Edinburgh

Recognised as Scotland’s capital since at least the fifteenth century, held between the Firth of Forth to the north and the Pentland Hills to the south. It is the seat of the Scottish Government and Parliament, of the highest courts in Scotland, and of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch’s official residence here; the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland meets in the city each year. It has long been a centre of education in medicine, Scottish law, literature, philosophy, science and engineering, with the university founded in 1582 and three more since.