Edinburgh: Empress Of The North

The capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is the country's second largest city and the 7th largest city in the United Kingdom. Resting in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh has a rugged setting with a collection of many Medieval and Georgian style architecture. It is one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. No wonder it constantly brings about a million of travelers every year.

People visit Edinburgh, basically, to see the ancient stone tenements dating back from the medieval times and to see and celebrate Edinburgh Festival. The city holds a collection of official and independent festivals in August and early September each year. There are about ten major festivals in Edinburgh including Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, Edinburgh International Television Festival, Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival, Edinburgh People's Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Internet Festival, and iFest.

Not just celebrations, Edinburgh also has a number of famous landmarks and notable infrastructures: the iconic Forth Railway Bridge that connects Edinburgh to eastern Scotland; the Edinburgh Castle which stands on the basalt plug of Castle Rock, dominating the skyline of the city; the Crown Square, the citadel iat the top of the castle; Edinburgh Zoo and some of the many museums including the Museum of Scotland and the Royal Museum are the major sights in this historically elegant city.

Edinburgh is proud to be the home of many well-known authors, philosophers and visionary namely David Hume, one of the pioneers of the philosophy of Empiricism; Adam Smith, the father of Economics and of course, one of today's most sought after authors, J K Rowling of the Harry Potter series. I bet you Harry Potter fans out there, know now why the setting of the fiction novel is likely Scottish!