City of Edinburgh

The Palace of Holyrood House, looking towards Leith and the River Forth
©2023 Gazetteer for Scotland

The Palace of Holyrood House, looking towards Leith and the River Forth

The capital and second largest city of Scotland, situated in the east Central Lowlands between the Firth of Forth and the Pentland Hills to the south. Named after a 7th-century king of Northumbria and made Scotland's capital in the 15th century, its cultural achievements in the 18th century period of enlightenment earned it the title of 'Athens of the North.' Apart from being a centre of administration and finance, Edinburgh is known worldwide for its international arts festival which has been held annually since 1947. The festival is held during the month of August and the population of the city more than doubles to around 1 million people.

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