In the city of Edinburgh, capital of Scotland

 “The Scots think of it as their capital; they’re too possessive. Edinburgh belongs to the world.” -- Richard Demarco

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(in southeastern Scotland) Known for its beautiful castle, the Royal Mile and Arthur’s seat, the historical city of Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, found near the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, an arm of the North Sea that thrusts westward into the Scottish Lowlands. The city and most of its council area, including the busy port of Leith on the Firth of Forth, lie within the historic county of Midlothian. Edinburgh is a city of somber theatricality, with much of this quality deriving from its setting -- among crags and hills, and from its tall buildings and spires of dark stone. Edinburgh has been a military stronghold, the capital of an independent country, and a center of intellectual activity. Though it has repeatedly experienced the vicissitudes of fortune, the city has always renewed itself. Today. it is the seat of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive, and it remains an important center for finance, law, tourism, education, and cultural affairs. One of Europe’s most beautiful cities, it is draped across a series of rocky hills overlooking the sea. From the Old Town’s jumble of medieval tenements piled high along the Royal Mile, its turreted skyline strung between the bull-nosed Castle Rock and the russet palisade of Salisbury Crags, to the New Town’s neat grid of neoclassical respectability, the city offers a constantly changing perspective. It is here that the world's biggest arts festival rises each year, phoenix-like, from the ashes of last year's rave reviews and broken box-office records to produce yet another string of superlatives. It is here, beneath the Greek temples of Calton Hill -- Edinburgh's acropolis --, that the Scottish parliament sits again after a 300-year absence.

+ Like a favorite book (or movie), Edinburgh is a city you’ll want to dip into again and again, savoring a different experience each time -- the castle silhouetted against a blue spring sky with a yellow haze of daffodils misting the slopes below the esplanade, with only the yawp of seagulls to break the unexpected silence; heading for a cafe on a cold Winter morning with the fog snagging the spires of the Old Town; or, festival fireworks crackling in the night sky as you stand, shiveringly transfixed, amid the crowds in Princes Street Gardens -- on New Year's Eve. While here, be sure to take a stroll around the center to explore the World Heritage Sites of the Old Town and New Town, as well as all the area’s museums and galleries. Pause to fortify yourself with tea and scones at the city’s charming tea rooms, or duck into a traditional pub. Then head out to take in one of Edinburgh’s many events -- including the famous summer festivals of culture, or the Winter Festivals of music, light, and ceilidhs (social events at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling.)