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Homescotland10 Weirdest Facts About Edinburgh That Might Surprise Locals

10 Weirdest Facts About Edinburgh That Might Surprise Locals

Scotland’s and UK’s most popular tourist destination outside of London is Edinburgh. Even the most experienced “Edinburger” could be surprised by the number of peculiarities in this city.

1. The renowned Balmoral Hotel clock, which is never accurate.

Balmoral-Hotel
Balmoral-Hotel

The Balmoral Hotel, near Waverley Station, contains a tall, gothic clock that has been telling the wrong time for well over a century. The train just runs three minutes faster to encourage people to board on time.

2. There are unicorn statues all around Scotland, including in Edinburgh, but why?

national-animal-of-scotland
national-animal-of-scotland

The eagle represents America, the wolf represents Italy, the lion represents England, and the unicorn represents Scotland. The unicorn is a picture of power and purity in Celtic mythology. The unicorn was chosen to compete with the lion of England because of the long history of strife between the two.

3. Roses are crimson, just like the former Red Light District Rose Street.

rose-street-edinburgh
rose-street-Edinburgh

The area is now better recognized for the huge selection of pubs it offers. Yet, Rose Street is said to have been the location of more than 100 brothels in the 18th century.

4. Addressing the elephant in the room (really in the castle!)

The 78th Highlanders regiment returned home in 1838 from a protracted expedition to Sri Lanka with far more than they had anticipated. As their new regimental mascot, they transported an elephant back to Edinburgh Castle, where it was rumored that it immediately developed a taste for beer.

5. Edinburgh Zoo is home to the Norwegian King’s Guard’s colonel-in-chief. He’s a penguin!

Sir-Nils-Olav
Sir-Nils-Olav

The mascot of his guard is Sir Nils Olav, the only knighted penguin in the entire world. Every few years, when they come to perform at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, guardsmen like stopping by this soldierly King Penguin.

6. Edinburgh wasn’t always Scotland’s capital.

Edinburgh
Edinburgh

Edinburgh took Scone’s place as the nation’s capital in 1437. Scone was a significant royal center during the Middle Ages, so it should come as no surprise that Scone Palace is a well-liked tourist destination today.

7. The Ice Age is to blame if you like trekking in Edinburgh.

Arthur's-Seat
Arthur’s-Seat

Moving glaciers sculpted several of Edinburgh’s well-known landscapes, including Castle Rock, Arthur’s Seat, and the Salisbury Crags. In Scotland, the previous one melted some 11,500 years ago.

8. Edinburgh Castle is situated atop a dormant volcano.

edinburgh-castle-famous-scottish-landmarks
edinburgh-castle-famous-scottish-landmarks

An extinct volcano’s plug, on which Edinburgh Castle is constructed, last erupted around 340 million years ago, well before Scotland’s most recent Ice Age.

9. It is still contested where the name “Edinburgh” came from.

The Scottish Gaelic word for “Edinburgh,” “Dùn ideann,” is also known as “Fort Eidyn” or “Edwin’s Fort” by others. The great English king Edwin of Northumbria, who ruled in 616, was credited with causing this, yet there is no proof that he ever visited. It is more likely that the Votadini, the main Lothian Iron Age Celtic tribe, were the ones to first use the term “Eidyn” to describe the area.

10. Edinburgh is known for its fondness of dogs in the past.

Greyfriars-Bobby
Greyfriars-Bobby

The only city in the world with a dog on the list of residents granted “Freedom of the City” is Edinburgh. Of course, we’re talking about the well-known Greyfriars Bobby, one of five canine-related statues and memorials that can be reached by foot from the city’s center. Dogs leave their pawprints on Edinburgh and on our hearts.

Anna
Annahttps://my-lifestyle.co/
If you want to travel the world through blogs then my articles will satisfy you. With a never-ending journey, I'll take you to the best cities and exciting experiences!
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1 COMMENT

  1. Good article, however that is not Arthur Seat in.the photo, that is Salisbury’s Crag, Arthur Seat is actually behind this and a lot bigger

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