The Case for Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital, and second largest city of Scotland, laying on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. It is the principal settlement in Lothian and the seat of the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament. With a population of 488,050 in 2016, the city lies at the centre of a larger urban zone of approximately 901,455 people.
Each August the city hosts the biggest annual international arts festival in the world. This includes the Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Other festivals are held throughout the year, such as the Science Festival, Film Festival and Jazz and Blues Festival. Other annual events include the Hogmanay street party and Beltane.
Edinburgh is the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature and the city’s Old Town and New Town are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world and regularly polls as one of the best places to live, having won more than 12 UK Best City Awards in 8 years to 2013.
Attracting over one million overseas visitors a year, Edinburgh is the second most popular tourist destination in the UK (after London) and was voted European Destination of the Year at the World Travel Awards 2012.
