Edinburgh and Surrounds
Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and the surrounding area is a charming combination of bustling new towns and rural villages. All this makes the area a very desirable place to live.
Key facts
- 1.2 million population
- 263.73 square kilometres of land
- 41.2 percent is designated as greenbelt
- 68,790 students are enrolled in Edinburgh's internationally recognised universities
Population
The city of Edinburgh has a population of over 477,660.
The surrounding area consists of
- East Lothian population 97,500
- West Lothian population 170,000
- Midlothian population 80,000
The Lothian's consist of several towns and villages in close proximity to Edinburgh including
- Livingston in West Lothian
- Penicuik in Mid Lothian
- Musselburgh in East Lothian
History
Packed with history, Edinburgh was founded in the 7th century and has over 4,500 listed buildings in the city. Many of the cities modern streets merge seamlessly with the old, that date back to medieval times.
The city is set against a backdrop of rocky crags and extinct volcanoes, with the ancient Edinburgh Castle dramatically dominating the skyline.
East Lothian's many historic and cultural attractions include
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Award-winning Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick
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Museum of Flight at East Fortune — which houses Scotland's national aviation collection and now a Concorde
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Dirleton and Tantallon Castles
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Prestongrange Museum at Prestonpans
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Glenkinchie Distillery
Much of West Lothian's rich heritage survives into the present.
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Re-live the past as you discover the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots
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Visit the finest of stately homes
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Tread in the footsteps of our ancient ancestors
Rich in heritage, Midlothian offers a host of historic attractions, including
Other, more modern attractions include
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Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World
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Edinburgh Crystal Visitor Centre at Penicuik
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Scottish Mining Museum at Newtongrange
Economy
Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, has the strongest economy of any UK city outside London. The main industries are, education, health, finance, retailing and tourism.
The centre of the city is divided into the Old Town and the New Town, both of which are World Heritage sites and are steeped in atmosphere and are endlessly fascinating to wander around.
In East Lothian, the local economy is focused firmly on agriculture, with farmland making up nearly 90 percent of the total land area, over half of that devoted to arable farming.
East Lothian Council is the region's largest employer, with tourism, quarrying, energy, electronics and research accounting for other sizeable groups.
West Lothian, once famous for its thriving coal and oil industries, today it's home to a cluster of world-leading hi-tech firms, with particular strengths in electronics, software and communications.
Midlothian, once heavily dependent on coal mining, today supports a mixed economy based on agriculture, biotechnology, tourism and 'animal welfare'. The area is regarded as something of a residential development, with the highest concentrations in Dalkeith and Penicuik.
Travelling to and from Edinburgh
Edinburgh and the Surrounds benefit from excellent transport links.
By road
Edinburgh is at the hub of the Scottish motorway network with the
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M8 providing a direct link to Glasgow (60 minutes) and the west
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M9 leading to Stirling (45 minutes) and the north
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A1 running east and then south, to London
By rail
Equally well served by rail, Edinburgh and Glasgow are connected by a 50-minute shuttle service that operates every 15 minutes.
The East Coast Line, meanwhile, is the fastest inter-city railway in Britain. Edinburgh to London King's Cross takes just over four hours, whilst York, Newcastle, Inverness and Aberdeen are all within a two-hour ride.
By air
Edinburgh also has its own International Airport, just eight miles west of the city centre. Boasting over 40 flights a day to London, it operates regular services to more than 20 UK airports, as well as scheduled flights from Europe and transatlantic charter flights. Budget airlines including Ryanair and EasyJet operate services from Edinburgh.
By sea
The latest addition to this world-class transport infrastructure is the SuperFast Ferries service that sails direct from Rosyth by Edinburgh to Zeebrugge in mainland Europe.
Discover more on living and working in Edinbugh at the Edinburgh Inspiring Capital website