The Rich History Of The Town Of Edinburgh
The area around Edinburgh has been settled at least since the Bronze Age. Later, when the Romans arrived, the Celts were already established in the vicinity. Over the following centuries, the Edinburgh area was influenced by Angles, Picts, and the Scots, who finally gained permanent control around AD 950. The town itself probably came into official existence some time in the 11th century, and King David I of Scotland granted land to a church there in 1124.
Edinburgh flourished under Scottish control, and became the capital of the kingdom in 1437. The town became the cultural and intellectual centre of Scotland, and was the seat of the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century. When King James VI of Scotland became King of England in 1603, the two countries were united. The Parliament of Scotland continued to meet in Edinburgh for the next 100 years, until the Acts of Union were passed in 1707 and the Parliament of Scotland was merged with its English counterpart. The city was captured by Cromwell during the Civil War, and by the Jacobites during Bonnie Prince Charlie-s uprising.
Through the centuries, Edinburgh has been an intellectual Mecca. John Knox, a major leader of the Scottish Reformation, spent much of his life there. David Hume, Adam Smith, and Charles Darwin all lived there at one time or another. Writers in residence included Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Scientists with a connection to Edinburgh include James Clerk Maxwell and Alexander Graham Bell.