Edinburgh, city, capital of Scotland, on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. Edinburgh is the second largest city in Scotland, after the industrial center of Glasgow. It is, however, Scotland's financial, cultural, educational, and service-industry hub. Among the city's manufactures are paper, whisky, electrical and electronic equipment, food products, and chemicals. The printing and publishing industry was well established here by the 16th century. Edinburgh's port, at the communities of Leith and Granton, is a major service point for vessels associated with the North Sea petroleum industry. The principal imports are petroleum products, grain, ores, and wood; exports include whisky, steel, and fertilizer. The city is also one of Britain's major tourist centers.
Edinburgh's central dominating landmark is Edinburgh Castle, rising on sheer cliffs above the city. Located here is the 11th-century Chapel of Saint Margaret, the city's oldest structure. The Castle Rock is connected to the 16th-century royal Scottish residence of Holyrood Palace by a road known as the Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare of the Old Town district of the city. Other notable buildings in Old Town include Saint Giles, the National Church of Scotland (largely 15th century); the Parliament House, seat of the Scottish Parliament from its completion in 1639 until 1707; and the house of the 16th-century Protestant reformer John Knox. To the north of this district is New Town, which was developed in the late 18th century and contains many fine buildings designed by the Scottish architect Robert Adam. Separating the two districts is Princes Street Gardens, occupying the bed of a loch that was drained in 1816.
