Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh topped the Office of National Statistics Well-Being survey and was named by the Financial Times as "Best Large City of the Future". Its four universities encourage a cosmopolitan lifestyle and the thriving graduate community feeds into the strong technology and financial services sectors. This gives Edinburgh one of the lowest unemployment rates in the UK and, outside of London, the strongest economy of any city in the UK.
Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Parliament and the cultural hub of the nation. For four weeks in the summer, the half-million population plays host to four million visitors for the Edinburgh International Art Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. During those hectic weeks, every theatre, hall and spare metre of pavement is pressed into service for all types of artistic performances imaginable. Throughout the rest of the year, Edinburgh's dozens of theatres, museums, galleries, halls and cinemas have helped the city to be named, by both "MoneySupermarket.com" and "Location, Location, Location", as one of the best places to live in the UK.
Edinburgh has been inhabited for over ten thousand years and its historic Medieval Old town and Georgian "New" Town have been designated as UNESCO world heritage sites. The entire city is watched over by the 12th Century Edinburgh Castle, perched atop its volcanic crag. Every New Year, the Castle and Crag provide a spectacular backdrop for the "Hogmanay" celebrations - "The Largest Street Party in Europe". The city's multiple parks and gardens provide space to walk and relax. Just a short drive North or South of the city lies the open countryside of the Scottish Borders and Highlands, a haven for mountain biking, kayaking, canyoning, white water rafting, climbing, skiing or hiking.
Here is what Denise, one of our technical writers, has to say:
I moved to Edinburgh as a student and fell madly in love with the city. I briefly moved away and couldn't wait to move back. The architecture is amazing, the gardens are gorgeous, and everywhere is close enough that you can walk and drink it in. The people you meet are nice and there are just so many communities; there is something for everyone from jazz clubs to metal nights, from country dancing societies to tech meetups. I'm truly pleased to be able to call Edinburgh my home.