Edinburgh has many unique features that attract every visitor to the city. Before coming here, different people may have very different impressions of Edinburgh; maybe it’s the classical and elegant buildings and landscapes, or maybe it’s the wizarding world from Harry Potter. Apart from Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill, there are a lot of cool facts about Edinburgh. Today, I will introduce 20 facts about Edinburgh you may not know.
1. Edinburgh Castle is an Extinct Volcano
Do you know Edinburgh Castle facts? It’s an interesting fact that Edinburgh Castle is an extinct volcano now 700 million years old. Castle Rock last erupted 340 million years ago, so there is no need to worry about it erupting again anytime soon. Nearby Arthur’s Seats is also an extinct volcano. The whole city of Edinburgh unfolds around a castle built on volcanic rock. The unique topography, created by Ice Age volcanoes and glaciers, gives Edinburgh a distinctive air and ‘layered feel’. Until you arrive here, it is hard to imagine how the highlands and hills, the river valleys and green spaces can be contained within a city that covers a total area of only 264 square kilometres.
2. The Royal Mile’s True Length
As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is supposed to be a mile long, but in fact, the distance from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace is 1mile 107yards long – perhaps Scotland didn’t use the standard measure of miles in the old days, but rather the ‘Scots Mile’. The Royal Mile is Edinburgh’s shopping mecca, the busiest street in the Old Town. It is lined with old buildings steeped in history. The spectacular old buildings are set against a backdrop of art from around the world and inspire performers.
3. World’s First Fire Service
Edinburgh has the world’s first fire brigade Fire Chief. James Braidwood, born in 1800, formed the first municipal fire brigade in 1824. After graduating from the Royal High School, Braidwood became an apprentice builder with a particular interest in how fires spread. This was a time when the Edinburgh New Town’s urban area was expanding, and the number of fires was increasing, so Braidwood worked with the city council to create the world’s first municipal fire brigade in 1824. Shortly after its founding, the Edinburgh Fire Brigade was put to the test when the city’s historically famous Great Fire broke out along the Royal Mile and burned all the way to Tron Kirk. Braidwood was instrumental in using scientific knowledge to guide the fight against the fire.
4. The Greenest City in the World
Edinburgh has the highest number of trees per capita in the UK, with 112 gardens scattered throughout the city, making it the most environmentally friendly city in the UK, and those who like to wander around the various parks can have a great time doing so. Marvellous facts about Edinburgh’s green coverage rate is as high as 49.3 per cent, which is much higher than that of London (21 per cent) and New York (27 per cent). According to the World Urban Green Space Report, each citizen has an average of 12.3 trees, which exceeds many cities in tropical rainforest regions.
5. Published the First Encyclopaedia Britannica
The first Encyclopaedia Britannica was published in Edinburgh on 10 December 1768.The book was conceived, edited, and printed in Edinburgh throughout its entirety, and its publication represented the Scottish Enlightenment.In 2018, the National Library of Scotland also reprinted the first edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
6. Wash your face at Arthur’s Seat
There is an interesting fact about Edinburgh Arthur’s Seat. Every year, on the early morning of 1 May, a number of people climb to the top of Arthur’s Seat to wash their faces in dew, which is said to bring health, happiness and beauty for the coming year. The tradition has been around for a long time, but it was only in the late 1960s that it became massively popular, with thousands of people participating in what was known as ‘a-maying’. The tradition still exists today, but the number of participants has greatly diminished, so you can join in the fun. However, you need to get up early, as the event usually starts at 4:00 am and ends at 8:00 am.
7. Carlton Hill Unfinished
As the same place to visit for Jay Chou’s music video, I’m sure many students have already seen the monument on Calton Hill, but this popular tourist spot once had a bad reputation. Designed to commemorate Scottish soldiers who died in the Napoleonic Wars, the monument was designed in 1823, modelled on the Parthenon in Athens, and construction began in 1826. It’s an unknown Edinburgh fact that The Memorial on Calton Hill was halted unfinished in 1829 due to lack of funds. The half-finished state of the monument was, therefore, much satirised in Scotland, with nicknames such as ‘Scotland’s Folly’ and ‘Edinburgh’s Disgrace’ being used for the monument, which has now come to a bitter end.
8. Electric Blankets Under the Road
Putting electric blankets underneath the road to keep it free of snow and ice sounds unthinkable. Still, a fantastic fact about Edinburgh, Scotland, is that such a road existed once upon a time. In 1955, as the road called The Mound was often too icy for cars to drive on, they laid 35 kilometres of electric blanket-like installations underneath it to keep it warm enough for the cars to run smoothly in the winter.
9. Not Always Scotland’s Capital
It’s an amazing fact about Scotland that Edinburgh didn’t become the capital of Scotland until 1437. Before that, the capital of Scotland was in a small town called Scone in Perth in the centre of Scotland, where the kings of Scotland used to live or be crowned. There is still an old royal palace called Scone Palace there.It’s an amazing fact about Scotland that Edinburgh didn’t become the capital of Scotland until 1437. Before that, the capital of Scotland was in a small town called Scone in Perth in the centre of Scotland, where the kings of Scotland used to live or be crowned. There is still an old royal palace called Scone Palace there.
10. 75% of City Buildings Heritage-Listed
Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site covers almost 2 square miles, and over 75 per cent of its buildings are World Heritage listed. Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns are together on the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it one of the few major cities in the world to have its entire city inscribed on the World Heritage List.
11. The Only Railway Station Named After a Novel
Many of the students will have seen Waverley Station in the centre of the city of Edinburgh, and although the name may be obscure, it is the only railway station in the world to be named after a novel. The station takes its name from a novel by Walter Scott, one of Scotland’s greatest writers.
12. Balmoral Clock Runs Ahead
As a landmark in Edinburgh, students will be no stranger to The Balmoral in the city centre, especially its towering clock tower. However, the clock tower is not accurate; it is three minutes fast, but of course, the clock tower has its moments, and on New Year’s Eve every year, its time is accurate. The Balmoral clock is one of the fun facts about Edinburgh that many people should know.
13. Edinburgh Castle’s 15th-Century Ladder Blunder
In 1715, the Jacobites, an army supporting King James II, laid siege to Edinburgh Castle. They prepared ladders in the hope that they would be able to climb the rocky cliffs around the castle. What they didn’t realise was that the ladders were too short, and they had to return without success. Sound ridiculous? But a true fact about Edinburgh.
14. Real Birthplace’ of Harry Potter
When it comes to Harry Potter writing locations, the one that comes to mind must be the Elephant Café, but in fact, the real writing location for the first Harry Potter series would have been the Nicolsons Café (now renamed Spoon), which was then owned by Rowling’s brother-in-law, who let Rowling, who didn’t have a great deal of money to live on, have free coffee here and always left the window seat for her.
15. First World City of Literature
One of the nonnegligible facts about Edinburgh is literature. In 2004, UNESCO honoured Edinburgh as the World City of Literature, the first city of literature in the world. Edinburgh lives up to this honour, with more than 60 libraries for every 100,000 people, the world’s highest number of libraries per capita.
16. Grassmarket was Once a Penal Colony
The Grassmarket next to Edinburgh Castle is also a street that many people frequent. You must have no idea what it used to be. Students may feel unbelievable facts about Edinburgh Grassmarket was once used as a penal colony, where thieves and murderers were hanged, especially at the end of the 17th century, and so many executions were carried out that it became known as The Killing Time.
17. Anaesthetic First Used in Edinburgh
In 1847, Simpson first used chloroform (trichloromethane) as a general anaesthetic in surgery at the University of Edinburgh. The first success was the painless delivery of a woman in labour, and subsequently, chloroform was widely used in surgery, particularly in obstetrics.
18. Edinburgh Castle Gate Ban in Semester
There is another fun fact about Edinburgh Castle. It is said that any Edinburgh University student who passes through the gates of Edinburgh Castle during term time will fail their final exams. Although this legend is very unreliable, there are still a small number of students who are not willing to go to the gates of Edinburgh Castle during the deadline; perhaps this is the power of metaphysics!
19. Edinburgh Castle’s Spy Windows
At the top right of the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle is a small window called ‘Laird’s Lug’, which translates as ‘the Lord’s Ear’, which was built to eavesdrop on conversations in the Great Hall. It was built in 1511 by James IV to spy on and eavesdrop on conversations in the hall, and in 1984, when Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev planned to visit, the Russian Secret Service requested that the window be sealed off before the visit.
20. Student Accommodation on the Smuggling Corridor
Portsburgh Court is not only a modern student housing in Edinburgh, it’s also a ‘living history museum’ – a 16th-century whisky smuggling tunnel hidden deep beneath the ground floor, now converted into a fire escape. It has been converted into a fire escape, but students are still not allowed to enter alone at night.
FAQ
What are interesting facts about Edinburgh?
There are many interesting facts about Edinburgh, including
- Edinburgh Castle is an Extinct Volcano
- The Royal Mile is 1mile 107yards long
- Edinburgh is the Greenest City in the World
- Wash your face at Arthur’s Seat
- The Memorial on Calton Hill was unfinished
Is Edinburgh the prettiest city in the world?
Yes. Edinburgh is a pretty city in the World. Edinburgh is a popular tourist destination for many Brits and foreigners.
What is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
August is ideal for festivals (Fringe, Royal Military Tattoo), but May-June offers fewer crowds and blooming gardens. Winter (November-January) dazzles with Christmas markets and Hogmanay celebrations.
