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Edinburgh

City in United KingdomEdinburgh lies in southeast Scotland, on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, a wide inlet of the sea on the east coast. The city is built over several hills, including the Castle Rock and Arthur's Seat.

What it's known for

Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century and is the seat of the Scottish Parliament and Government. It is known for its arts festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and for its Old Town and New Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.

Fun facts

  1. Edinburgh Castle stands on the plug of an extinct volcano that rose about 350 million years ago.
  2. Arthur's Seat, the remains of an ancient volcano in Holyrood Park, rises to about 250 m just east of the city centre.
  3. An old nickname for the city, 'Auld Reekie', means 'Old Smoky', after the clouds of smoke that hung over it.

Finding it on the globe

Find the Firth of Forth, the big inlet cutting into Scotland's east coast: Edinburgh sits on its south shore, about 530 km north-northwest of London.

Easy to mix up

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, but the capital of the United Kingdom is London. Glasgow, to the west, is Scotland's largest city.

Sources: Wikipedia: Edinburgh, Wikipedia: Edinburgh Castle, Wikipedia: Arthur's Seat