Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the vibrant capital of Scotland. Edinburgh is not only a modern city with all of the conveniences you expect in a 21st century capital, but is also full of history. From the neo-classical architecture of the New Town to the more Medieval, organic style of the Old Town, Edinburgh's past stands on every corner, and its beauty lead to the Old and New towns being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The architecture in Edinburgh is reason enough to visit, but there are many other attractions that make a study holiday to Scotland a great idea.
Edinburgh is also a major cultural centre in the UK. The Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival run throughout the month of August. During this time you can participate in practically any entertainment activity you can think of - music, drama, comedy, opera, film and dance productions take place in hundreds of venues all over the city. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo also performs during August, and the city's licensing hours are extended, which means that you can enjoy Edinburgh's hospitality well in to the night. Just don't be late for class the next day!
During the rest of the year, Edinburgh is still a lively city with a great cultural and social life. There are hundreds of pubs, clubs and restaurants to choose from. Edinburgh is also home to the Scottish National Gallery and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, as well as several other galleries, theatres and cinemas showing everything from the latest Hollywood films to small independent foreign language offerings.
You will find the people of Edinburgh relaxed, friendly, and proud of their heritage.
Travelling to Edinburgh
Edinburgh is well-serviced by road, rail and air transport links. It has an international airport that connects the Scottish capital to cities all over Europe and beyond. By train, Edinburgh is three hours from Manchester, four and a half hours from London and less than an hour away from Glasgow. Edinburgh Waverley train station is perfectly located for you to get off the train and be in the middle of this historic city in minutes.
Getting around in Edinburgh
Travel in Edinburgh is very easy. Buses are cheap - a day ticket will cost you £3.00, which gives you unlimited travel, and most important city destinations can be reached without having to change buses. Several companies also operate guided bus tours of the city that can take you to the most visited tourist spots with a commentary in most major world languages - from Japanese to Italian.
As Edinburgh is such a picturesque place, you may decide to take a walk. Fortunately, Edinburgh is small enough to make walking around town feasible, but big enough to have all the modern conveniences that make city life so enjoyable - plentiful taxis, for example, if you get tired.
