Edinburgh’s history stretches back thousands of years, with the earliest human presence recorded around 8500 BC and settlements forming on Castle Rock by 900 BC. Over the centuries, it grew from a small fort called Dun Eiden, captured by the Angles in the 7th century, into a flourishing royal capital. The Middle Ages saw Edinburgh thrive in trade. By the 16th and 17th centuries, the city was overpopulated.
Transformation came in the 18th century with James Craig’s elegant New Town, marking Edinburgh as a center of philosophy, science, and literature during the Scottish Enlightenment. The 19th century brought industrial competition from Glasgow, but also iconic landmarks like the Scott Monument and Calton Hill structures. By the 20th century, Edinburgh emerged as a leading cultural and tourist hub, crowned by the reopening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 after nearly three centuries, a proud symbol of Scotland’s enduring identity.