EDINBURGH, MTh-bur-U. A royal and Par liamentary burgh, the capital of Scotland and county town of Midlothian, situated on a series of eminences about two miles south of the Firth of Forth and 47 miles east of Glasgow, in latitude 55° 57' N. and longitude 3° 12' W. (Map: Scot land, E 4). It now includes the town of Porto bello on the Firth of Forth, as well as numerous other outlying districts which were annexed in 1896. The mean altitude is about 21)0 feet above the sea-level. Edinburgh is divided into the old and New Towns• by a deep ravine, the former bed of the Nor' Loeb. which has been turned into the charming recreation grounds of East and \Vest Princes Street Gardens. The gardens are crossed by the North Bridge. the \Vaverley Bridge, and the Mound, an artificial embankment, on which are built the Royal In stitution and the National Gallery. The former contains an excellent collection of antiquities illustrating the progress of civilization and cul ture in Scotland, and a sculpture gallery. It is the meeting-place of the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; the National Gallery contains a very complete collection of the Scotch school of painting as well as numerous examples of the old masters. The annual ex hibitions of the Royal Scottish are held here. The Old Town, extending from the Castle on the west to the Palace of Hol•rood on the east, contains the nucleus of the ancient burgh of Edinburgh. which grew up about. the Castle, and the neighboring burgh of Callongate, which bad its origin in the foundation of the Abbey of Holyrood, and which retained its sep arate municipality until the extensions of 1S56, it became an integral part Of Edinburgh, Two main streets running almost parallel inter sect the Ohl Town—lligh Street, which is known throughout its length by live different names, viz., Castle till], Law nmarket, High Street, Netherhow, and Canongate; and Cowgate.
The Castle, which stands on the site of a struc ture built early in the seventh century by Edwin, King of Northunihria, occupies a rocky eminence 300 feet above the valley, and is accessible only on its side. The present edifice dates from the fourteenth century. It has frequently served both as a place of residence and a prison for the Scottish kings. It was here that
Queen of Scots gave birth to her son .lanies. lu the so-called crown-room are kept the crown regalia, known as the Honours of Rrot lund. Palace (q.v.) had its origin in an abbey founded by David I. in the twelfth cen tury. It snbsequently became the favorite resi dence of the Scotch monarchs, and was the scene of some of the tragic events in the tile of Mary, Queen of Scots. Among the other notable features of the Old Town are the parish church of Saint Cile3, the present edifice dat ing from the fourteenth century, with a hand some lantern spire, the burial-place of the Marquis of Montrose and the scene of the signing of the Solemn League and Covenant; the old Tron Church. the house occupied for a num ber of years by the great reformer, John Knox; Parliament Douse. formerly the meeting-place of the Scottish Parliament, but utilized since the Union as the seat of the Supreme Courts and containing the Advocates' Library, with over 4S5,000 volumes, the largest in Scotland and one of the five in the United Kingdom entitled to a copy of every book published in the king dom. It also contains the Signet Library (65, 000 volumes). The churchyard of Canongate Church is the burial-place of Dugald Stewart, Robert Fergusson, and Adam Smith, and Grey friars' Churchyard contains the tombs of George Buchanan, Allan Ramsay, and Robertson, the historian.
The chief thoroughfare of the New Town is Princes Street, which skirts the ravine separat ing the two towns, and commands for its entire length an excellent view of the picturesque Old Town. In the eastern gardens facing Princes Street stands the Scott Monument, and at the easterly end of the street stand the Post-Office and Register Mousse, the latter being the reposi tory for all title deeds and public records. Above these buildings rises the Calton llill to a height of about 355 feet above the sea-level, crowned by the Royal (iliservatory, .Nelson Monu ment. and National Monument. It eommands a magnificent panorama, only excelled by that ob tained front Arthur's Seat. which rises to a height of over s00 feet behind 1101yrood. At the foot of Calton is the old Calton burial-ground, which contains the grave of David Anne, the philoso pher and historian.