III.

Places of Interest

Edinburgh’s central dominating landmark is Edinburgh Castle, rising on sheer cliffs above the city. Located in the castle is the 11th-century Chapel of Saint Margaret, the city’s oldest structure. Scottish crown jewels are on display in the castle. The Castle Rock is connected to the 16th-century royal Scottish residence of Holyrood Palace by a road known as the Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare of the Old Town district of the city. Other notable buildings in Old Town include Saint Giles, the National Church of Scotland (largely 15th century); the Parliament House, seat of the Scottish Parliament from its completion in 1639 until 1707; and the house of the 16th-century Protestant reformer John Knox.

To the north of the Old Town is New Town. This area was developed in the late 18th century as a pioneering venture in town planning and contains many fine examples of Georgian architecture, including buildings designed by Scottish architect Robert Adam. Separating the two districts is Princes Street Gardens, occupying the bed of a loch (lake) that was drained in 1816. Princes Street itself has been described as one of the most beautiful thoroughfares in the world. Beside it there is a large neo-Gothic monument to Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott.

Among Edinburgh’s cultural institutions are the National Gallery of Scotland (1859), the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (1882), the Royal Museum of Scotland (1854), and museums of modern art and Scottish history. The Edinburgh International Festival, held here annually since 1947, is a world-renowned arts festival. The University of Edinburgh (1583) is especially noted for its schools of medicine and law. Other educational institutions include Heriot-Watt University (1821), Edinburgh College of Art (1907), and colleges of architecture, technology, education, and theology.