The ‘bonny wee’ capital of Scotland is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, with sprawling fairytale-like streets and a royal castle set upon a hill, but did you know that Edinburgh has a few secrets up its sleeve?
Edinburgh wasn’t always Scottish!
Despite being the beating heart of Scotland nowadays, once upon a time Edinburgh wasn’t the capital city – it wasn’t even a part of Scotland. In 731 AD, Bede completed his ‘History’ in which he noted down that Edinburgh was definitively a part of Northumbria – an English county. It’s not until around 960 AD under the reign of Indulf, that Edinburgh came under Scottish rule. Who knew?
It is home to the biggest annual international arts festival in the world
The Edinburgh Fringe festival takes over the city every August, showcasing comedians, poets, singers, actors, dancers, circus-performers and more in an array of performances that take place anywhere from pubs, street corners and theatres to restaurants and old abandoned buildings. Many of these shows are free entry and the buzz around the city during this time of year is tangible.
