edinburgh
 The capital of the country is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It is often referred to as the 'Athens of the North' due to its fine, Palladian architecture and general air of education and refinement. Having said that, over more recent years 'rather stuffy' Edinburgh was jarred from its smug complacency after resting long on its world-renowned reputation. The monopoly over the Scottish cultural crown was cheekily hijacked during the 1980s and it now remains an open issue who best represents the country's cultural heart.
The topography of the town is remarkable with several elevations breaking the city's slate-grey, chimney-potted expanse. Robert Louis Stevenson declared, "No situation could be more commanding for the head of a kingdom and none better chosen for better prospects".
Edinburgh, like most of the Lothians, is set on the wide plain of the River Forth with volcanic left-overs such as Castle Rock and Arthur's Seat being the most prominent natural heights. Around these hills 'Auld Reekie', as it was known before the days of smokeless fuel, grew and prospered.
For exploration, the city is best divided into three sections, the Old Town, the New Town and the outskirts. Each section would need at least a day to best appreciate, so a minimum of three days should be allowed.
The Old and New Town are essentially a walking proposition with most places of consequence within easy distance of one another. Parking a car anywhere near the city centre is very difficult but public transport is effective both into the centre and to outlying parts.
Edinburgh's history seems to surround its central fortification and this is the point where much of the earliest archaeological evidence has been uncovered. The lofty lump supporting Edinburgh Castle is the residue of a volcanic plug that resisted the forces of a huge glacier pushing eastward along what is now the Forth Valley. The strategic position of Castle Rock was long recognised by the Romans and their main adversaries, the Pictish tribes, as well as the powers that followed them.
There is only one tenable approach to Edinburgh Castle via the eastward sloping Royal Mile and would-be attackers were forced to consider this. In 1313 some resolute assailants under the administration of Robert the Bruce scaled Castle Rock's formidable northern aspect and ramparts to retake the castle from the English. They then dismantled it and Bruce later granted the town a royal charter in 1329 as well as jurisdiction over the port of Leith which lead to greater trading opportunities and wealth. Rebuilt in 1356, the castle became not only a fortress but also a royal palace.
A defensive wall was erected around the area east of the castle in 1456 roughly defining the area we now know as the Old Town. Through the Renaissance period the small city flourished in a stable era until Scotland's defeat at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. A second wall, the Flodden Wall, was hurriedly thrown up after this defeat which was followed by a time of great instability culminating in the sacking of the town by the forces of Henry VIII.
On her return to Scotland, Mary set up court in Edinburgh's Holyrood Palace. In 1603 her son, James VI, with the Union of the Crowns, inherited the English throne and moved his Scottish court to London. In some ways this was the end of the Scottish monarchy as, despite his promises, James only returned to his native land once.
The last significant assault on Edinburgh Castle came in 1745 when the Jacobite forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie once again wrested it, without much resistance, from English hands. The period of the Enlightenment continued and thrived following the upheavals and defeat of the Jacobite Rebellion and throughout the period of peace that followed. New ideas in science, philosophy and literature flourished without the inhibiting presence of nobility. Philosophers and writers such as David Hume, Adam Smith, Allan Ramsay, and even Robert Burns were products of this era. James Watt was inspired to invent the steam engine around this time.
Entrance to the castle is made at the top of the Royal Mile and into the Esplanade, a wide parade ground that presents splendid views north over the city and south to the Pentland Hills about 8 miles (13km) away. The imposing building you see on the south side is George Herriott's School, built in the mid-seventeenth century as an orphanage and now a private school. During the summer the Esplanade is prepared for nightly pageants held during the Military Tattoo. The castle entrance is guarded by members of the Highland Regiment, the last draw-bridge to be built in Scotland as well as the imposing statues of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. There are some six gates between the entrance and the Argyle and Mills Batteries designed to keep the English out but now, for a cost, they are made most welcome. Every day at 1pm (13.00 hours), a salute is fired from the upper battery.
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