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Page 20<br />
By Anna Redman<br />
For the 12th year in a row The<br />
Guardian has named Edinburgh<br />
the UK’s best city. The results<br />
for these awards are based on votes<br />
cast by readers of The Guardian. In<br />
achieving first place, Edinburgh beat<br />
out other prime cities like the runners<br />
up York, Durham, Bath and Cambridge.<br />
When speculating on the secret<br />
of Edinburgh’s success The Guardian<br />
wrote “with its internationally<br />
renowned festivals, fine dining, history,<br />
culture and precipitous location,<br />
it’s hard to see it being toppled.”<br />
Each of these, are indeed, keys to the<br />
treasure-trove that is Edinburgh, and<br />
Scotland’s capital city is constantly<br />
adding to its vast array of options and<br />
opportunities.<br />
When it comes to festivals, the<br />
Edinburgh Fringe Festival is undoubtedly<br />
the most notable. The annual<br />
celebration of theatre, comedy, music<br />
and so much more has been drawing<br />
crowds for 64 years. But the Fringe<br />
is by no means the only Festival in<br />
town. Edinburgh’s festival offerings<br />
are vast and include books, art, science,<br />
film, and the second most nota-<br />
ble, Hogmanay. This spectacular New<br />
Years celebration features concerts<br />
and breathtaking fireworks over Edinburgh<br />
castle, amongst other things.<br />
Fine dining is another Edinburgh<br />
area of expertise. Being a capital city.<br />
Edinburgh’s array of dining choices is<br />
almost endless. Any cuisine you could<br />
imagine is available. ‘The Witchery’<br />
gets a particularly good name although<br />
the prices are very high. For<br />
fine dining at a lower cost, visitors<br />
may want to look into the website<br />
5pm.com. s A reasonably diverse list<br />
of places post deals and special menus<br />
each day, giving people the opportunity<br />
to try new places, at an affordable<br />
price, provided they book their dinner<br />
reservation before 5pm.<br />
When it comes to Edinburgh’s<br />
history, it is impossible to miss. Historical<br />
buildings and sights are all<br />
around, all the time. From the cobble-<br />
stone streets, to the Scott Monument,<br />
to the castle built at the heart of the<br />
city, absorbing some of Edinburgh’s<br />
past is inevitable for all who visit the<br />
city.<br />
That same city’s culture is almost<br />
as inevitably observed. Edinburgh is<br />
filled with many free museums that<br />
expose visitors to segments of both<br />
The <strong>OSCAR</strong> - OUR 38 th YEAR<br />
Edinburgh Best Of The Best For The 12th Year Running<br />
A University of Edinburgh Campus<br />
the city’s past and its culture. Edinburgh<br />
is also filled with many pubs<br />
with bands playing Scottish music<br />
and some citizens sporting the more<br />
traditional Scottish dress.<br />
Finally, there’s the location. Any<br />
realtor will tell you, location is everything.<br />
Edinburgh is located perfectly,<br />
with many surrounding areas just<br />
outside the city centre. Additionally,<br />
Edinburgh is not too far from the<br />
North Sea and it doesn’t rain as much<br />
as other parts of Scotland. The streets<br />
are steeped in history and the cultural<br />
View from Edinburgh Castle<br />
The Royal Mile in Edinburgh<br />
The Scott Monument<br />
DEC 2011<br />
landmarks, like Edinburgh castle, set<br />
it apart from so many other capital cities.<br />
These summaries come nowhere<br />
close to capturing all that Edinburgh<br />
has to offer. They are merely a smattering<br />
of samples. They do, however,<br />
demonstrate The Guardian’s accuracy<br />
in describing Scotland’s capital city<br />
and why so many readers voted for<br />
Edinburgh as the UK’s best city. For<br />
the 12th year running no less.
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