Area

100 sq miles

Population

457, 830 (2005 figures)

Location

On the east coast of Scotland in north western Europe.  Edinburgh is on the southern side of the Firth of Forth.

Motto

Nisi Dominus Frustra which means “Except the Lord in Vain”
Canongate has its own motto - 'Sic itur ad astra' which means 'So to the stars'

Coat of Arms

Edinburgh’s coat of arms is a black castle with three towers.  Each tower has a red flag, and the castle is founded on rock.  The coat of arms is on a silver or white shield, and it is supported by a girl on the left and a deer on the right.

Local Government

Edinburgh is governed by the City of Edinburgh Council, which consists of 58 elected councillors.

Police Force

Lothian and Borders Police

Fire Service

Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade

Health Service

NHS Lothian

Transport links

Edinburgh has two main train stations, Waverley and Haymarket.  Travel to Glasgow to train takes about 45 minutes, or you can go to London in about 5 hours on the train. 

Edinburgh Airport is just outside the city, and is accessible via bus.  A tram line is currently being built between the North East and the West of the city.

Languages

English (official language of the UK), Gaelic, Scots

Important Events

1 January – Hogmanay/New Year
30 April – Beltane/Summer Festival
August – Edinburgh International Festival

Twinned cities

Aalborg, Denmark
Dunedin, New Zealand
Florence, Italy
Kiev, Ukraine
Munich, Germany
Nice, France
San Diego, United States
Vancouver, Canada
Xi'an, China
Ordu, Turkey

Ethnic diversity

Edinburgh is the most ethnically diverse place in Scotland, with the second highest percentage of non-white inhabitants (4.1%) and the third highest percentage of non-Scottish white people (17.0%).

Unemployment

12,200 unemployed people (2006 figures)