Tour Scotland travel video of an early Winter dreich road trip drive, with Scottish music, into and around the streets of the city on visit to Edinburgh. Dreich is Scots word for dull and cloudy. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly had a devastating impact on Scotland’s tourism and hospitality industries. And there are few areas of activity that have felt the terrible economic impact more than Edinburgh’s festivals which have had to be cancelled this year. The Fringe, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Art Festival and the city’s bagpipe swirling Military Tattoo were all casualties of the U.K.’s coronavirus lockdown. Edinburgh city centre Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations are also cancelled. Shops, restaurants, pubs and museums have begun welcoming visitors again as lockdown eases. But there is still ample space to stroll along the Royal Mile. Still lots of traffic and traffic lights. The capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh has a long history which can be dated back to the Middle Ages. Edinburgh began as a fort known as Castle Rock which is still visible today. The fort was easy to defend and when the English captured this area of Scotland in the 7th century they named the area Eiden’s burgh. The area was recaptured by the Scots in the 10th century and in the late 11th century the king built a castle over the fort. By the 12th century, Edinburgh was a thriving community. By 1500 it is believed that Edinburgh had a population of 12,000. In the next 50 years, this would rise to 15,000 which would make it a large town at the time. The 17th century saw growth in Edinburgh both in terms of size and prosperity. There were outbreaks of the plague in 1604 and 1645, but the city recovered. In 1621, thatched roofs were banned within the city as they were seen as a fire hazard. In 1752 it was proposed to expand Edinburgh but it is not until 1767 that the plans of the New Town were designed by James Craig. By the middle of the eighteenth century Edinburgh became a popular place for intellectuals, especially in philosophy, history, medicine, science and economics. Between 1768 and 1771, the Encyclopaedia Britannica was published in Edinburgh. During the twentieth century more museums, department stores and other top attractions for tourists were constructed. This sector grew rapidly and by the end of the twentieth century it had become a popular tourist destination.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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