Edinburgh Scotland
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. Located in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast of the Central Belt, along the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea. Owing to its rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian architecture, including numerous stone tenements, it is often considered one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. Edinburgh is well-known for the annual Edinburgh Festival, a collection of official and independent festivals held annually over about four weeks from early August. The number of visitors attracted to Edinburgh for the Festival is roughly equal to the settled population of the city.
Edinburgh – A Great Place to Visit
By Rakesh Gaikwad
Situated in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is one of its largest cities, second only to Glasgow.
Photo: backpackertours.co.uk
The seat of the Scottish Parliament, it has been the capital
of Scotland since 1437 and has a fantastic historic heritage. With over 4,500 listed building in the city, it is a beautiful place to visit, if purely for the history and photography only.
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Split in to four districts – Old Town, New Town, South Side and Leith – Edinburgh has something to offer everyone. The Old Town offers medieval history with links to Edinburgh Castle, as well as a thriving market place, whilst the New Town provides Edinburgh’s main shopping districts, whilst not taking away from some fantastic Georgian buildings.
The South Side is mainly a residential area of the City, whilst Leith is a busy port, playing host to a number of world-wide cruise liners.
Whilst Edinburgh is visited all year round, it’s throughout the months of August when the City is booming. The Edinburgh Festival, which first began in 1947, is held, which is an umbrella term for various festivals which take place on an annual basis throughout the month. There are numerous festivals that are held throughout the month, with the most notable ones being:
1. Edinburgh Fringe – known as simply ‘The Fringe’, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the biggest arts festival in the world. Playing home to a variety of performing arts, drama and music shows, The Fringe is massively popular amongst people of all ages and attracts thousands upon thousands of people every single year.
2. Edinburgh Comedy Festival – part of the Edinburgh Fringe, the Edinburgh Comedy Festival is the biggest comedy festival in the world, attracting some of the comedy circuit’s biggest names and plays host to some of the worlds best up and coming comedians. With around 250 comedy shows taking place under the collective ‘Edinburgh Comedy Festival’, there is a hilarious stage show to be seen, regardless of your comedy preference.
3. Edinburgh Military Tattoo – provided by the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands, the Military Tattoo is one of the largest of its kind. Over 217,000 people watch the Tattoo live every year, with around 40% of the audience being from overseas (30% come from Scotland and 35% from the rest of the UK). Further to this, over 100 million watch the television broadcast. The main focus of the event is to raise money for charity, with over £5 million being raised throughout its time.
The festivals throughout August are without a doubt one of the most popular reasons to visit Edinburgh. During the Festival, the city is alive with music, plays, ballets and symphonies.; however they are definitely not the only ones. Edinburgh Castle is a fascinating historic monument which dominates the Edinburgh skyline, whilst the City is renowned for its extensive shopping. With so much to see and do, the best thing to do is to book into an Edinburgh hotel and begin to enjoy the wonders of the Scottish capital straight away.
Open Roads has a variety of travel packages and offers on Edinburgh Hotels for you to enjoy a perfectly planned vacation. They also have a range of discounts and offers for other attractive travel destinations around the world.
Royal British Hotel
Each of the 72 rooms at this 3-star hotel have all the comforts and conveniences of home. Guests will find Hair Dryer, Desk, Inhouse Movies, Coffee/Tea Maker, Mini Bar, Internet Access waiting in each room. Other features at the hotel include Safety Deposit Boxes, Bar/Pub, Laundry Service/Dry Cleaning, Room Service 24hr, Restaurant. Everything the hotel does is centered around the guest’ experience, ensuring comfort and relaxation. More Royal British Hotel Information
