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Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, there live around 435000 people.The town
offers you superb sightseeing, historic buildings to explore, quiet galleries
and museums to intrigue you, thrilling new attractions to discover, serious shopping,
a vast choice of excellent restaurants, bistros, wine bars, pubs and cafes, and
nightlife to suit all tastes.
The best known and most popular visitor attraction is Edinburhgh castle. During
the centuries, the castle was besieged many times, held by the English as well
as by the Scots, and nearly demolished more than once. But it always rose again.
In that sense, the story of the castle is the story of Scotland.The castle is
a historic monument, but it is also a working military establishment, being
the headquarters of the Scottish Division.That`s why there is a guard at the
main gate.The castle was the seat of Scottish kings, and the Royal apartments
on view to the public include a tiny room in which Mary, Queen of Scots gave
birth to the boy who became King James VI of Scotland and James I of England
upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1603. Whithin the Royal apartments
a permanent exhibition, in the form of a series of impressive tableaux, depicts
some of the milestones in Scotland`s history.
Edinburgh and the port of Leith were granted a charter by Robert the Bruce,
and from this time its prosperity and population grew. Building space was limited
within the fortification walls, and so the town grew upwards. Tall buildings,
some up to fourteen stories high with narrow alleys between were built, and
what is known as “old town” developed down the Royal Mile
to Holyrood Abbey. People were crowded together, noblemen, thieves, artisans
and shopkeepers. Edinburgh had much to be proud of, it was home to the Scottish
Parliament and the University of Edinburgh. The Union of Parliaments in 1707
removed Scotland´s independence, but later Edinburgh was established as
Scotland´s capital with its fine university, its own legal system and
growing foreign trade coming up the Forth to the port of Leith.
The town had survived everything from war, civil and religious strife, to overcrowding,
severe shortage of water and outbreak of the plague.In the 1760s, the people
of Edinburgh started to build the new town.The new town has three long straight
streets: Queen Street, George Street and Princes Street.. At the west end of
George Street is Charlotte Square, and at the east end there is St. Andrew Square.The
most famous street in Edinburgh is Princes Street. It was James Craig´s
plans which we should thank for building on only one side, allowing for the
beautiful public gardens opposite.
Georgian Edinburgh grew throughout the remainder of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The first public building, Register House, was designed by Robert Adam, he also
designed the University and and the north side of Charlotte Square. Many classical
buildings such as the National Gallery of Scotland, inspired by ancient Greece,
grace the “Athens of the North”. Edinburgh blossomed into
one of Europe`s cultural centres. This was the Edinburgh of James Boswell, Robert
Burns and Sir Walter Scott, of the philosopher David Hume and the political
economist Adam Smith, and of the painter Sir Henry Raeburn and the engineer
Thomas Telford.
The Edinburgh FestivalEvery summer thousands of people visit the city for the
Edinburgh Festival. They can listen to music and watch plays and look at pictures.
Every day for three weeks,visitors and Edinburgh people can see and do many
different things in the mornings, the afternoons and the evenings. One evening
there is a firework display. On that evening there are no cars or buses in Princes
Street and the gardens are full of people. They listen to music and watch the
fireworks in the sky above the castle. On another evening there is the Military
Tatoo. Soldiers from different countries march inside the castle. There is music
from Scottish pipers and other bands. At the end of the evening, one single
piper plays the curfew on the walls of the castle.
Apart from its varied and stunning architecture, Edinburgh is a visually beautiful
place, with many parks and gardens, to take a leisurely stroll through, or simply
sit and watch the world go by. Edinburgh is the home of the world famous Royal
Botanic Garden, which you don`t want to miss.
Shopping in Edinburgh is delight: there is everything on offer here. Edinburgh
is home to the world`s oldest independent department store, a shopping experience
not to be missed. Designer fashion,boutiques, antiques,tartan tammies, whatever
takes your fancy, you will be spoilt for choice in Edinburgh.
I hope I have given you a few impressions of Edinburgh.
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