Edinburgh

Edinburgh (pronounced {{IPA|/??d?n?br?/}}), Dùn Èideann ({{IPA|/tu?n ?e?t??n/}}) in Scottish Gaelic, is the second-largest city in Scotland and is the country's capital city.

Viewpoints

The varied topography of the city includes several summits which command sweeping views over Edinburgh.

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To the southeast of central Edinburgh stands the eminence known as Arthur's Seat, overlooking Holyrood House and the Old Town beside it. The crag is a collection of side vents of the main volcano on which Edinburgh is built. The volcano slipped and tipped sideways, leaving these vents as the highest points for miles around. Arthur's Seat is now part of Holyrood Park, originally owned by the monarch and part of the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It contains Britain's largest concentration of geological SSSIs, as well as providing the people of Edinburgh with spectacular views of and from Arthur's Seat and somewhere to relax after a long day in the city.

Related Topics:
Arthur's Seat - Holyrood Park - Palace of Holyroodhouse - Geological - SSSIs

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To the northeast, overlooking the New Town, is Calton Hill. It is topped by an assortment of buildings and monuments: two observatories, Nelson's Monument (a tower dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson), the old Royal High School (once almost the home of a devolved Parliament), and the unfinished National Monument, which is modelled on the Parthenon from the Athenian Acropolis and is nicknamed "Edinburgh's Disgrace".

Related Topics:
Calton Hill - Nelson's Monument - Horatio Nelson - Royal High School - National Monument - Parthenon - Acropolis

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