Geography of Edinburgh

Geography Of Edinburgh

Edinburgh (i/ˈɛdɪnbʌrə/ ED-in-burr-ə) is a city in South East Scotland, on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, with a population of 495,360 in 2011 (up 1.9% from 2010).. It is the capital city of Scotland and the seat of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government.

While the city originally formed on and around the famous castle rock, the modern city is often said to be built on 7 hills, namely Castle Hill, Calton Hill, Corstorphine Hill, Craiglockhart Hill, Braid Hill, Blackford Hill and Arthur's Seat.

Edinburgh has a high proportion of independent schools, four universities (including the University of Edinburgh, rated 21st in world rankings) and one college (three were amalgamated in 2012), providing a highly educated population.

The city was named European Best Large City of the Future for Foreign Direct Investment and Best Large City for Foreign Direct Investment Strategy in the Financial Times fDi magazine awards 2012/13. It has the UK's strongest economy outside London and has won more than 12 UK Best City Awards in 8 years to 2013. Residents' satisfaction with the city is 92%, the highest of any city surveyed by MORI.

Attracting over one million overseas visitors a year, Edinburgh is the second most popular tourist destination in the United Kingdom (after London) and was voted 'European Destination of the Year' at the World Travel Awards 2012.

The city hosts several annual festivals including the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Other annual events include the Hogmanay street party and Beltane Fire Festival.

Edinburgh is the world's first UNESCO City of Literature and due to the historical character of much of the city centre, comprising the Old Town and New Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.