Edinburgh

Edinburgh is on the east coast of Scotland on the south shore of the Firth (estu­ary) of Forth. Its residents have for centuries known it by its nickname in Lallans, "Auld Reekie" (Old Smoky).

It has been the capital of Scotland since 1492 and is the site of the Scottish Par­liament, which was re-established in 1999. The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. In the census of 2001 Edin­burgh had a total resident population of 448,624.

Archaeologists have found material dating back to the Late Bronze Age, around 850 BC, so it would have been a settlement by then and in the 1st century the Ro­mans recorded the Votadini tribe as being based in the area. Edinburgh is thought to have grown to its present importance from the mid-6th century, when it was a fort and the home of a King, Clinog Eitin.

The Old Town, has preserved its medieval plan and many Reforma­tion-era buildings. One end is closed by the castle and the main street (the Royal Mile) leads away from it; minor streets (called closes or wynds) branch off the main road in a herringbone pattern. Large squares mark the location of mar­kets, or surround major public buildings such as St. Giles Cathedral.

The old town is also home to some of the earliest "high rise" residential build­ings. During the 1700s the Old Town had a population of about 80,000 residents. However, in modern times it has declined dramatically to just 4,000 residents. The population was for a long time reluctant to build outside the defensive wall, so, as the need for housing grew, the buildings became higher and higher. However, many of these buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1824. They were then rebuilt on the original foundations. This led to changes in the ground level and the creation of many passages and vaults under the Old Town. Today many tourists take excursions through these subterranean passages and tunnels, many of which are on different levels, the deeper the older.

The New Town was built starting from the mid-18^th century. The principal and central road was George Street, which follows the natural ridge to the north of the Old Town. Either side of it are the other main streets of Princes Street and Queen Street.

One of the more remarkable landmarks in Ed­inburgh is the Scott Monument, a Victorian gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It st­ands in the park alongside the road, Princes Street Gardens, opposite the famous Jenners department store on Princes Street and near to Waverley Stati­on, the massive Victorian building that is Edinbur­gh's central railway station. The tower is 62 metres high, and the small viewing deck near the top is re­ached by a narrow spiral staircase with 287 steps.

Today, Princes Street is the main shopping str­eet in Edinburgh city centre, overlooked by Edin­burgh Castle.

The present Castle was built in 1574. Although originally it was a residence of the Monarch of Scotland in addition to being a fortress, for centuries the castle was primarily a military stronghold used by the British Army. In the late 20^th century it was returned to the City by the Ministry of Defence and today the Royal Apart­ments have been restored. Within the inner courtyard there is now museum of the Kings of Scotland and the Scottish Crown Jewels.

By tradition a cann­on is fired daily from the castle, known as The One O'Clock Gun. It is fired every day at 13.00 and makes all the tourists on Princes Street jump.

To the southeast of central Edinburgh is the hill known as Arthur's Seat, over­looking Holyroodhouse and the Old Town beside it. The hill is a the remains of some side vents of the ancient volcano on which Edinburgh is built. The volcano slipped and tipped sideways, leaving these vents as the highest points for miles around. Arthur's Seat is now part of Holyrood Park, originally owned by the mon­arch and part of the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, more commonly known as Holyrood Palace, was originally founded as a monastery by David I of Scotland in 1128, and has served as the principal residence of the Kings and Queens of Scotland since it was built during the 15th century.

At the Palace, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom formally meets and appoints the First Minister of Scotland. During times when the Queen or another member of the Royal Family is not in residence, it is open to the public. The new Scottish Parliament Building is located across the road from the palace.

In modern times, British monarchs have spent one week every year formally holding court in the Palace. The present Queen still uses it when she visits Scotland for State occasions (on non-State occasions, she stays at Balmoral). Its use has increased substantially since the setting up of the devolved Scottish adminis­tration in the late 1990s.

Leith is the port of Edinburgh. It still retains a separate identity from Edinburgh, and it was a matter of great resentment when in 1920 Leith was merged into Edin­burgh. Even today the parliamentary seat is known as 'Edinburgh North and Leith'.

Edinburgh has its own dialect called Embra, which is characteristic to the City and has a specific clipped pronunciation, unmistakable to most British people. The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is from Edinburgh, but has retained no discern­ible trace of Embra.