Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. This distinction is partly an accident of Nature, for the city is built upon a jumble of hills and valleys; however, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the natural geography was enhanced by the works of a succession of distinguished Georgian and Victorian architects. The result today is high drama; there are countless spots where Edinburgh looks less like a city and more like a theatrical backdrop. The view from Edinburgh's Calton Hill, across the River Forth to Fife, looks more like a scene from ancient Rome.

Edinburgh incidentally, is named after Edwin, a king of ancient Northumbria; it has been a Royal Burgh since at least the twelfth century, and has been recognized as the capital of Scotland since the fifteenth century.

Edinburgh, Scotland