Edinburgh - Scotland - page 99

The capital played an important role in the Reformation (1560-1690), led by the
Calvinist firebrand John Knox. Mary, Queen of Scots held court in the Palace of Ho-
lyroodhouse for six brief years, but when her son James VI succeeded to the English
throne in 1603 he moved his court to London. The Act of Union in 1707 further reduced
Edinburgh's importance, but its cultural and intellectual life flourished.
In the second half of the 18th century a planned new town was created across the valley
to the north of the Old Town. During the Scottish Enlightenment (c 1740-1830), Edin-
burgh became known as 'a hotbed of genius', inhabited by leading scientists and philo-
sophers such as David Hume and Adam Smith.
EDINBURGH IN…
Two Days
A two-day trip to Edinburgh should start at Edinburgh Castle , followed by a stroll down the Royal Mile to the
Scottish Parliament Building and the Palace of Holyroodhouse . You can work up an appetite by climbing Ar-
thur's Seat , then satisfy your hunger with dinner at Ondine Offline map Google map or Castle Terrace
Offline map Google map . On day two spend the morning in the National Museum of Scotland
Offline map Google map then catch the bus to Leith for a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia . In the evening
have dinner at one of Leith's many excellent restaurants, or scare yourself silly on a guided ghost tour .
Four Days
Two more days will give you time for a morning stroll around the Royal Botanic Garden , followed by a trip to
the enigmatic and beautiful Rosslyn Chapel , or a relaxing afternoon visit to the seaside village of Cramond -
bring binoculars (for birdwatching and yacht-spotting) and a book (to read in the sun). Dinner at the Cafe Royal
Oyster Bar could be before or after your sunset walk to the summit of Calton Hill . On day four head out to the
pretty harbour village of Queensferry , nestled beneath the Forth Bridges , and take a cruise to Inchcolm island.
In the 19th century the population quadrupled to 400,000, not much less than today's,
and the Old Town's tenements were taken over by refugees from the Irish famines. A new
ring of crescents and circuses was built to the north of New Town, and grey Victorian ter-
races spread south of the Old Town.
In the 1920s the city's borders expanded again to encompass Leith in the north, Cra-
mond in the west and the Pentland Hills in the south. Following WWII the city's cultural
life blossomed, stimulated by the Edinburgh International Festival and its fellow traveller,
the Fringe, both held for the first time in 1947 and now recognised as world-class arts
festivals.