Edinburgh is Scotland's compact, hilly capital. It
has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and
neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of
Scottish rulers. Arthur’s Seat is an imposing peak in Holy rood Park with
sweeping views, and Colton Hill is topped with monuments and memorials.
Situated in Scotland's Central Belt, Edinburgh
lies on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. While the early burgh
grew up near the prominent Castle Rock, the modern city is often said to be
built on seven
hills, namely Calton Hill, Corstorphine Hill,
Craiglockhart Hill, Braid Hill, Blackford Hill, Arthur's
Seat and the Castle Rock , giving rise to allusions to the seven hills of Rome.
Edinburgh is drained by the river named the Water of Leith. Edinburgh includes former towns and villages that
retain much of their original character as settlements in existence before they
were absorbed into the expanding city of the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries.
Edinburgh's Old and New Towns were listed as a
UNESCO Heritage SiteWorld in 1995 in
recognition of the unique character of the Old Town with its medieval street
layout and the planned Georgian New Town, including the adjoining Dean Village
and Calton Hill areas.