Agility comes to Edinburgh

This year F5 Agility comes to Edinburgh.  What better way to kick things off than by sharing some unusual and interesting facts about the Scottish capital that you might not already know?

Location Location

Located in Lothian on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, Edinburgh is the second most populous city in Scotland and seventh most in the United Kingdom with around 495,000 residents. But did you know that during the month of August, this number can near enough double as the City hosts Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world?

© Forth Ports PLC  

Out and About

The evening Agility event will take place at Edinburgh Castle which is built upon the massive Castle Rock, part of an ancient extinct volcano. The top of Castle Rock is more than 120 metres above sea-level and it stands 80 metres taller than the land surrounding it to the north, south and west. It can only be easily reached from the east.

For the Foodies

Edinburgh boasts more Michelin star restaurants than any other city outside London so if you do manage to explore the City, you must check out one of the top three below:

• 1: The Kitchin - The menu here reflects chef/owner Tom Kitchin’s passion for locally-sourced Scottish produce with French interpretations. One of Edinburgh’s A-list restaurants, it won its accolade just six months after opening in the summer of 2006
• 2: Restaurant Martin Wishart - Martin Wishart’s eponymous venue remains a mecca for Edinburgh’s high earners and food connoisseurs. Dishes are divine and the service second to none.
• 3: Plumed Horse - Opened in 2006, the Plumed Horse has demanded – and garnered – a lot of attention from food critics and lovers of eating out.

Fancy a walk?

Edinburgh is regarded as one of the most walkable cities in the UK. Over a quarter of commuters walk or cycle to work, while another 30% use public transport. Edinburgh has more than 70km of traffic free cycle paths criss-cross the city.

The Royal Mile

The famous Royal Mile in Edinburgh is actually just over a mile long and consists of 5 streets: Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand. The Canongate was a separate town until 1856 when it joined with Edinburgh. Abbey Strand, just outside Holyrood Palace, was once a debtors area. No one could be prosecuted for debt while they remained in that area. However, Sunday was a day of immunity from the law so the residents could move freely for 24 hours.

For Harry Potter Fans

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, you will be interested to know that JK Rowling wrote the first of the series, The Philosopher’s Stone, in an Edinburgh cafe.

Now that you have some facts up your sleeve, we hope you can impress your fellow Agility attendees and make sure to use your newfound knowledge to chat with the locals and explore some Edinburgh landmarks.