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Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. It is situated on the east coast of the central lowlands, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, on the North sea and, because of its rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian Architecture including numerous stone tenements, it is one of the most dramatic cities in Europe.
Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since 1437 and is the seat of the Scottish Parliament. The city was one of the major centres of the enlightenment, led by the University of Edinburgh, gaining the nickname Athens of the North.
The Old Town and New Town districts of Edinburgh were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. There are over 4,500 listed buildings within its limits, including around 22,000 listed properties, the most of any city in Britain. In the census of 2001, Edinburgh had a total resident population of 448,624, making it the 7th largest city in the United Kingdom.
Edinburgh is well-known for the annual Edinburgh Festival, a collection of official and independent festivals held annually over about four weeks from early August. The number of visitors attracted to Edinburgh for the Festival, is roughly equal to the settled population of the city. The most famous of these events are the Edinburgh Fringe (the largest performing arts festival in the world), the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Other notable events include the Hogmanay street party (31 December) and the Beltane celebrations (30 April).
The city is one of Europe's major tourist destinations, attracting roughly 13 million visitors a year, and is the second most visited tourist destination in the United Kingdom, after London.
 OTHER NAMES FOR EDINBURGH
The city is affectionately nicknamed Auld Reekie, Scots for Old Smoky. This is because when the only fuels available were coal and wood, all the chimneys would spew thick columns of smoke into the air. Auld Reekie also referred to the less than sanitary living conditions that would lead to a strong odour covering the city.
Some have called Edinburgh the Athens of the North for a variety of reasons. The earliest comparison between the two cities showed that they had a similar topography, with the Old Town of Edinburgh performing a similar role to the Athenian Acropolis and for its intellectual history.
Edinburgh has also been known as Dunedin, deriving from the Scottish Gaelic, Důn Čideann. Dunedin, New Zealand, was originally called "New Edinburgh" and is still nicknamed the "Edinburgh of the South".
The Scots poets Robert Burns and Robert Fergusson sometimes used the city's Latin name, Edina. Ben Jonson described it as Britain's other eye, and Sir Walter Scott referred to the city as yon Empress of the North.
TRAVEL TO AND WITHIN EDINBURGH
Edinburgh is a major transport hub in east central Scotland, with arterial road and rail routes that connect the city to the rest of Scotland and with England. It is connected to the north of Scotland by the famous feats of engineering, the Forth Rail Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge.
Most public transport trips in Edinburgh are taken by bus, with Lothian Buses and First Bus operating an extensive system connecting most parts of the city, suburbs and surrounding city region. In early 2007, construction will begin on the Edinburgh Tram Network, a light rapid transit system of trams that will connect the airport and western suburbs with the city centre. Another loop will connect the city centre and the northern waterfront areas of Leith and Granton — areas which are undergoing major regeneration and redevelopment.
Edinburgh Waverley is the main railway station for the city. It is on the East Coast Main Line and is a through station as well as a terminus for many services to and from London Kings Cross operated by GNER and to London Euston operated by Virgin Trains and First Scotrail, as well as services from within Scotland operated by First Scotrail.
Haymarket Station is a smaller station located to the west of the city centre.
Edinburgh is served by Edinburgh Airport (EDI), located approximately 8 miles to the west of the city, with scheduled connections to many cities in Europe and an expanding international long-haul route network, including daily flights to Atlanta and Newark. Construction of a rail link to the airport is due to commence in 2007 and be operational by 2009. The airport will also be served by the Edinburgh Tram Network.
Traffic congestion, especially at peak times, is viewed as a problem. The rise in car use in the city caused commuting trips to grow by 72% in Edinburgh between 1981 and 2001.[23] Various initiatives have been put in place to combat this, with park and ride facilities provided at Ingliston and Riccarton on the western outskirts of the city, as well as in Fife. "Greenways", dedicated bus lanes on primary routes into the city centre with strict traffic regulations, have been initiated in recent years. Improvements to the bus network have included guided busways in the west of the city and major improvements to bus services, such as clearer ticketing arrangements and better provision of bus stops.
Attempts to make Edinburgh more "cycle friendly" have been made, particularly by Spokes, the Lothian cycle campaign.
From Wikipedia
 EDINBURGH HOTELS & ACCOMMODATION
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