Edinburgh

Edinburgh
Dùn Èideann
City of Edinburgh
Nicknames: 
"Auld Reekie", "Edina", "Athens of the North"
Motto(s): 
Nisi Dominus Frustra (Latin)
Without the Lord, all is in vain
Edinburgh is located in the City of Edinburgh council area
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is located in Scotland
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Location within Scotland
Edinburgh is located in the United Kingdom
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Location within the United Kingdom
Edinburgh is located in Europe
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Location within Europe
Coordinates: 55°57′12″N 03°11′21″W / 55.95333°N 3.18917°W / 55.95333; -3.18917
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryScotland
Council areaCity of Edinburgh
Lieutenancy areaEdinburgh
FoundedBefore 7th century AD
Burgh Charter1125
City status1633
Government
 • TypeUnitary authority
 • Governing bodyThe City of Edinburgh Council
 • Lord Provost of EdinburghRobert Aldridge
 • MSPs
  •   Ash Regan (Alba)
  •   Angus Robertson (SNP)
  •   Daniel Johnson (Lab)
  •   Gordon MacDonald (SNP)
  •   Ben Macpherson (SNP)
 • MPs
Area
 • Locality46 sq mi (119 km2)
 • Urban49 sq mi (126 km2)
 • Council area[3]101.7 sq mi (263.4 km2)
Elevation154 ft (47 m)
Population
 (mid-2020 est.)[5](2021)[6]
 • Locality506,520
 • Density11,000/sq mi (4,300/km2)
 • Urban530,990
 • Urban density11,000/sq mi (4,200/km2)
 • Metro901,455
 • Council area
526,470[disputed ]
 • Council area density5,180/sq mi (1,999/km2)
 • Language(s)
English
Scots
GVA
 • City of Edinburgh£25.419 billion (2021)
Time zoneUTC±0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode areas
Area code0131
ISO 3166-2GB-EDH
ONS codeS12000036
OS grid referenceNT275735
NUTS 3UKM25
Primary AirportEdinburgh Airport
Websitewww.edinburgh.gov.uk
Official nameOld and New Towns of Edinburgh
CriteriaCultural: ii, iv
Reference728
Inscription1995 (19th Session)
Official nameThe Forth Bridge
CriteriaCultural: i, iv
Reference1485
Inscription2015 (39th Session)

Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/ [9][10][11] Scots: [ˈɛdɪnbʌrə]; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˌt̪un ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. The city is located in south-east 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,[5] making it the second-most populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom.

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 British 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. It is the second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, the fourth largest in Europe, and the thirteenth largest internationally.[12]

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.[13] 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,[14] 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.[15][16]

Edinburgh is governed by the City of Edinburgh Council, a unitary authority. The City of Edinburgh council area had an estimated population of 526,470 in mid-2021,[6] 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).

  1. ^ "Thomas Brinkhoff: City Population, United Kingdom: Major Cities in Scotland". Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Thomas Brinkhoff: City Population, United Kingdom: Urban Areas in Scotland". Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Standard Area Measurements (2016) for Administrative Areas in the United Kingdom". Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Edinburgh, United Kingdom Forecast : Weather Underground (weather and elevation at Queensferry Road, Edinburgh)". The Weather Underground, Inc. Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  7. ^ ""Metropolitan Area Populations"". 22 February 2020. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Regional gross value added (balanced) per head and income component", www.ons.gov.uk
  9. ^ "Definition of Edinburgh in Oxford dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the word". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. 2013. Archived from the original on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  10. ^ "edinburgh – Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes – Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  11. ^ "the definition of Edinburgh". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  12. ^ "Edinburgh 4th In Europe In New Financial Centres Index". Scottish Financial Review. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  13. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2023: Top global universities". Topuniversities.com. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Edinburgh-World Heritage Site". VisitScotland. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  15. ^ Invest in Edinburgh. "Financial Services". Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  16. ^ "Edinburgh by Numbers 2019". www.edinburgh.gov.uk. City of Edinburgh Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2020.