6: There are cities that are more than just bricks and mortar,

11: cities built on ideals,

13: …cities shaped by a belief that the human experience

16: can be greater tomorrow than it is today.

20: Edinburgh, is one of those places.

29: Graced with over four and a half thousand heritage-listed buildings,

34: the Scottish capital is one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

44: Edinburgh’s Old Town, with its Royal Mile,

47: is filled with the ghosts of medieval merchants,

51: body snatchers,

52: and poets.

53: While its Georgian-styled New Town,

56: still shines with the glories of the Scottish Enlightenment.

62: Edinburgh is studded with lofty crags and spectacular gardens,

67: and throughout the year,

69: hosts parties and festivals like no other.

77: To see Edinburgh in all her glory, walk, ride,

81: or even climb to Arthur’s Seat,

83: the highest of the city’s seven peaks.

90: Some historians believe this peak was the site of

93: King Arthur’s legendary castle Camelot,

96: which is hardly surprising,

98: as Edinburgh has been at the clashing crossroads of history for millennia.

107: Nearby, on another volcanic crag,

110: rise the battlements of Edinburgh Castle,

113: the very symbol of Scotland itself.

116: Over the last eleven centuries,

118: this castle has been laid siege to 26 times as opposing clans,

124: kings and countries battled with broadsword and cannon.

130: But still it stands,

131: a testimony to the indomitable spirit of the Scots.

141: Edinburgh has a special place in the hearts of today’s monarchy.

146: The last of a long line of royal yachts,

148: Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia sailed over one million miles before she was decommissioned

155: in 1997.

158: Today she is permanently moored at Ocean Terminal,

162: a symbol the Royal Family’s affection for Scotland and the people of Edinburgh.

170: Edinburgh has been the jewel in the crown of chieftains and royals for centuries,

176: but it’s also a place where old-world chivalry continues today.

182: Beneath the crown spire of St Giles’ Cathedral,

185: is Thistle Chapel, which honors the 16 living Knights and Ladies

191: of Scotland’s oldest order,

193: as well as those who came before.

197: It’s not just the brave and chivalrous who are celebrated in Edinburgh,

201: this is a city that has given the world some of its

204: best-loved writers and stories.

209: In Princes Street Gardens,

211: rises the world’s largest monument to a writer,

213: dedicated to Sir Walter Scott,

216: who penned epics such as Ivanhoe and Rob Roy.

223: Nearby, at the Writers Museum,

226: learn more about Scott,

227: and two more of Scotland’s most cherished literary adventurers,

232: Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson.

236: Edinburgh continues to cast her spell over contemporary writers too.

241: JK Rowling wrote the first two of her Harry Potter series

245: in cozy Old Town nooks,

247: such as the Elephant House Café.

251: But history and literature aside,

254: perhaps the greatest gifts that Edinburgh has given humankind

257: is in the field of knowledge,

260: which once earned the city the title,

263: The Athens of The North.

265: For over four centuries,

267: the University of Edinburgh has given us intellectual giants such as Charles Darwin,

273: David Hume and Alexander Bell.

277: Explore centuries of innovation at the Scottish Museum,

281: or head to South Queensferry to see the Forth Bridge,

285: an engineering marvel when it opened in 1890,

289: and one which still takes the breath away today.

297: Knowledge and beauty go hand in hand at the Royal Botanic Gardens too.

302: Established in 1670,

305: this is one of the world’s oldest and most important centers of botanical science,

310: yet it’s a place which invites even the most harried heart

314: to slow down and swoon.

323: Beauty is honored at every turn in Edinburgh,

326: whether it be the elegant interiors of the Georgian House,

330: …the priceless treasures within the Scottish National Gallery,

333: …or the simple flower boxes which adorn the city’s pubs.

340: Edinburgh is a city that has given the world countless gifts,

344: but perhaps her greatest is this:

347: she shows us that all parts of the human experience

350: the sciences and the arts,

353: the past and the present,

355: the sacred and the light-hearted

357: all have equal value.

360: And that when brought together,

362: these things can create a beauty,

364: …a state of mind,…

366: a city,…

368: like no other.