Edinburgh History

Edinburgh's long history is amongst the most intriguing and exciting of any city in the UK. Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since 1437 and gained city status in 1889, over the years Edinburgh has developed a world famous and truly fascinating past.

This site aims to educate existing residents of Edinburgh as well as the many thousands of foreign visitors which the city and the areas surrounding Edinburgh receive each year.

We will cover not only the history of Edinburgh Castle, which dominates the city skyline, but also the City Itself, the Edinburgh Festival, Military Tattoo and Edinburgh Zoo.

The history of Edinburgh is incredibly rich and there are one or two skeletons in the historical closet.. We will also look at some of the darker events linked to the Edinburgh of old such as Burke and Hare, the Grassmarket hangings, and the great Edinburgh Plague.

Highlights from the Edinburgh History archives ;