Edinburgh

We've heard a lot of great things about this city we are moving to. Joe has personally been there once before and says that it is a really beautiful city, which seems to be the consensus of everyone we've spoken to. Since many of our family and friends have never been to Edinburgh (though we hope you will change that in the next three years!), here are some interesting facts about this city:

• The population of Edinburgh (city) is about 450,000

• Edinburgh is home to Edinburgh Castle. Although this isn't a castle in use anymore, it did once serve as a royal home. Now, it is a major tourist attraction and a centerpointe of the city.

• The city is known for being a cultural center in the UK and hosts numerous festivals throughout the year. These include a month long art festival, international festival, film and book festivals, and many others.

• Each year, Edinburgh hosts the biggest New Year street party in the world--Edinburgh's Hogmanay.

• The climate is supposed to be pretty temperate. According to the official Edinburgh website it rarely gets colder than 40F and usually tops out just below 70F.

• In the height of the summer, it is daylight for over 17.5 hours (surise at 4:27am, sunset at 10:03pm). In the dead of winter, it is daylight for just under 7 hours (sunrise at 8:43am and sunset at 3:41pm).

Those a few facts that we have learned over the last few weeks (click here to find out more) and the things people seem most interested in knowing. Obviously there is so much more that we don't know but we are looking forward to getting there and experiencing Scottish life. And, hopefully through this blog (and your visit to see us!) you will get a taste of Scotland too.