Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, is one of the world’s most beautiful cities. A relatively small city with a population of just half a million people, it’s nonetheless the UK’s second major financial centre after London and hosts the world-famous Fringe festival. The compact city centre features all of the amenities of urban life, but is only 20 minutes from a beach or the Peatland Hills. There are plenty of parks and green spaces, and it is renowned for its excellent schools. The city centre offers flats and Georgian or Victorian townhouses, with larger family homes further out. Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Castle, and the Royal Mile connecting them are among the city’s top attractions, or climb up Arthur’s Seat and take in the view of the city. Though parking is difficult and can be expensive, there is a bus and tram service serving the area — Edinburgh also has a busy city airport with direct flights to London, the UK, Europe, and North America, and trains from Waverley station run direct to Glasgow and London.