{"id":3687,"date":"2016-01-07T22:47:59","date_gmt":"2016-01-08T05:47:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/?p=3687"},"modified":"2019-08-27T03:11:52","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T10:11:52","slug":"20-fun-facts-about-edinburgh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/20-fun-facts-about-edinburgh","title":{"rendered":"20 Fun Facts about Edinburgh"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/moscow\/tours\">Moscow tour<\/a> guide Dasha traveled to the UK on New Year holidays, and here are her impressions blended with\u00a020 Fun Facts about Edinburgh.<\/p>\n<p>I fell in love with Edinburgh \u2013 the place where castles and gardens compete with whisky and beer \u2013 and actually it impressed me even more than London.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing can be compared to this atmosphere of medieval times, amazing grey buildings, peaceful local life and true Scottish spirit.<\/p>\n<p>This is where peace and history go to relax, and you should too. \u00a0Or write a sequel to Harry Potter. Joanne Rowling won\u2019t mind as long as you\u2019re happy.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_19485\"  width=\"1070\" height=\"602\"  data-origwidth=\"1070\" data-origheight=\"602\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3HdM4n7bGIk?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Set the tone for this historical adventure by plunging into the history of Edinburgh and exploring its gems. Let the story begin with&#8230; <strong>20 fun facts about Edinburgh.<\/strong><br \/>\nHere are <a href=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/10-things-to-do-in-london\">10 things to\u00a0do in London<\/a>, if London is in your bucket list.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3694\" src=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-tourism.jpg\" alt=\"Edinburgh tourist\" width=\"807\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-tourism.jpg 807w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-tourism-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-tourism-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-tourism-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Edinburghers have called this area home since <strong>7th century A<\/strong>D. See if you like what they\u2019ve done to the city that is sometimes called the Athens of the North&#8221; and decide for yourself if you agree with Robert Louis Stevenson that &#8220;Edinburgh is what Paris ought to be&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>The massive and gorgeous <strong>Edinburgh castle<\/strong> is built on an extinct volcano. The last time the volcano erupted was 350 million years ago.<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3695\" src=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-travel.jpg\" alt=\"Facts about Edinburgh\" width=\"807\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-travel.jpg 807w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-travel-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-travel-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-travel-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>The volcano`s crater got the name \u201c<strong>Arthur`s Throne<\/strong>\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>From the ancient times the Edinburgh castle has an unofficial name \u2013 <strong>The Key from the Country<\/strong>.<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3693\" src=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-sightseeing.jpg\" alt=\"Visiting Edinburgh\" width=\"807\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-sightseeing.jpg 807w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-sightseeing-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-sightseeing-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-sightseeing-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>The first people on <strong>Castle Rock<\/strong> appeared there about 1000 years BC.<\/li>\n<li>Edinburgh was <strong>the first city in the world<\/strong> to have its own fire service in 1703. But it was a volunteer fire brigade, that`s why it took a lot of time to gather people and come to the burning place before it`s too late.<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3698\" src=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Visit-Edinburgh.jpg\" alt=\"Edinburgh streets\" width=\"807\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Visit-Edinburgh.jpg 807w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Visit-Edinburgh-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Visit-Edinburgh-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Visit-Edinburgh-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Edinburgh is the\u00a0greenest city in the UK, since there are <strong>112 parks<\/strong> in the city.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The first king of Great Britain<\/strong> James I (a Scottish king James VI) was born in the Edinburgh castle.<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3696\" src=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh.jpg\" alt=\"Travel to Edinburgh\" width=\"807\" height=\"738\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh.jpg 807w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-150x137.jpg 150w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-300x274.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-600x549.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>The city has a nickname \u2013 <strong>Auld Reekie<\/strong> (Old Smoky) which was given to the city in connection with an era when a lot of coal and wood were burnt for heating and the air was full of smoke.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Stone of Destiny<\/strong> which is kept in the Edinburgh castle is still used for the crowning of English Monarchs.<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3697\" src=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Facts-about-Edinburgh.jpg\" alt=\"Edinburgh sights\" width=\"807\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Facts-about-Edinburgh.jpg 807w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Facts-about-Edinburgh-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Facts-about-Edinburgh-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Facts-about-Edinburgh-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>J.K.Rowling<\/strong> used to go to the Nicolson`s caf\u00e9 during a hard period of her life and she started to write the first book about Harry Potter exactly there. Now there is a restaurant on that place called \u00abSpoon\u00bb.<\/li>\n<li>One more literature fact \u2013 <strong>Ebenezer Scrooge<\/strong> from the famous novel by Charles Dickens \u00abA Christmas Carol\u00bb was also born in Edinburgh when the author misread the tombstone of a real person with the same name. He read \u00abMeanman\u00bb instead of \u00abMealman\u00bb, which means \u00abcorn trader\u00bb.<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3691\" src=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-fun-facts.jpg\" alt=\"Fun Facts about Edinburgh\" width=\"807\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-fun-facts.jpg 807w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-fun-facts-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-fun-facts-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-fun-facts-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Actually people started producing\u00a0<strong>whisky<\/strong> not in Scotland, but in Ireland in 5th century. However, there are over 100 whisky distillers in Scotland. Well played!<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>unicorn<\/strong> is a national animal of Scotland, while thistle and heather are floral emblems.<\/li>\n<li>The number of <strong>heritage buildings<\/strong> in Edinburgh is bigger than anywhere. There are about 16 thousands historical buildings of different epochs.<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3689\" src=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-castle.jpg\" alt=\"Facts about Edinburgh\" width=\"807\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-castle.jpg 807w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-castle-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-castle-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-castle-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Edinburgh is also standing on <strong>seven hills<\/strong> like Rome and <a href=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/21-facts-about-moscow-you-never-heard-before\">Moscow<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>About <strong>13 million tourists<\/strong> <strong>visit Edinburgh<\/strong> every year.<\/li>\n<li>Edinburgh is an art city. Every year in August the world best concert and theater troupes come here for the <strong>Summer Art Festival.<\/strong> Edinburgh is the world\u2019s number one festival destination.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Princess Street Gardens<\/strong> is a sneaky way to move from Old Times to New Era, as the gardens break the city into two parts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Royal Mile<\/strong> is the most famous street in the city, it was the favorite street for walk for Scottish and English monarchs.<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3692\" src=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-Scotland.jpg\" alt=\"Facts about Edinburgh\" width=\"807\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-Scotland.jpg 807w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-Scotland-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-Scotland-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Edinburgh-Scotland-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our Moscow tour guide Dasha traveled to the UK on New Year holidays, and here are her impressions blended with\u00a020 Fun Facts about Edinburgh. I fell in love with Edinburgh \u2026<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/20-fun-facts-about-edinburgh\">Continue<i class=\"icon-right-dir\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[669],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[2046,2043,2040,2032,1214,705,2042,2044,2048,2045,970,2041,2049,2047,2051,2053,789,706,2052,2050],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3687"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6522,"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687\/revisions\/6522"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3687"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendlylocalguides.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=3687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}