Edinburgh Tourist Information and History
Getting around - other related articles in this section - Tourist Info - Things to do in Edinburgh - Edinburgh Short Break Tours - Edinburgh Castle - Edinburgh Tattoo - Edinburgh ZooNo visitor can reap the full rewards of a weekend break to Edinburgh without having at least a faint idea of what Scotland's been through over the last few thousand years. If your historical knowledge is limited to long haired men clad in blue paint and kilts, here's a quick history lesson followed by some basic tourist information.
History of Edinburgh
Edinburgh likes to brag its first inhabitants as settling around 8500 BC in an area northwest of the city. However, it wasn't until 900 BC that interest sparked in settling the area known today as the city centre. The attraction was because of an extinct volcano that had three of its four sides shorn practically sheer by glaciers, making it a defender's dream. In 638 BC Northumbrian Angles built the first fort there known as Dun Eadain.
The next 500 years or so were spent settling the area around Dun Eadain; markets sprung up and inhabitants moved in. In 1124 David I held court at the castle to defend his patch of Earth; the next few hundred years meant strife and fraction across all of Scotland as the English aggravated clan warfare in their mission to smother Scottish independence.
The centuries were long and bloody as kings rose and fell due to their own transgressions and the work of informants. A fascinating bit of Edinburgh tourist information is that Edinburgh Castle, the defensible fortress, only fell twice in battle and both times it was to the Scottish who were recapturing it from the English.
In 1450 a defence wall encircled around the area known as Old Town and the city's population built upwards in the form of early, 12 storey 'skyscrapers' in the safe zone.
With regards to Edinburgh's history, the 16th century was spent battling the English (again) until the Act of Union in 1707 settled the matter by squashing the Scottish Parliament along with all hopes of Scottish independence. The Scottish Enlightenment came about in the 19th century and the city swelled to quadruple in size to 400,000 people, many of which were Irish refugees fleeing the famines.
Devolution in 1999 reinstated the Scottish Parliament and placed Scottish power back in Edinburgh for the first time in almost 300 years. Today, the Parliament shares rule with London.
City Centre Tourist Information Office
The Edinburgh Tourist Information Centre is located in the city centre at 3 Princes Street above the Princes Mall shopping centre. Call 0131 473 3666 within Scotland and 0845 2255 121 from within the UK .
Edinburgh is such a compact city that the best way to experience it is on foot. If you prefer to cycle, bikes can be hired for £10 per day from Biketrax Cyle Hire in the city centre; contact them at 0131 228 6633. If you find Edinburgh's hilly geography too intimidating, Lothian Buses (www.lothianbuses.co.uk) and First Group (www.firstgroup.com) offer city centre travel; day tickets are available from £1.80.
Recommended Reading
A History of Scotland (Penguin History) by J.D. Mackie et al.: a fun book that answers almost every question about castles and kilted men.
Robert the Bruce: King of Scots by Ronald McNair Scott: a quick read about Scotland's most revered military leader.
How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World & Everything in It by Arthur Herman: beyond bagpipes to talk about Scottish success.
Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch by Michael Jackson: a must for every whisky aficionado.
The Scottish Golf Book by Malcolm Campbell: a mandatory accessory for any golf bag.
World Holiday Travel Guides - Cyprus Holiday Travel Guide & Vacations - Costa Rica Holiday Travel Guide - Croatia Holiday Travel Guide - Dubai Holiday & Vacation Travel Guide - France Holiday & Vacation Travel Guide - Greece Holiday & Vacation Travel Guide - Hawaii Holiday Travel Guide - Ibiza Holiday & Vacation Travel Guide - Italy Holiday & Vacation Travel Guide - Majorca Holiday & Vacation Travel Guide - Malta Vacation & Holiday Travel Guide - Mexico Vacation & Holiday Travel Guide - Portugal Vacation & Holiday Travel Guide - Spanish Holiday Travel Guide & Vacations - India Holiday & Travel Guide - Thailand Holiday Travel Guide - Scotland Golf Holidays
Specialist Breaks - Alaska Holiday Travel Guide - World Cruises - Golf Holidays - Grand Canyon Vacations - Climb Kilimanjaro - Las Vegas Vacations - African Safaris - Orlando Vacations
Weekend City Breaks - Buy & Sell Timeshare - Airport Parking - Airport Hotels - Ferry Tickets - Vacation Rentals in Spain - Travel Insurance
Contact | Site Map Weekend City Breaks | Disclaimer | Privacy | About Us
