Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and second largest city, after Glasgow, which is 45 miles away to the west. It is in the south-east of Scotland. It forms the City of Edinburgh council area; the city council area includes urban Edinburgh and a 30square mile rural area. Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since 1437. Edinburgh has a total resident population of 448,624. Edinburgh, Scotland is well-known for the Festival, a collection of official and independent festivals held annually over about four weeks from early August. The number of visitors attracted to Edinburgh, Scotland the Festivals. The most famous of these events are the Edinburgh Fringe (the largest performing arts festival in the world), the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Other notable events include the Hogmanay street party (31 December), Burns Night (25 January), St. Andrew's Day (November 30), and the Beltane Fire Festival on the (30 April). Edinburgh, Scotland is one of Europe's major tourist destinations, attracting around 13 million visitors in a year, and is the second most visited tourist destination in the United Kingdom, after London.

City & Aria Guide of Edinburgh

With streets steeped in history and a thriving cultural scene, Edinburgh offers the perfect balance between all things traditional and contemporary.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site at the heart of the city combines the medieval Old Town, the Georgian New Town and award winning modern architecture. You’ll see views that make for perfect picture postcards, mysterious winding streets, elegant terraces and an abundance of shops, bars and restaurants.

To help you decide what to take in on your visit, we've compiled our top City Experiences outlining the best places to go, views to take in and the must-do city experiences - choose from our listings on the right.

The area has many historic towns and scenic villages, which are great for exploring. From award winning beaches, championship golf courses and some of Scotland’s most impressive visitor attractions the Lothians offer plenty of things to see and do.

To help get the most from your visit, check out our area highlights from the listings on the right.

Source: www.edinburgh.org

Beautiful, dramatic Edinburgh is the showcase capital of Scotland.

With its stunning Georgian and Victorian architecture, and winding medieval streets, it’s easy to see why Edinburgh has been listed as a World Heritage Site.

And the setting is captivating. Edinburgh Castle dominates the urban skyline, perched atop the crags of an ancient volcano right in the centre of the city.

Yet Edinburgh is not stuck in the past. And neither is it all about bagpipes, shortbread, whisky and tartan.

n fact, the city is one of the most vibrant, cosmopolitan cities in Europe and is regularly voted as one of the most desirable places to live in the world. The capital is bustling with arts, culture, sports and attractions and is famous for playing host to the world’s largest arts festival.

After dark Edinburgh has a lively nightlife with stylish bars and pubs, restaurants, clubs and live entertainment to rival any European city.

There’s plenty of open space too, with a large number of public parks and green spaces right in the busy city centre.

The capital of Scotland is a great place to live and study, with a wide range of theatres, galleries, clubs and shops to explore, not to mention the plethora of arty bars and cafes.

Source: www.ed.ac.uk