Edinburgh, Scotland — History and Culture
Human settlement in Edinburgh began 3,000 years ago on the volcanic crag on which Edinburgh Castle now stands. In the 11th century, the town started to expand down the tail of the extinct volcano; this later became known as the Royal Mile, because it is a Scots mile long from the castle to the royal palace of Holyroodhouse. The Royal Mile itself - which Daniel Defoe once declared the most beautiful street he had ever seen - is full of interesting architecture, small museums and high-quality souvenir shops.
The New Town developed in the late 18th century, when a visionary Lord Provost (mayor) announced a competition to design a new residential suburb, on virtually vacant land on the other side of what is now Princes Street Gardens. It was laid out in a grid pattern, with garden squares, in line with the latest fashion in mainland Europe, and its streets were given names symbolising the Union of Scotland and England: St Andrew Square, linked by George St (named after the reigning king, George III) to Charlotte Square (after his Queen); Rose and Thistle Streets, named after the floral emblems of England and Scotland; and Princes St, named for the young Hanoverian princes.
