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[edit] Transport

Main article: Transport in Edinburgh
Waverley Station (viewed from the Scott Monument), is located in the ravine between the Old and New Town on the drained Nor Loch.
Waverley Station (viewed from the Scott Monument), is located in the ravine between the Old and New Town on the drained Nor Loch.

Edinburgh Airport is the principal international gateway to the city, handling more than 9 million passengers in 2007.[1] In anticipation of rising passenger numbers, the airport operator BAA outlined a draft masterplan in 2006 to provide for the expansion of the airfield and terminal building.[2] The possibility of building a second runway to cope with an increased number of aircraft movements has also been mooted.[2]

As an important hub on the East Coast Main Line, Edinburgh Waverley is the primary railway station serving the city. With more than 14 million passengers per year, the station is the second busiest in Scotland behind Glasgow Central.[3] Waverley serves as the terminus for trains arriving from London King's Cross and is the departure point for many rail services within Scotland operated by First Scotrail. To the west of the city centre lies Haymarket railway station which is an important commuter stop. Opened in 2003, Edinburgh Park station serves the adjacent business park located in the west of the city and the nearby Gogarburn headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland. The Edinburgh Crossrail connects Edinburgh Park with Haymarket, Waverley and the suburban stations of Brunstane and Newcraighall in the east of the city.[4]

There is an extensive bus network covering the city centre, suburbs and surrounding city region. Lothian Buses and First Edinburgh operate the majority of services. Edinburgh's main bus station is located on St Andrew's Square.

Edinburgh has been without a tram system since 16 November 1956.[5] However, following parliamentary approval in 2007, construction began on a new Edinburgh tram network in early 2008. The first stage of the project is expected to be operational by July 2011[6] and will see trams running from the airport in the west of the city, through the centre of Edinburgh and down Leith Walk to Ocean Terminal and Newhaven.[7] The next phase of the project will see trams run from Haymarket through Ravelston and Craigleith to Granton on the waterfront.[7] Future proposals include; a line going west from the airport to Ratho and Newbridge and a line running along the length of the waterfront.[8]

[edit] Education

Main article: List of schools in Edinburgh
Fettes College is a fee paying independent school in Edinburgh.
Fettes College is a fee paying independent school in Edinburgh.

There are four universities in Edinburgh with over 100,000 students studying in the city.[9] Established by Royal Charter in 1583, the University of Edinburgh is one of Scotland's ancient universities and is the fourth oldest in the country after St Andrews, Glasgow and Aberdeen.[10] Originally centred around Old College the university expanded to premises on The Mound, the Royal Mile and George Square.[10] Today, the King's Buildings in the south of the city contain most of the schools within the College of Science and Engineering. In 2002, the medical school moved to purpose built accommodation adjacent to the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at Little France. Edinburgh University has strengths in medicine, law, veterinary science and informatics.[10]

In the 1960s Heriot-Watt University and Napier Technical College were established.[10] Heriot-Watt traces its origins to 1821, when a school for technical education of the working classes was opened.[11] Heriot-Watt specialises in the disciplines of engineering, business, mathematics, and is based at Riccarton, in the west of the city.[12] Napier College was renamed Napier Polytechnic in 1986 and gained university status in 1992.[13] Napier University has campuses in the south and west of the city, including the former Craiglockhart Hydropathic and Merchiston Tower.[13]

Further education colleges in the city include Telford College, opened in 1968, and Stevenson College, opened in 1970. The Scottish Agricultural College also has a campus in south Edinburgh. Awarded university status in January 2007, Queen Margaret University was founded in 1875, as The Edinburgh School of Cookery and Domestic Economy, by Christian Guthrie Wright and Louisa Stevenson.[14]

Other notable institutions include the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh which were established by Royal Charter, in 1506 and 1681 respectively. The Trustees Drawing Academy of Edinburgh was founded in 1760 - an institution that became the Edinburgh College of Art in 1907.[15]

There are 18 nursery, 94 primary and 23 secondary schools in Edinburgh administered by the city council.[16] In addition, the city is home to a large number of independent, fee-paying schools including Fettes College, Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh Academy and Stewart's Melville College.

[edit] Governance

Following local government reorganisation in 1996, Edinburgh constitutes one of the 32 Unitary Authorities of Scotland.[17] Today, the City of Edinburgh Council is the administrative body for the local authority and has its powers stipulated by the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994.[18] The council is composed of 58 elected councillors, returned from 17 multi-member electoral wards in the city.[19] Each ward elects three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, to produce a form of proportional representation. Following the 2007 Scottish Local Elections the incumbent Labour Party lost control of the council to a joint Liberal Democrat/SNP coalition.[20]

Since 2007, the council has operated a Cabinet system led by the Lord Provost, who acts as a figurehead for the city. The Provost, currently George Grubb, also serves as ex officio the Lord Lieutenant of the city. A Leader and Executive, appointed by the full council, are responsible for the day-to-day running of the city administration. Jenny Dawe has been the Council Leader since May 2007. Councillors are also appointed to serve on the boards of public bodies such as Lothian and Borders Police and the Forth Estuary Transport Authority.

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/council/council_business/how_the_council_works/CEC_how_the_council_works

[edit] Twin Cities

Country Place County / District / Region / State Date
Flag of the United States United States San Diego California 1977
Flag of Germany Germany Munich Bavaria 1954
Flag of France France Nice Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 1958
Flag of Italy Italy Florence Tuscany 1964
Flag of Canada Canada Vancouver British Columbia 1977
Flag of New Zealand New Zealand Dunedin Otago 1974
Flag of Ukraine Ukraine Kiev Kiev Oblast 1997
Flag of Denmark Denmark Aalborg Kiev Oblast 1997

[edit] References

  1. ^ Edinburgh at a glance. British Airports Authority (BAA). Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  2. ^ a b Edinburgh Airport Master Plan. British Airports Authority (BAA) (July 2006). Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  3. ^ Edinburgh Waverley. Network Rail. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  4. ^ Edinburgh CrossRail project. Scottish Government (2001-12-04). Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  5. ^ Wiseman, Richard Joseph Stewart (2005). Edinburgh's Trams: The Last years. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing, Pg. 2-3. ISBN 184033343X. 
  6. ^ Edinburgh Tram Project Contracts Closure and Infrastructure Construction Commences. City of Edinburgh Council (2008-05-13). Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  7. ^ a b Trams for Edinburgh. Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (tie). Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  8. ^ Trams background information. City of Edinburgh Council (2008-05-20). Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  9. ^ Edinburgh Life. Napier University. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  10. ^ a b c d Lynch, Michael (2001). The Oxford Companion to Scottish History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Pg. 610-615. ISBN 0192116967. 
  11. ^ The History of Heriot-Watt University. Heriot-Watt University. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
  12. ^ About Heriot-Watt University. Heriot-Watt University Careers Service. Retrieved on 2008-05-26.
  13. ^ a b Napier University History. Napier University. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
  14. ^ History: From Edinburgh School of Cookery to Queen Margaret University. Queen Margaret University. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  15. ^ Trustees Academy School of Art, Edinburgh. Retrieved on 2007-04-17.
  16. ^ Primary Schools. City of Edinburgh Council (July 2006). Retrieved on 2008-05-26.
  17. ^ Schedule 1 - New Local Government Areas - Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) (1994-11-03). Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
  18. ^ Chapter 6 - Functions - Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) (1994-11-03). Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
  19. ^ Find Your Local Councillor. City of Edinburgh Council. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
  20. ^ Coalition Administration Formed. City of Edinburgh Council (2007-05-11). Retrieved on 2008-06-08.