Scotland is part of Great Britain to the north of

England.

Scotland is a mountainous country washed by the North Sea in the

east and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

Edinburgh

Its capital city is Edinburgh.

Scotland has 790 islands but only 130 are inhabited.

North Sea

Atlantic Ocean

Historically and geographically Scotland is

divided into Highlands and Lowlands. Administratively

Scotland consists of 32 local councils.

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Aberdeen

Dundee

The national flag of Scotland is

known as the Saltire or St. Andrew's

Cross.The thistle is the nation's floral emblem.

Tartan is a checked woolen cloth of different

colours associated with a

particular Scottish clan.

The Lion Rampant of Scotland, is the Scottish Royal Banner of Arms. It is used on special occasions to represent the Monarch in Scotland when he is not present, for example at royal residences.

Unicorn is the official animal of Scotland. It can be seen on the Royal coat of arms of Scotland.

Symbols of Scotland

Theatre lovers from around the

world come to Edinburgh for its

famous festivals.

Scotland is Famous for.... Its fresh water lochs (lakes).

One of the most famous is Loch Ness where a mysterious

monster is said to live.

Its medieval castles, clans, kilts, as well as poetry and songs of Robert Burns.

Eeilean Donan Castle

Famous People of Scotland include:

Walter Scott (1771–1832) was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet famous for such historical novels as Ivanhoe, Rob Roy and others.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer who wrote Treasure Island (1883).

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a Scottish doctor and writer, most famous for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes.

Sean Connery (1930) is a Scottish actor and producer best known for playing the role of James Bond between 1962 and 1983.

Robert Burns (1759–1796) is a national poet of Scotland.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and the second largest city in the country.

Like Rome, it was built on seven hills.

The highest hill is called "King Arthur's Seat".

The city has its own flag and coat of arms.

•The Edinburgh International Festival •The Edinburgh Festival Fringe •The Edinburgh International Book Festival •The Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival •The Edinburgh Military Tattoo •The Edinburgh International Film Festival •The Edinburgh Mela (a multi-cultural festival)

The Edinburgh Festival is the name given to a group of 12 festivals all happening in Edinburgh during August. Among them are:

Every August the city hosts

the Edinburgh Festival

. What is it?

At the International Festival you can see lots of

opera, theatre, ballet and classical music.

The Fringe is the world's largest arts festival. There you can see everything from juggling to opera, pantomime, theatre and dance.

What's more the performances are on all day and all night and take place anywhere.

To the north of Princes Street lies the New Town.

The historic centre of Edinburgh is divided into two parts by a public park called Princes Street Gardens. To the south you can see Edinburgh Castle on the top of the rock and the Old Town.

To the west of the castle lies the financial district with lots of banks.

Old Town

New Town

Financial District

P r i n c e s

S t r e e t

Edinburgh Castle

The Plan of the City Centre of Edinburgh

The Old Town has its

medieval plan with narrow

streets known as closes and

wynds and old buildings.

The main road of the Old

Town of Edinburgh is the

Royal Mile which connects

Edinburgh Castle with the

Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The New Town of Edinburgh is a beautiful example of good city planning. It was built between 1765 and 1850. The main road is Princes Street. The best buildings are situated along the Water of Leith, the main river flowing through Edinburgh .

The main road of the Old Town is The Royal Mile. It consists of 5 streets and is over

1800 m long.

It runs from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle Rock

down to Holyrood Palace.

Edinburgh Castle

Holyrood Palace

Abbey Strand

Canongate

High Street

Lawnmarket

CastlehillFive streets make up the Royal Mile:

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Edinburgh Castle is the

best and most well

known attraction,

which receives around a

million visitors each

year.

Edinburgh Castle is atop the volcanic Castle Rock.

It used to be a royal castle, a fortress, a prison and now it’s a historic monument and a museum.

Entry gate

View to Calton Hill

Cannons lined up ready to defend Edinburgh Castle

Lang Stairs

Main Entrance Crown Square

Fireplace in the Great Hall

Hammocks used by prisoners in the 18th and 19th

centuries

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is located at the bottom of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and is the official residence of HM The Queen in Scotland. The earliest parts of

the building date from the late 15th century. The earliest parts of the building

date from the late 15th century.

At a garden party at Hollyroodhouse in Edinburgh in July, 2012

The Queen stays at the Palace for a week during

July.

This is known as Holyrood Week, when she does some official work and has the Royal Garden Party where around 8,000 of guests are invited to take tea and cake.

Holyroodhouse Palace Main Gate

The Main Entrance to the Palace

The Royal Dining Room

The Great Gallery

The Royal Standard of Scotland

When the Queen is in residence the Royal Standard of Scotland is flown above the Palace.

The Lion Rampant of Scotland

When she is not in residence the Lion Rampant of Scotland is flown.

The Palace is built next to the Ruins of Holyrood

Abbey which was founded in 1128.

The name "Canongate" derives from the "Canons" of the Abbey and "gaet" meaning way or passage.

Bobby followed the funeral procession, but was taken home afterward. However, the little dog soon ran away and stayed on his master's grave until his death in 1872. Many people took pity on the little dog. James Brown, the church gardener, gave Bobby food and water. Eventually, a doghouse was built for him near the grave.

One John Gray was an Edinburgh policeman during the 1850s. His friend and police watch-dog was

a Skye Terrier named Bobby. Their friendship, however, was

short when Gray died of tuberculosis in 1858 and was

buried in Greyfriars Kirk graveyard.

Let his loyalty & devotion be a

lesson to us all.

Bobby's headstone in Greyfriars Kirkyard

Princes Street Gardens is a public park in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.

The Ross Fountain

Princes Street is one of the major streets in central Edinburgh, Scotland, and the main shopping street .

The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument

to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It stands in

Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh.

The tower is 61.11 m high, and has several viewing

platforms reached by narrow spiral staircases. From there

you can enjoy great panoramic views of central

Edinburgh. The highest platform is reached by 287

steps.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/uk/edinburgh_festival/newsid_2161000/2161132.stmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_International_Festivalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_coat_of_arms_of_Scotlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotlandhttp://projectbritain.com/britain/scotland.htmhttp://helpfors.narod.ru/GreatBritain/great_britain.htmlhttp://www.scotland-flavour.co.uk http://www.novareinna.com/bridge/bobby.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Monument

Edinburgh became a major cultural centre and got the nickname Athens of the North because of the Greco-Roman style of the New Town's architecture.

Other annual events include the Hogmanay street party and the Beltane Fire Festival.

Edinburgh attracts over 1 million overseas visitors a year, making it the second most visited tourist destination in the United Kingdom.

In 1706 and 1707, the Acts of Union were passed by the Parliaments of England and Scotland uniting the two Kingdoms into the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Today the Royal Mile is probably the busiest tourist centre in Scotland, alongside its New Town equivalent, Prince’s Street.

Princes Street and its gardens represent the very heart of Edinburgh. The street is the City's main shopping area while the gardens offer people a respite from the hustle and bustle of the shops. Main landmarks and attractions on Princes Street include the Balmoral Hotel, Scott Monument (with gorgeous panoramas of the gardens, Old Town and the Castle) and the Floral Clock.The best views of Princes Street are from the very top of the Scott Monument, from Calton Hill,

Calton Hill is without a doubt the best vantage point in Edinburgh. It offers amazing views towards Edinburgh Castle, the Balmoral Hotel, the Scott Monument and other City Centre attractions and buildings, including the Palace of Holyroodhouse down at the foot of the Royal Mile. On a clear day you can see all the way to Fife, across the Firth of Forth. Calton Hill is also ideal for photographing the Edinburgh Fireworks Concert or the New Year Fireworks display. It also offers the highest vantage point in the City Centre, the top platform of the Nelson Monument.

Large squares mark the location of markets or surround public buildings such as St. Giles' Cathedral and the Law Courts. Other notable places nearby include the Royal Museum of Scotland

The Canongate Tolbooth was built in 1591 and over the years served as the municipal building, court and prison for the Burgh of Canongate as well being used for a number of other purposes. The prominent clock was a later addition, in 1820. Today the building houses a great little museum called "The People's Story" which tells the story of the ordinary people of Edinburgh from the late 1700s to the present day. It is a popular attraction with locals and tourists alike and, best of all, admission is free.

Canongate Kirk

Antlers and Cross set above Canongate Kirk

Site of the Girth Cross

The Girth Cross was a place for public executions.

Criminals were beheaded by the "Maiden" an early type of guillotine that was used in Scotland at the time. This device, which can still be seen at the National Museum of Scotland

The Maiden

Less than 100 metres long, Abbey Strand lies at the bottom of the Royal Mile, running down to the gates of Holyroodhouse.

To the right of Abbey Strand is The Queen's Gallery, which was opened in 2002 by HM Queen Elizabeth II as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations. The Gallery forms part of the Holyroodhouse complex and is used to exhibit works from the Royal Collection.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

The King’s Bed Chamber

The West Drawing Room, used by members of the Royal Family as a private sitting room and not normally open to the public

Perhaps the most famous resident of the

Palace was Mary Queen of Scots (1542

–1587).

The oldest part of the Palace is the north-west tower, built between 1528 and 1532. Mary's bedroom was on the second floor.

 Dunnottar Castle