Car hire in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is unique among Scotland's cities. Tourism, its proximity to England, and its multicultural population set it apart. There's up-to-the-nanosecond dance clubs in 15th-century buildings and firebreathers outside Georgian mansions: this is a place that knows how to blend ancient and modern.

As dark, dramatic and incorrigibly romantic as a Pre-Raphaelite landscape, Edinburgh castle lords it over the city, letting loose a daily blast of cannon to remind you who's boss. Wind your way along the Royal Mile, losing yourself amongst a riddle of closes, vaults, tunnels and old-town tenements.

The name Edinburgh comes from the ancient Celtic word "Dun-edin" which means "the fort on the hill". Edinburgh Castle (open all year) dominates the city skyline, and attracts over 1 million visitors per year. Castle Rock is an ancient volcano and has had a human presence since 1000BC.

The Castle is home to Scotland's crown jewels, the Scottish National War Memorial, and the tiny St Margaret's Chapel built in1090. The castle has been occupied destroyed and rebuilt many times in its turbulent history.

The Old Town is built on the lava flood plane from Castle Rock. The Royal Mile (Old Town) leads from the Castle down to Holyrood Palace. The Old Town was surrounded by the Flodden Wall (completed in 1560), the wall confined any city expansion and the only way to expand the city was upwards. As a result Edinburgh in the 1600's was one of the earliest Cities in the World to have high rise housing of 10 - 12 floors.

The New Town was built in the late 1700's. The Georgian influence is very clear in the layout and architecture of the New Town. The New Town with its uniform street layout, and many gardens is considered one of the finest town planning ventures of the period.

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