Edinburgh
Edinburgh
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Vicinity
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In The Know
Did You Know?
- The tower of the Balmoral Hotel, at the east end of Princes Street, is embellished with a fine four-sided clock. For over 100 years this has been kept a few minutes fast, to help the travelling public catch their trains in nearby Waverley Station on time.
- Look over the battlements in front of St Margaret's Chapel in Edinburgh Castle and you'll see an immaculately tended cemetery. The headstones are rather small, for this is the pets' cemetery, where soldiers' loyal and faithful dogs and cats have been laid to rest.
- Scotland has its own legal system, distinct from that used in England. Scots Law was preserved by the 1707 Treaty of Union and is based largely on Roman and Canon Law to which English Common Law methods are applied. It has been instrumental in preserving the strong Scottish sense of identity.
- Until the new parliament building at Holyrood opens in 2002 the only refreshments on offer to Scottish Members of Parliament are strictly non-alcoholic. As the present parliament chamber belongs to the Church of Scotland their non-tolerance of the demon drink is being respected and MPs are making do with tea and biscuits.
- Some scenes from the cult film Trainspotting (1995) were shot in Edinburgh, where the action takes place, though most locations are in Glasgow. Look out for the St James Oyster Bar near Waterloo Place; this is where Renton runs into a car in the opening scene. Shallow Grave (1995), from the same production team, was also partly filmed in the city.
- The three cantilevered spans of the Forth Rail Bridge are perfectly complemented by the graceful lines of the Road Bridge just upstream. The rail bridge was completed in 1890, using 55,880 tonnes of steel, 18,112cu m of granite, 1,755cu m of masonry and 8 million rivets. The road bridge measures 1,829m and is one of the world's largest suspension bridges.
- `Haar', a chill and damp summer sea-mist, sometimes occurs along the coast east of Edinburgh and even in the city itself. It is usually a sign that there is brilliant sunshine just a few kilometres inland.
- The Scottish flag, a diagonal white cross on a blue background, is known as The Saltire. Its colours are traditionally associated with St Andrew, Scotland's patron saint. Legend tells that a white cloud cross was seen against the blue sky during the 9th-century Battle of Athelstaneford, when the Northumbrians were defeated, and St Andrew and his symbol were adopted in thanksgiving.
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