10 fascinating facts about… Edinburgh

Edinburgh becomes one of the must-visit cities each year as the Scottish capital’s various festivals kick off.

Whether it’s the fringe, comedy, book, food or any  other festival going on during July and August, Edinburgh is the place to be at this time of year.

Edinburgh replaced Scone as the capital of Scotland in 1437.

Mary, Queen of Scots might have popped in for a pie to the oldest pub in Edinburgh, The Sheep Heid Inn, established in 1360.

Edinburgh is home to nearly 500,000 people.

Police had to hold back hordes of students trying to gain entry to the public dissection of murderer William Burke at Edinburgh’s medical school in 1829.

More than four million people visit the city each year.

St Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest building in Edinburgh

Dating from the 12th century, St Margaret’s Chapel is the oldest surviving building in the city. It is part of Edinburgh Castle.

The Mound was formed from earth excavated during the building of the New Town.

Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site covers 1.76 square miles and over 75% of all the buildings are listed – the highest concentration of listed buildings in the UK.

Edinburgh has 112 parks, as well as more trees per head of population than any other UK city.

The capital was the first city in the world to have a fire brigade, after the Great Fire of Edinburgh in 1824 destroyed much of the Old Town.

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