Edinburgh

This article is about the capital of Scotland. For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation).

Edinburgh Dùn Èideann (Scottish Gaelic)
Capital city, lieutenancy and council area
Skyline of Central Edinburgh, with the Dugald Stewart Monument (forefront) and Edinburgh Castle (background) Scott Monument Scottish Parliament Building National Monument of Scotland St Giles' Cathedral Arthur's Seat Palace of Holyroodhouse Edinburgh Castle Royal Scottish Academy Building
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  Auld Reekie Edina Athens of the North
Motto:  Latin: Nisi Dominus Frustra, lit. 'Without the Lord, all is in vain'
Edinburgh City shown within Scotland
Edinburgh Location within Scotland Edinburgh Location within the United Kingdom
Coordinates: 55°57′12″N 3°11′21″W
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Scotland
Founded	Before 7th century AD
Burgh charter	1124
City status	1633
Unitary authority	1 April 1996
Administrative HQ	Edinburgh City Chambers
Government
• Type	Council
• Body	The City of Edinburgh Council
• Control	No overall control
• MPs	5 MPs Scott Arthur (Lab) Tracy Gilbert (Lab) Ian Murray (Lab) Chris Murray (Lab) Christine Jardine (LibDem)
• MSPs	6 MSPs Ash Regan (Independent) Angus Robertson (SNP) Daniel Johnson (Lab) Gordon MacDonald (SNP) Ben Macpherson (SNP) Alex Cole-Hamilton (LibDem)
Area
• Total	102 sq mi (263 km2)
• Rank	23rd
Population  (2024)
• Total	530,680
• Rank	2nd
• Density	5,220/sq mi (2,015/km2)
Demonym	Edinburgher
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode areas	EH1–17, EH28–30
Dialling codes	0131
ISO 3166 code	GB-EDH
GSS code	S12000036
Website	www.edinburgh.gov.uk
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iv
Reference	728
Inscription	1995 (19th Session)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	The Forth Bridge
Criteria	Cultural: i, iv
Reference	1485
Inscription	2015 (39th Session)

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Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. It is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in 2020, making it the second-most-populous city in Scotland (behind Glasgow) and the seventh-most-populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year.

Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, the highest courts in Scotland, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. It is also the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scottish law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1582 and is now one of four universities in the city. The financial centre of Scotland, Edinburgh was ranked as the second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, the fourth-largest in Europe, and the thirteenth-largest in the world in the Global Financial Centres Index in 2020.

The city is a cultural centre, and is the home of institutions including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland, and the Scottish National Gallery. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, St Giles' Cathedral, Greyfriars Kirk, Canongate Kirk and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Old Town and the New Town are together listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the site has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999. The city's historical and cultural attractions have made it Britain's second-most-visited tourist destination, attracting 5.3 million visits, including 2.4 million from overseas, in 2023.

Edinburgh is governed by the City of Edinburgh Council, a unitary authority. The City of Edinburgh council area had an estimated population of 530,680 in 2024, and includes outlying towns and villages. The city is in the Lothian region and was historically part of the shire of Midlothian (also called Edinburghshire).