, Edinburgh is one of Europe’s most enchanting and picturesque cities Built across 7 hills and overlook- ing the sea it has many a story to tell. From the Old Town jumble of medieval buildings stacked one against each other on the Royal to the New Town Georgian grid like streets. This is a city of excitement and intrigue which is why it is so popular with tourists. Edinburgh’s nickname is ‘Auld Reekie’ which dates back to the times that living dwellings were heated with open fires. Thou- sands upon thousands of coal fires caused soot to accumulate in the city giving it its pet name.

Edinburgh Old Town The entire city centre area that is found south of Princess Street. The old town section of Edinburgh is rather unique in its layout which is still typically medieval. It has many reformation era and other classi- cal buildings that have been preserved, and the area was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995. The main road is the which has Edinburgh at one end and the ruins of Holy- rood Abbey at the other. The Royal Mile forms a spine to the many narrow closes (alleyways) that lead downhill either side in a herringbone pattern and create easy shortcuts for people who are walking around the area. There are many large squares around the old town and each of these holds public buildings, such as St Giles Cathedral, or the Supreme Courts. There are a number of other landmark locations here too, The Queen’s Edinburgh residence the Palace of house, the royal museum of Scotland, the , and Surgeons hall. The landscape and topography, known as ‘’, was created back in the last ice age when glaciers receded and harder crags of volcanic rock formed the landscape that we see today. It was on the main hilltop that the earliest part of the city began to develop, was fortified, and eventually developed into the castle that we see today. When the Old Town became overpopulated, the city did it’s best to accommodate the growth by de- veloping some of the earliest high rise residential buildings. These multi storey dwellings were the norm from the 16th century onwards. However sadly, in the Great fire of 1824, many of these buildings were ruined. Royal Mile

Royal Mile is Edinburgh’s historic highway and is tan- tamount with the Old Town. Stretching out for 1 mile and 107 yards. The ‘High Street’ (the other name by which it is com- monly known), connects two of Edinburgh’s most prominent attractions which have remained the foci of attraction in the pages of Scottish history – on one end and the Palace of Holyrood House on the other. Decked up all the way with numerous places of historical and cultural significance, specialized shops, spacious restaurants and pubs, the Royal Mile is definitely a treat! The Royal Mile is in fact a concoction of several streets, all of which have something unique to it. The Esplanade, Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Netherbow, Canongate and Abbey Strand are the suc- cession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of Royal Mile, which today stands as the back- bone of Edinburgh’s Old Town. Having had a place in some of the key moments in Scottish history, leg- ends of mystery as well as ghosts do its rounds in this heavily populated street. The Royal Mile has so much to offer a visitor that it is difficult to explore it in a single day. The streets that make the mile by themselves serve as a national treasure and are some of the best places a visitor to the country can choose to spend his time on.

Castle Esplanade initially laid out in the 19th century to serve as a parade ground for troops, is today the venue of the famed annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo. With the Hub which houses the Edinburgh International Festival, the Scotch Whisky Experience, the Camera Obscura and the Cannonball House all sited close to one another, the Castle Esplanade and Castlehill is truly worth the traveler’s time.

The Lawnmarket which is chiefly a linen market is lined up with tourist-oriented shops. If you are there during the Edinburgh Festival, the High Street area is packed with entertainers, buskers and tourists. High Street remains the city’s central focus during the festival and is the best place that helps in gifting visitors the festival mood. The Camera Obscura has been providing a panoramic view show of Edin- in the greatest detail for the past 150 years also boasts about the biggest showcase of holograms in the European continent and houses a mesmerizing exhibition of pin-hole photography, optical illu- sions and historic photographs of Old Edinburgh. The Goosepie house constructed by in 1740, the Whisky Heritage Centre, St Giles Kirk and House are a few of the numerous at- tractions which are bound to enthrall visitors for hours. Edinburgh New Town Despite its name, the first phase of the New Town, was actually constructed back in 1765, and the majority of the area was built no later than 1850. It was built because of Edinburgh’s increasing population at the time, and as the various stages of the New Town were completed, the richer folks moved into them. Away from the cramped tenements in the narrow closes of the Old Town, into grand Georgian homes on wide roads with plenty of space. The area is known for these buildings now, and their neo-classical architecture, which looks quite grandiose often complete with pillars at the front and high ceilings inside. Edinburgh New Town, is a UNESCO world heritage site. The buildings are all listed so that the sandstone facades and black wrought iron railings that look so impressive will be preserved. is the most famous street within the New Town, and it marks the edge between old town and new town. Amongst the famous loca- tions which can be found here in New Town, are the Royal Scot- tish Academy, and the National Gallery of Scot- land. There is also the George Street Assembly Rooms, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the Balmoral , and the Scott Monu- ment. The main shopping district of Edinburgh is located in New Town. Many chain stores make their home on Princes Street, as well as department store, an Edinburgh institution. , one of the newer developments within New Town, is home to many designer shops, and the St James centre at the east end of the New Town is an indoor shopping precinct that was completed in 1970. George Street which was once the area’s financial centre, is now home to a number of modern bars, some of which occupy the former banking halls. George Street Sited to the north of Edinburgh’s chief thoroughfare Princes Street, this area owes it name to King George III, the monarch who transformed the city. The route connects two of the major streets in Edin- burgh – at its west to St Andrew Square at its east. With all that is going on, George Street has transformed into the centre of Essential Edinburgh’s Central Business Improvement District, the chief financial district of the city (traditionally home to the country’s prominent banking institu- tions, the street still houses numerous investment companies, insurance brokers and banks) and above all – Edinburgh’s most fêted shopping area. George Street, Edinburgh fits very well into any visitor’s list as a great place to shop and visit. Being at the centre of Edinburgh’s Central Business Improvement District, the street serves its purpose of making sure that Edinburgh stands out as one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the European continent.

George Street has it all going on! Studded with jew- elry and designer shops, luxury stores, retail chains and de- signer emporiums, this area is one among the coun- try’s most favorite shopping areas. The street is as energetic during night as it is dur- ing day and one can see spruced up party-goers flocking in and out of the several bars, clubs and pubs the area boasts about. For tourists who are visiting the area, there are numerous other places where they can visit. Starting with the Assembly Rooms, St George’s and St Andrew’s church which date back to the 18th century, George Street is home to numerous notable buildings many of which reflect an impressive mélange of the Greek and Roman styles. The area does not lose out on the dining options it provides as well. Visitors can make their choice from the fantastic multiplicity of cafes, restaurants and bars which suits all tastes and fits well within any traveler’s budget. The unique selling point that every restaurant in George Street can boast about is that they are much more spacious and much more airy thanks to the space the city gifts, when compared with their complementing restaurants elsewhere in the city. Edinburgh Castle The Castle dominates the Edinburgh skyline. Sat atop , a plug of an extinct volcano which rose out of the earth some 350 million years ago, there has been settlement on this location as far back as the 9th Century BC. In terms of a fortress, there has been a royal castle here since the 12th Century, and Scottish royalty resided here until the union of the in 1603. This instantly recognizable for- tress is a national symbol and is part of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site. It towers over the city, and is visible for many around. Over the centuries Edinburgh castle has had its strength tested by sieges and by stealth attacks. This is no fairytale castle, this is the real thing, a powerful structure built to withstand battles and to protect those within its walls. Although the castle hasn’t seen action since 1745, much of the castle which we see today dates back to the next scare that took place at the end of the 1700’s when the threat of Napoleon caused the addition of the seven sto- rey ‘new ’ at the western end of the castle which was designed to house 600 troops. Sir was the first person to suggest the castle’s potential as a visitor attraction, and it was he who discov- ered the ‘’ (The Scottish Jewels) in a locked room deep in the bowels of the castle where they’d been placed in 1707. In 1996, after 800 years of being away from Edinburgh Castle and indeed Scot- land, the Stone of Destiny, Scotland’s stone was brought to the castle and placed in the Crown Room along with the Honours of Scotland.

During the Victorian period, the and great hall were restored, and the castle today remains a military base even though it’s better known as the country’s most popular tourist attraction. It is this compromise which meant that in the 1980’s a tunnel was dug through the rock below the castle to give military traffic access to the barracks .

The oldest surviving part of the castle is St Margaret’s Chapel which dates from the early 12th century, and other significant buildings here are the Royal Palace, and the Great hall. The Scottish National War Memorial and the of Scotland are also housed in the Castle.