Old Town of Edinburgh Hotels |
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The Old Town of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has preserved its medieval plan and many Reformation-era buildings.
One end is closed by the castle and the main artery, the Royal Mile, actually made up of four distinct streets named Castlehill, the Lawnmarket, the High Street and the Canongate, leads away from it, down to the now-ruined Holyrood Abbey. Narrow closes (alleyways), often no more than a few feet wide, lead downhill on either side of the main spine in a herringbone pattern. Large squares mark the location of markets or surround major public buildings such as St Giles Cathedral and the supreme courts.
Other notable places include the Scottish Parliament Building, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland, the Royal Museum of Scotland, Surgeons' Hall, the University of Edinburgh, and numerous underground streets and vaults, relics of previous phases of construction. The street layout, typical of the old quarters of many northern European cities, is made especially picturesque in Edinburgh, where the castle perches on top of a rocky crag, the remnants of an extinct volcano, and the main street runs down the crest of a ridge from it.
The topography for the city is known as "crag and tail" and was created during the last ice age when receding glaciers scored across the land pushing soft soil aside but being split by harder crags of volcanic rock. The hilltop crag was the earliest part of the city to develop, becoming fortified and eventually developing into the current Edinburgh Castle. The rest of the city grew slowly down the tail of land from the Castle Rock. This was an easily defended spot with marshland on the south and a loch, the Nor Loch, on the north. Access up the main road to the settlement was therefore restricted by means of various gates and a City Wall, of which only fragmentary sections remain (see Flodden Wall).
Due to the space restrictions imposed by the narrowness of the "tail" the Old Town became home to some of the earliest "high rise" residential buildings. Multi-story dwellings were the norm from the 1500s onwards. During the 1700s the Old Town had a population of about 80,000 residents. However, in more modern times it had declined dramatically to just 4,000 residents. There are currently approximately 20,000 residents in the various parts of the Old Town. As the population was for a long time reluctant to build outside the defensive wall, the need for housing grew and hence the buildings became higher and higher. Tragically, many of these buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1824; the rebuilding of these on the original foundations led to changes in the ground level and the creation of many passages and vaults under the Old Town.
On December 7, 2002, another major fire in the Old Town engulfed part of the Cowgate. It destroyed the famous comedy club, The Gilded Balloon, and much of the Informatics Department of the University of Edinburgh, including the comprehensive AI (Artificial Intelligence) library.
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| 4/2 Kincaids Court, corner of Cowgate and Guthrie Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JH
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| Hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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Rooms are private, lockable singles or twins in shared self-catering apartments with lounge, kitchen and bathroom, right in the heart of Edinburgh. Kincaids Court is situated about 5 minutes walk from Waverley Station, right on Cowgate and within easy reach of Edinburgh Castle and Grassmarket.
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| 139 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1JS
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| Three star Hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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This lively hotel and bar complex is located in the heart of the city only minutes walk from Princes Street. Three Sisters Pub is open from 9am until 1am and shows major sports events on a large screen in the cobbled courtyard. The 42 bedrooms are modern in decor and are equipped with facilities of a three star standard.
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| 94-96 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JR
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| Two star hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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This budget hotel has a fantastic location in the lively cosmopolitan area of the Grassmarket.The area features many fine pubs and clubs including the adjoining Irish themed Biddy Mulligans and is a bustling area of the city every night of the week.
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| 107 Leith Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3SW
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| Four star Thistle Hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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Situated in the heart of Scotland's capital, close to the many visitor attractions this international city has to offer. Just off the world famous Princes Street. The hotel is only a short walk from Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace and the National and Scottish Galleries.
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| 51-59 York Place. Edinburgh, EH1 3JD
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| Two star hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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While breakfast is served in the Osbourne Hotel, guests are encouraged to enjoy a drink, lunch or evening meal in any one of a number of nearby bars and restaurants. Without the need to maintain a restaurant or bar in the hotel, Osbourne's rates can be kept low and the standard of rooms high.
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| 3-5 Forth Street. Edinburgh, EH1 3JX
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| Two star hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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A warm welcome awaits you at this attractive 17 room family-run hotel, where the original Georgian style has been fully restored. We offer comfortable Bed & Breakfast accommodation in a quiet cobbled street in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland's beautiful Capital City.
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| 1 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1LL
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| Three star Hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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A combination of locals and city visitors creates a warm and welcoming ambience to this busy city inn located majestically on the corner of the Royal Mile.
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| Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2PB
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| Three star Hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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Upgrade from a hotel room to a Castle Apartment.Apartments on or within 250 metres of the world-famous Royal Mile run on a hotel basis with a minimum one night stay.
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| 15 Calton Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 3BJ
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| Three star Hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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The Parliament House Hotel is a beautifully restored 3-star hotel located in the centre of the city of Edinburgh.
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| 8 York Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3EP
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| Three star Hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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Located just off Princes Street, the city's shopping hub, you are a short stroll from Edinburgh's main attractions.
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| Picardy Place, Opposite Playhouse Theatre / Omni Centre, Edinburgh, EH1 3JT
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| Three star Hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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The listed Georgian building has been transformed into a welcoming hotel providing modern facilities and value. Centrally located in the new town, 5 minutes walk from the East end of Princes Street.
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| 37 Broughton Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3RR
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| Three star Hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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This tranquil Georgian hotel is set in the heart of Scotland's capital. Within easy reach of the hotel is Edinburgh's famous shopping centres.
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| 219 High Street, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1PE
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| Five star apartments in Edinburgh EH1
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Positioned on the Royal Mile, Scotland's most exclusive address, the Royal Mile Residence is the finest in luxury serviced-apartments in Edinburgh.
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| 2 Greenside Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3AA
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| Five star hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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Edinburgh's newest five star boutique hotel, located right in the centre of the city.
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| 20 North Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YT
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| Five star hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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Scotsman is Edinburgh's highest rated full service hotel.
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| 51-59 York Place. Edinburgh, EH1 3JD
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| Two star hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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While breakfast is served in the Osbourne Hotel, guests are encouraged to enjoy a drink, lunch or evening meal in any one of a number of nearby bars and restaurants. Without the need to maintain a restaurant or bar in the hotel, Osbourne's rates can be kept low and the standard of rooms high.
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| The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1TH
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| Four star hotel in Edinburgh EH1
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Located in the heart of Edinburgh's city centre on the historic Royal Mile, the Radisson SAS Hotel is located halfway between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace.
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