Edinburgh - the heart and the ancient capital of Scotland (35 photos)

Edinburgh - the heart and the ancient capital of Scotland, with nearly half the population. It is considered one of the most beautiful and most picturesque cities in the United Kingdom. Edinburgh is unique among Scotland's cities, thanks to the development of tourism, proximity to England and the bizarre mixture of cultures. Here, trendy clubs are located in historic buildings of the XV century, only in this city peacefully crossed past and the future.

And Edinburgh is very changeable. In one hour, the weather can change radically several times - from the soft sun to cold rain with strong wind. However, the sun there is quite rare, even in the warm season. Gloomy city looks more and for its architecture. Because of high humidity, the stone from which the buildings were built, dark. Especially nice it looks on the gothic churches, making them heavy and ominous.






1) Any street you choose to walk, hit the incredible prospects powerful battlements of the castle, volcanic peaks and hills.



2) The best time to travel to Edinburgh from May to September. But whenever you go here, equally likely to be cloudy or sunny.



3) Edinburgh is famous for its museums. Writers Museum, dedicated to Walter Scott, Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson - their visitors - it's basically a creative personality. Museum of Edinburgh greater interest to connoisseurs of history. A Museum of Childhood, which is famous for the abundance of toys - parents with children.



4) The list of historical and architectural buildings of Edinburgh has about 16, 000. Many of the buildings are part of the World Cultural Heritage (World Heritage Site).



5) On a high cliff and surrounded by fortress walls, towering ancient buildings and churches of the Victorian era.



6) the Royal Mile, or Royal Mile. The main street of the old town. As a rule, always filled with tourists.



7) Edinburgh - one of the most prosperous regions in the UK economically. The economic recovery occurred in 1999, when it was restored by the Scottish Parliament, after which the city was founded a large number of government agencies, and therefore began to increase employment.



8) to build something in the old part of the city. In the photo - a private school for the children of wealthy parents. Once upon a time it was a boarding school for deaf children. Also, it is believed that this is the school of Hogwarts was the inspiration of the books about Harry Potter.



9) An important area of ​​the economy of Edinburgh - tourism. Edinburgh is the most popular tourist destination in Scotland. The peak of the tourist activity in the summer months, when the Edinburgh arts festival bringing the city to 100 million pounds of annual profits.



10) Royal Mile or the Royal Mile. There are various shops, which is unhealthy for the inflated prices to buy cashmere, whiskey, kilts and other Scottish classical things. I really wanted to get a kilt, but the good are expensive - from 200 pounds, plus everything if you really buy a kilt, and even then you need socks, jacket, bag, purse, or whatever this thing is properly called, in short, a complete outfit. Scot outfit from head to toe will cost about 500 pounds.



11) leaves a lasting impression of Edinburgh Castle, the towering 133-meter cliff (the rest of a long extinct volcano). According to historical evidence, there is a castle from the XI century, but the first buildings on the site were nearly 1,400 years ago.



12) The main areas of Edinburgh - the Old Town and New Town. The city has many small shops selling souvenirs to tourists. Edinburgh is also full of cafes and restaurants, many of them decorated in the style of the Victorian era.



13) Climate moderate sea in Edinburgh, soft. In summer the temperature rarely exceeds 23 ° C, while in winter rarely drops below 0 ° C.



14) The magnificent crown of Scotland, Edinburgh - this is not just a beautiful ancient city, the image of medieval architecture, streets that keep the memory of brave knights and castles and palaces - of its kings.



15) Today, Edinburgh - a place where the hosts the annual summer arts festival.



16) Every year in August in Edinburgh attracts the best theater and concert companies in the world, as well as the many millions of fans and tourists.



17) Edinburgh to be in a great location. Around him are the volcanic hills.



18) Excellent Edinburgh architecture shifts from the extraordinary buildings of the XVI century to the monumental masterpieces of the Gregorian and Victorian styles.



19) According to one version the name of the city of Edinburgh comes from the name of the fortress Din Eidyn, built on a cliff top in 630 Fortress eventually became famous Edinburgh Castle - the royal residence from the XI century, the national symbol of Scotland.



20) In general, it is widely disclosed in Edinburgh theme of death. Here is another story, I think many know her. The priest of the churches got himself a Scottish Terrier, named him Bobby. When the dog was 2 years old, the priest died. Since the death of the owner, Bobby did not depart from his grave for 14 years. Priests take care of him, fed, and it continued for years to sit on one place. When Bobby died, he wanted to be buried next to the grave owner, it would be logical, but the church, where a cemetery, forbidden to do so, since it was believed that the animal is not a place where people are buried. As a result, he was buried at the entrance to the cemetery.



21) People still come to the grave of Bobby and pay tribute to his loyalty - bring flowers, soft toys, pictures.



22) In time, he even erected a monument near the church, where he worked as a priest his master.



23) I really wanted to get a kilt, but the good are expensive - from 200 pounds, plus everything if you really buy a kilt, then there is need and leggings, jacket, bag, purse, or whatever it is correctly called this thing, in general, full equipment. Scot outfit from head to toe will cost about 500 pounds.



24) On the streets of the new town not crowded at almost any time of the day regardless of whether it is day or week holiday. I was walking along the street several times a day at different times over the 5 days, it looked like this always:



25) In the XVI-XVII centuries in Edinburgh we loved to burn witches. Judging by the stories of local residents, it was almost fun folk. Is a woman a witch was determined by the following criteria: 1) the most important attribute - red hair. As you might guess, in Scotland was a lot of red-haired women, most of them went well !; 2) green eyes - there is almost the same as the hair; 3) The third nipple. Of course, this is less common, but still happens. Once a woman zapodazrivali of witchcraft, it was necessary to ascertain whether she is a witch. To this end, it tied the hands and thrown into the river. If a woman drowned, so she is innocent. She was from this unlikely to feel better, but her family was glad that managed to avoid such a terrible shame. Sometimes it happens that a woman throws on the surface of the undercurrent, in this case, it was considered a witch and led to the penalty. If she confesses his deeds witches, her first killed and then burned at the stake. If not, burned alive.



26) Part of Edinburgh can be called "the least Scottish city of all cities of Scotland," in part because of the enormous impact of tourism, partly because of the close neighbor - England, partly due to the activity of many cultural population.



27) In Edinburgh, a huge, even for the Russian people, the number of pubs and drinking establishments of all kinds, an incredible number of students, and a variety of festivals held here and festivals make the city very much alive.



28) to Edinburgh, as well as for the whole of Scotland, it has a temperate maritime climate - relatively mild, despite the fact that the city is located on a fairly high northern latitudes. Compared to lie on the same latitude as Moscow and Labrador (Newfoundland) winter in Edinburgh quite warm, with the temperature rarely drops below 0 ° C.



29) Home dostoprichemechatelnost Edinburgh, and perhaps the whole of Scotland - Edinburgh Castle. He is so old that no one can really tell when he was based. In different sources the dates from 900 BC. e. to 600 AD. e. In the same castle stored Stone of Scone, or Stone of Destiny. I advise you to read the history of this stone, very funny, like the English and the Scots he dragged each other for centuries until 1996.



30) In the city center there is a large construction project - carried tram line.



31) National Gallery of Scotland - the oldest regional art gallery. Located in the heart of Edinburgh on the border of Old and New Town. The gallery has a rich collection of European painting and sculpture, which covers a considerable period since the Renaissance and before the era of post-impressionism, and includes paintings by Vermeer, Rubens, Titian, Tintoretto, Van Dyck, El Greco, Rembrandt, Watteau, Gainsborough, Monet , Gauguin, Pissarro, Cezanne and other great artists.



32) Scottish National Portrait Gallery - exhibition of the gallery is composed of portraits of famous Scots (rulers, national heroes, poets, revolutionaries, and other historical figures) National Gallery of Modern Art in Scotland - that founded in 1960, originally was located in the gallery of Pavilion at the Royal Botanical Gardens and represented a rather modest exhibition visitors. Currently, the gallery has a collection of more than 5 000 objects of art a variety of genres - from video installations to paintings.



33) University of Edinburgh, the largest higher education institution in Scotland, was founded by the decree of King James I in 1583, thus being the fourth date of the founding of Scotland - after the University of St Andrews, University of Glasgow and the University of Aberdeen.



34) As of April 2001, the city's population is 409, 000 people, most of whom, of course, the Scots, but also many foreigners, immigrants and all immigrants from around the world who do not know how to get here.



35) Edinburgh is considered one of the most beautiful and most picturesque cities in the United Kingdom.

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