Buzzwords and comparisons like "Athens of the North," or "Gateway to Scotland," don't do justice to what is probably the most beautiful city in the British Isles. Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-burra by the Scots) lies in the Central Valley of Scotland, with castles upon hills in Southern Uplands below, and the mountains and coastlines of the Highlands above. The world has felt the impact of this land through the novels and poetry of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; heard the legends of William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots; but Edinburgh, the city itself, must be experienced to be known.

The little walled town of Edinburgh was founded on an extinct volcano, where Edinburgh Castle now sits. The city has grown over the years into a thriving metropolis that still preserves its "quaint village" ambiance, with large gardens and spectacular neoclassical architecture everywhere. Continuously voted as the best place to live in the UK, hundreds of thousands of people live in the city now, yet the old ways live on in places like the neighborhood pubs. The most exciting event of the year is the Edinburgh International Festival every August, when a million people flock to the city, make a lot of noise, get a lot of culture, and have a ton of fun.