Edinburgh - Renaissance City
Here's an overview of Scotland's capital city by travel writer Vivien Devlin - where to go, what to see, literary city, where to stay and eat - and the biggest arts festival in the world.
Introduction
Robert Louis Stevenson described Edinburgh as a "profusion of eccentricities, this dream in masonry and living rock, not a scene in a theatre, but a city in the world of every day reality".The dramatic image of Edinburgh Castle, standing defiant and indestructable for centuries above the rugged black volcanic rockface is a familiar trademark worldwide. Known as "The Athens of the North", it`s a city of architectural fascination and conservation, combining the narrow wynds, courtyards and tall tenements of the Old Town with the elegantly designed crescents and prestigious townhouses of the Georgian New Town.
Edinburgh of the 21st century is a major, thriving, European Capital city. It is two years since the opening of the Scottish Parliament on July 1st 1999, which instilled a renewed thirst for enterprise and innovation in the nation.
"This is about more than politics and laws", said Donald Dewar at the time, "This is about who we are. The past is part of us but today there is a new voice in the land to shape Scotland. A voice for the future."
This feature is divided into four sections. There are links from one section to the next or you can select which ones you wish to read:-
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