Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.
Scotland (in Scots Gaelic Alba; in scots and in English Scotland ) was an independent country until 1707, when it united with England and today is one of the nations that make up the United Kingdom, occupying a third of the island of Great Britain and has as its capital Edinburgh, one of the most incredible cities in Scotland, which besides being a fascinating place to explore, due to its history, traditions and local legends, is still today one of the largest financial centers in Europe.
Scotland continues to have a separate state and jurisdiction for the purposes of international law. It has its own parliament and Scottish education system, as well as the Church of Scotland, which has allowed the continuation of culture and national identity, allowing its traditions to be maintained and passed down for generations.
The earliest evidence of settlements in Edinburgh dates back to Roman times at the end of the first century, but it wasn't until the 15th century that Edinburgh became the capital of Scotland.
As in most European cities, the city center is divided into two main areas: The Old Town and the New Town. The Old Town (Edinburgh's old city center), with its preserved architecture in a predominantly medieval style, takes us back to the Middle Ages, especially when we walk through the alleys (Courts) on the Royal Mile. The old town is home to Edinburgh Castle and Hollyrood Palace, which deserve their own dedicated post, which I'll do soon!
Edinburgh's historic city center is divided into two large green areas by Princes Street Gardens. To the south is the Old Town and Edinburgh Castle, sitting on an extinct volcano, Castle Rock. To the north of the garden is the New Town and Princes Street. To the west of the castle is the city's financial district. The gardens were created in 1816 where the Nor' Loch marsh used to be.
And when it comes to culture, you only have to go to the towns in the Highlands to realize that time has not passed, as there are still towns in which Gaelic, Scotland's original language, is still spoken and even has specific TV shows that broadcast music competitions and other events in the local language.
It's worth including in your itinerary this country of breathtaking landscapes, majestic mountains, whose history was forged with a lot of race and willpower.
Due to its location near the North Pole, Edinburgh is a cold city. In winter, the temperature doesn't rise above 6 °C and can often reach 0 °C, especially in January and February, the coldest months of the year. In summer, the temperature is warm during the day and cool at night, hardly exceeding 20 °C, but not falling below 10 °C. The average annual temperature in the city is 8.3 °C
There is no dry period and no rainy period; it rains roughly the same amount every month of the year. The difference in the amount of mm of rain in the driest month (April, 41 mm) compared to the wettest month (September, 66 mm) is small. In total, it rains around 669 mm and 55.75 mm per month.
The city is world famous for the Edinburgh Festival. The festival has been held in August since 1947 and features performances of theater, music, dance and opera. It has a high-level program, featuring international directors and conductors with dance and theater companies, classical music performances and various orchestras. Other festivals that are part of what is known as the Edinburgh Festival are: the Fringe (since 1947), the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival (since 1979), the Edinburgh International Book Festival (since 1983) and the Edinburgh People's Festival (since 2002). There is also the Edinburgh Military Tattoo Festival, which takes place at Edinburgh Castle with bagpipes and fireworks. The city also has the International Science Festival, which takes place in April and is one of the most popular science festivals in the world.
Hogmanay, the celebration of the new year according to Scottish tradition (following the Gregorian calendar), begins on December 31 and ends on January 2. Ne'erday takes place on January 3rd. Hogmanay has been celebrated on Princes Street and the Royal Mile since 1993. The Beltane Fire Festival takes place on April 30th in Edinburgh's "acropolis" on Calton Hill.
The city has museums of great importance: the National Gallery of Scotland (with works by Gauguin, Cézanne, Monet, Velazquez, etc.), the Royal Museum of Scotland (specializing in geology, archaeology, natural history, science, etc.), the Museum of Scotland (specializing in history, people and culture), the Edinburgh War Museum (located in Edinburgh Castle), the Museum of Childhood.
It's worth noting that Scotland is a storehouse of talent, whose achievements have changed the way the rest of the world lives. We can easily name names of great importance to humanity, such as Alexander Fleming, discoverer of Penicillin, James Watt, creator of the first steam engine during the industrial revolution. In the 19th century, Adam Simpson, considered the father of modern economics, James Young, known for having produced refined petroleum, Alexander Graham Bell, who revolutionized communications when he invented the telephone and John Napier, who was a Scottish mathematician and theological writer, who developed the concept of logarithms and the decimal point as a method of mathematical calculation. He also had an influence on the world of physics and astronomy.
Many renowned writers were born or lived in Edinburgh, such as James Boswell, Robert Louis Stevenson,Conan Doyle and Walter Scott, J. K. Rowling and Ian Rankin. Edinburgh was declared the first City of Literature by UNESCO.
The philosopher David Hume, who lived there, described New Town in a letter to a friend as "exceeding anything that exists anywhere in the world". Like Hume, economist Adam Smith also lived in Edinburgh.
More recently, the work of Scottish researchers has been recognized with Nobel Prizes in the sciences and peace. The pioneering genetic research that resulted in Dolly the sheep was carried out at the University of Edinburgh.
For these and many other reasons, Edinburgh definitely needs to be on your list of places to visit, but in the meantime, why not take advantage of the many other posts about Scotland available on the channel?
See you at the next one!
Isabel Sbrogio