Southside

A popular residential part of the city is its south side, comprising a number of areas including St Leonards, Marchmont, Newington, Sciennes, the Grange and Blackford. The Edinburgh "Southside" is broadly analogous to the area covered by the Burgh Muir, and grew in popularity as a residential area following the opening of the South Bridge. These areas are particularly popular now with families (many state and private schools are here), students (the central University of Edinburgh campus is based around George Square just north of Marchmont and the Meadows, and Napier University (with major campuses around Merchiston & Morningside), as well as with visiting festival-goers. These areas are also the subject of several works of fiction: Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus lives in Marchmont and worked in St Leonards; and Church Hill, in Morningside, was the home of Muriel Spark's Miss Jean Brodie.

Leith

Leith lamppost motif

Leith is the port of Edinburgh. It still retains a separate identity from Edinburgh, and it was a matter of great resentment when, in 1920, the burgh of Leith was merged into the county of  Edinburgh. Even today the parliamentary seat is known as 'Edinburgh North and  Leith'. With the redevelopment of Leith, Edinburgh has gained the business of a number of cruise liner companies which now provide cruises to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. Leith also has the Royal Yacht Britannia, berthed behind the Ocean Terminal and Easter Road, the home ground of Hibernian F.C.

Urban area

The urban area of Edinburgh is almost entirely contained within the City of Edinburgh Council boundary, merging with Musselburgh in East Lothian. Nearby towns close to the city borders include Dunfermline, Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Loanhead, Newtongrange, Penicuik, Livingston and Broxburn. The EU classifies this area as a Larger Urban Zone with a population of nearly 800,000 people.

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Every August, for just over two weeks, the world’s largest celebration of the written word takes over Charlotte Square; the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is a fortnight of fantastic events with writers from around the world. Where better to celebrate the written word than Edinburgh, the first city in the world to be named a UNESCO City of Literature?

Admire the cultural landmarks and atmospheric streets that have inspired literary greats such as Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns and Arthur Conan Doyle and bestselling authors such as Ian Rankin and JK Rowling.

With hundreds of author events, debates and workshops taking place, the book festival brings writers and intellectuals from across the world together. Part of the wider Edinburgh Festivals programme, the book festival is renowned for bringing in big names as well as uncovering the poets, thinkers and novelists of tomorrow.

In 1997, Charlotte Square welcomed an unknown local author named JK Rowling who read from her debut novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to 30 encapsulated children.

The majestic Charlotte Square Gardens sit within the elegant Georgian New Town, a truly beautiful setting. The book festival converts the gardens into a magical tented village which welcomes around 220,000 visitors each year.

A highlight of the programme of events is the high profile debates and discussion series. Writers from across the world gather in this unique event to discuss and engage on the world’s most pressing issues.

The Children’s Programme is also extremely popular with a range of workshops, panel discussions and author events. Perfect for the family, it is now the world’s premier books and reading event for young people. The 2013 festival will run from the 10 - 26 August.