Edinburgh
Dùn Èideann | |
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City of Edinburgh | |
Skyline of Central Edinburgh, with the Dugald Stewart Monument (forefront) and Edinburgh Castle (background) | |
Nicknames: "Auld Reekie", "Edina", "Athens of the North" | |
Motto(s): | |
Edinburgh locality within the City of Edinburgh council area | |
Coordinates: 55°57′12″N 03°11′21″W / 55.95333°N 3.18917°W | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Country | Scotland |
Council area | City of Edinburgh |
Lieutenancy area | Edinburgh |
Founded | Before 7th century AD |
Burgh Charter | 1124 |
City status | 1633[3] |
Government | |
• Type | Unitary authority |
• Governing body | The City of Edinburgh Council |
• Lord Provost of Edinburgh | Robert Aldridge |
• MSPs |
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• MPs |
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Area | |
• Locality | 46 sq mi (119 km2) |
• Urban | 49 sq mi (126 km2) |
• Council area[6] | 102 sq mi (263 km2) |
Elevation | 154 ft (47 m) |
Population | |
• Locality | 506,520 |
• Density | 11,000/sq mi (4,300/km2) |
• Urban | 530,990 |
• Urban density | 11,000/sq mi (4,200/km2) |
• Metro | 901,455 |
• Council area | 514,990[disputed – discuss] |
• Council area density | 5,060/sq mi (1,955/km2) |
• Language(s) | English Scots |
GDP | |
• Council area | £31.802 billion (2022) |
• Per head | £60,764 (2022) |
Time zone | UTC±0 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
Postcode areas | |
Area code | 0131 |
ISO 3166-2 | GB-EDH |
ONS code | S12000036 |
OS grid reference | NT275735 |
NUTS 3 | UKM25 |
Primary Airport | Edinburgh Airport |
Website | www |
Official name | Old and New Towns of Edinburgh |
Criteria | Cultural: ii, iv |
Reference | 728 |
Inscription | 1995 (19th Session) |
Official name | The Forth Bridge |
Criteria | Cultural: i, iv |
Reference | 1485 |
Inscription | 2015 (39th Session) |
Edinburgh |
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Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/ ED-in-bər-ə,[12][13][14] Scots: [ˈɛdɪnbʌrə]; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [t̪un ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth estuary and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in mid-2020,[8] making it the second-most populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year.[15]
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, the highest courts in Scotland, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. It is also the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scottish law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of three in the city, is considered one of the best research institutions in the world. The financial centre of Scotland, Edinburgh is the second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, the fourth largest in Europe, and the thirteenth largest internationally.[16]
The city is a cultural centre, and is the home of institutions including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery.[17] The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,[18] which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999. The city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the UK's second-most visited tourist destination, attracting 4.9 million visits, including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.[19][20]
Edinburgh is governed by the City of Edinburgh Council, a unitary authority. The City of Edinburgh council area had an estimated population of 514,990 in mid-2021,[9] and includes outlying towns and villages which are not part of Edinburgh proper. The city is in the Lothian region and was historically part of the shire of Midlothian (also called Edinburghshire).
All the cities, and most of the towns, in the UK have coats-of-arms, and many of them use banner of these arms on their civic buildings and on the official car of their Mayor, Provost, Lord Mayor or Lord Provost. As with armorial county flags they are technically for the sole use of the city or town's council, but in some cases they are used more widely. Many councils also use their logo as a basis for a flag.