Edinburgh

Edinburgh - Scotland's eternal capital. Situated on the northern shore of the bay of Fort Firth in southern Scotland, Edinburgh is the main location of the country, but the second by number of inhabitants and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. It is named after its founder, Prince Edin. With a population of about 460 000 inhabitants, the romantic Scottish history and incredibly beautiful landscapes are the reason Edinburgh is one of biggest tourist centers worldwide. Nearly 13 million visitors come see Edinburgh annually; it remains second in attendance in Britain after London.

Edinburgh is the heart of Scotland - here is a University of Edinburgh, which has centuries of tradition, winning the nickname "Athens of the North" for the city. Here is the artistic and musical bosom of the country. From Edinburgh are born great personalities such as Sean Connery, Sir Walter Scott, Irvine Welsh, Arthur Conan Doyle and others. Walking around Edinburgh you probably notice that the walls of the buildings are painted as if with live pictures. This is a unique street art of Edinburgh.

For the convenience of tourists in the city tourist office each person can buy an Edinburgh pass, which is an excellent tool for the main tourist attractions. It starts with walking Prices Street and the eponymous garden, where the 60-meter Scott's Monument is. It is an amazing gothic monument to Sir Walter Scott. Climbing to the top is difficult, but definitely worth it.

After Princes Street continue to the Old Town of Edinburgh, which together with the new town are included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in 1995. Over 4, 500 buildings in Edinburgh are categorized as monuments of historical importance, most of which between 300-500 years old.

Panorama of Edinburgh is dominated by the majestic Edinburgh Castle, which is the emblem of the city. This palace is more beautiful and stands majestically on the cliffs of Castle Rock. Here is the chapel "Saint Margaret", which is considered the oldest building of the covered territory. In the throne room of Edinburgh castle is kept the Scottish royal treasure, representing the oldest royal jewels here.

Every day, at exactly 13 hours, a cannon in the castle produced a bang from 1861 onwards. It does not particularly impress locals, but for tourists, it is sometimes scary.

Another attraction of Edinburgh is Holyrood Palace, which was founded as a monastery in 1128, it was the official residence of the Queen in Scotland.

Between Edinburgh Castle and the Holyrood Palace is the Royal Mile, representing a long sloping street that connects the two castles. According to writer Daniel Defoe, it is "the largest, longest and most beautiful street in the world". Only 15-something miles west of Edinburgh are located the sunken ruins of Linlithgow Palace. About 5 km towards the east are the beautiful gardens of the medieval Craigmillar Castle.

In the Old Town of Edinburgh, you see the Royal Museum of Scotland, where they kept the royal jewels and the Stone of Destiny, the Museum of whiskey, the Cathedral - St Mary's. In the new town of interest to visit are the unfinished monument of Parthenon Charles Coker, dedicated to perished in the Napoleonic Wars Scots, Scottish National Gallery, House of the City Register. Edinburgh is popular with the Edinburgh Festival, which starts in early August and lasts 4 weeks.