Portal:Edinburgh
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The Edinburgh Portal
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Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/ ⓘ Scots: [ˈɛdɪnbʌrə]; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˌt̪un ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. The city is located in south-east Scotland, and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth estuary and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in mid-2020, making it the second-most populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area has a population of 912,490.
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, the highest courts in Scotland, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. It is also the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scottish law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of three in the city, is considered one of the best research institutions in the world. It is the second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, the fourth largest in Europe, and the thirteenth largest internationally.
The city is a cultural centre, and is the home of institutions including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999. The city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the UK's second-most visited tourist destination, attracting 4.9 million visits, including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018. (Full article...)
Selected location article
Bute House (Gaelic: Taigh Bhòid) is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, located within Charlotte Square in Edinburgh. Alongside two other personal offices at the Scottish Parliament Building and St. Andrew's House, Bute House also contains a smaller office used by the First Minister when in official residence.
Located at 6 Charlotte Square in the New Town, it is the central house on the north side of the square and was designed by Robert Adam. Bute House was conveyed to the National Trust for Scotland by the 6th Marquess of Bute in 1966. Between 1970 and 1999, it served as the official residence of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Since July 1999, it has been the official residence of the First Minister. (Full article...)
Selected images
- Image 1Sir Walter Scott
- Image 2Edinburgh (from Salisbury Crags) by William Crozier, a painter associated with The Edinburgh School
- Image 3The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle
- Image 4View looking west along George Street
- Image 5Fettes College
- Image 6View over Edinburgh
- Image 8Calton Hill
- Image 9Ratho Park Golf Club
- Image 10Queensferry Crossing road bridge
- Image 11The Princes Street Gardens, the best known park in Edinburgh
- Image 13The Governor's House
- Image 14David Hume, Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist born in Edinburgh in 1711
- Image 15Scottish baronial-style turrets on Victorian tenements in St. Mary's Street
- Image 16City Observatory, the Gothic Tower
- Image 17Arthur's Seat
- Image 18Architecture in Edinburgh
- Image 19Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland
- Image 20The High Street, part of the Royal Mile
- Image 21The ruins of Holyrood Abbey
- Image 22Jenners Department Store, the oldest department store in Scotland
- Image 23The Scottish Parliament Building
- Image 26Two Edinburgh Trams seen at the West End - Princes Street stop
- Image 27Fountain at Holyrood Palace
- Image 28Charlotte Square, a garden square in the New Town
- Image 29The Castle Rock
- Image 30Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, 2010
- Image 31The Royal Scottish Academy Building
Selected transportation article
Edinburgh Trams is a tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Edinburgh Trams Ltd. It is an 18.5-kilometre (11.5 mi) line between Newhaven and Edinburgh Airport, with 23 stops.
A modern tram network for Edinburgh was proposed by Edinburgh Council in 1999, with detailed design work being done over the next decade. Construction of the first phase, linking Edinburgh Airport with Newhaven, began in June 2008, but encountered substantial delays and cost overruns. The line opened in May 2014, but only between the airport and York Place. In March 2019, the council approved the case for extending the line to Newhaven. Work on the extension started in November, and was completed on schedule in June 2023, despite being delayed for three months by the coronavirus pandemic. (Full article...)
Selected area article
Riccarton is an area in Edinburgh's Green Belt, in Scotland. It is mainly undeveloped, with much farmland and few houses.
Riccarton is to the west of the Edinburgh City Bypass (the A720), and is known for being the location of Heriot-Watt University's main campus, including Oriam, Scotland's National Performance Centre for Sport which opened to the public in August 2016. (Full article...)
Selected environment article
Duddingston Loch is a lake, or freshwater loch, in Edinburgh. It is one of the last two remaining natural lochs within the city, the other being Lochend Loch. It is situated to the south of Holyrood Park and lies southwest of the village of Duddingston. (Full article...)
Did you know?
- ... that George Parks was president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and his son Rowan Parks became president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh?
Selected arts article
The Edinburgh Gazette is a newspaper of record (government gazette) of the Government of the United Kingdom, along with The London Gazette and The Belfast Gazette. It is published by The Stationery Office (TSO), on behalf of His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Crown Agent is, ex officio, the Keeper of the Edinburgh Gazette. (Full article...)
Selected education article
The Transport Research Institute (TRI) is a transportation science facility at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Full article...)
Selected sports article
Myreside Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in Edinburgh, Scotland. The first recorded match held on the ground came in 1901 when George Watson's College played Blair Lodge School. The ground held its first first-class match when Scotland played Ireland in 1982, while in 1990 it held a second first-class fixture between the sides. The ground held its first List A match when Scotland played Glamorgan in the 1985 NatWest Trophy. Five further List A matches were played there, the last of which saw Scotland play Worcestershire in the 1993 NatWest Trophy.
The ground is still in use today by Watsonians Cricket Club. (Full article...)
Selected religion article
St Giles' Cathedral (Scottish Gaelic: Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended until the early 16th century; significant alterations were undertaken in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the addition of the Thistle Chapel. St Giles' is closely associated with many events and figures in Scottish history, including John Knox, who served as the church's minister after the Scottish Reformation.
Likely founded in the 12th century and dedicated to Saint Giles, the church was elevated to collegiate status by Pope Paul II in 1467. In 1559, the church became Protestant with John Knox, the foremost figure of the Scottish Reformation, as its minister. After the Reformation, St Giles' was internally partitioned to serve multiple congregations as well as secular purposes, such as a prison and as a meeting place for the Parliament of Scotland. In 1633, Charles I made St Giles' the cathedral of the newly created Diocese of Edinburgh. Charles' attempt to impose doctrinal changes on the presbyterian Scottish Kirk, including a Prayer Book causing a riot in St Giles' on 23 July 1637, which precipitated the formation of the Covenanters and the beginnings of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. St Giles' role in the Scottish Reformation and the Covenanters' Rebellion has led to its being called "the Mother Church of World Presbyterianism". (Full article...)
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