Edinburgh
Millbrae Apartments
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Cathcart Apartment
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Edinburgh gained the status of Scotland's capital in the reign of James IV (1488-1513). The old town which grew up around the "Royal Mile" linking the 11th century St Margaret's Chapel on the castle rock with Holyrood Abbey, became overcrowded and dirty. The construction of the Georgian "New Town" in the 1700s gave the wealthy an escape route but even today, Edinburgh has a reputation for social extremes. bankers and lawyers form the city's establishment with major financial sector companies driving some ambitious architectural developments of recent years. Yet outlying housing estates built in the years following World War II, still have echoes of Old Town poverty. Edinburgh is best known today for being a major tourist centre with many museums and galleries and a renowned nightlife. At the height of the International Festival in August, it is estimated that the population actually doubles from 400,000 to 800,000. The "Hogmanay" celebrations at New Year also attract large crowds.
Edinburgh is quite compact and many of the main buildings can be explored on foot although be advised that the city has a number of hills which can test your stamina.
There is a tourist information centre above Waverley Station - some sights are :-
- New Town
- Holyrood Park & Arthur's Seat
- National Gallery of Scotland
Edinburgh Castle
The New Town
The Forth Rail & Road Bridges
The Bank of Scotland Building
Photographs on this site copyright of Chris Bland - please contact address on Home Page if you wish to use them. We will normally just request a link to this website. Thanks.