st century is on financial services, scientific research, higher
education and tourism. In 2014 Edinburgh had an unemployment rate of
4.3%, well below the Scottish average of 6.3%.
Banking has been a
mainstay of Edinburgh's economy for over 300 years. The Bank of Scotland
(now part of Lloyds Banking Group) was established in 1695 by the
Scottish Parliament. Today the city is the second largest financial
center in the UK and one of the largest in Europe thanks to the
financial services industry with its particularly strong insurance and
investment sectors. Edinburgh is home to Scottish Widows, Standard Life,
Bank of Scotland, Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS), Tesco Bank and AEGON
UK. The Royal Bank of Scotland opened its new headquarters in Gogarburn,
west of the city, in October 2005. In the run-up to the 2014 referendum
on Scotland remaining in the UK, a number of financial services firms
announced that they would relocate to London should Scotland become
independent.
The city's largest employers in 2014 were: National
Health Service Lothian (19,500 employees), City of Edinburgh Council
(19,260), University of Edinburgh (12,650), Lloyds Banking Group (9000),
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (8000), Standard Life (5000), Scottish
Government (4000), Tesco and Tesco Bank (2600) and AEGON UK (2100). The
average gross income of an employee in 2012 was £19,100 (about 26,700
euros). This put Edinburgh in second place behind London (£21,400). Also
in the 2012 ranking of gross value added per inhabitant, Edinburgh came
in second at £38,100 behind London (£40,200).
Tourism is another
important element of Edinburgh's economy. It is the UK's most visited
city by foreign visitors after London. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town
were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995. In 2016, 4.26
million tourists visited the city, 1.3 million of them from abroad. The
largest group of foreign tourists were Americans (192,000) ahead of
Germans (174,000).
Edinburgh is a major transport hub linked to the rest of Scotland and
to England by rail and road links.
Public transport within the
city is served by an extensive bus network (Lothian Buses) which covers
the majority of direct connections (single tickets do not include
transfers). After a positive vote in the Scottish Parliament in June
2007 (against the reservations of the SNP minority government),
construction of the Edinburgh tramway began, which is to connect the
airport and Granton via the center and Leith Walk. Due to funding
problems, the original route was reduced to the section from the airport
to the city center. This route opened on May 31, 2014. In March 2019 it
was decided to complete the route to Newhaven. Completion is scheduled
for 2023.
Centrally located in the city is Edinburgh Waverley
railway station on the East Coast Main Line, which is partly used as a
through station and partly as a terminus. Long-distance services exist
towards central England and London, while ScotRail serves connections
within Scotland. In September 2015, the regional rail network was
expanded to include the rebuilt Waverley Line (Borders Railway) from
Edinburgh to Tweedbank.
Edinburgh International Airport is 13
kilometers west of the city. As well as mostly domestic UK flights,
there are also connections to European destinations and more recently a
few daily transatlantic flights.
In addition to the M8 to Glasgow
and M9 to Stirling motorways, Edinburgh has extensive trunk road
connections to the road network in Great Britain and is, for example,
the terminus of the A1 from London.
Edinburgh has no
inter-regional ferry service; the nearest ferry port is Rosyth, around
19 kilometers away.