Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland & one of its 32 nearby government council zones. Situated in Lothian on the Firth of Forth's southern shore, it is Scotland's second most crowded city and the seventh most crowded in the United Kingdom. The 2014 authority populace gauges are 464,990 for the city of Edinburgh, 492,680 for the neighborhood expert range, and 1,339,380 for the city locale starting at 2014 (Edinburgh lies at the core of the proposed Edinburgh and South East Scotland city area).

Perceived as the capital of Scotland since at any rate the fifteenth century, Edinburgh is home to the Scottish Parliament and the seat of the government in Scotland. The city is likewise the yearly scene of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and home to national establishments, for example, the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. It is the biggest financial related focus in the UK after London.

Verifiably part of Midlothian, the city has for quite some time been a focal point of instruction, especially in the fields of drug, Scots law, writing, the sciences and building. The University of Edinburgh, established in 1582 & now one of four in the city, was set 17th in the QS World University Rankings in 2013 and 2014. The city is additionally acclaimed for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the last being the world's biggest yearly global expressions celebration.

The city's authentic and social attractions have made it the United Kingdom's second most famous vacationer goal after London, drawing in more than one million abroad guests every year. Noteworthy destinations in Edinburgh incorporate Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and the places of worship of St. Giles, Grey friars and the Canongate, & the broad Georgian New Town, worked in the 18th century. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are recorded as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has been overseen by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999.