Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, situated in southeast Scotland, and centred near the south shore of the Firth of Forth, is an arm of the North Sea that pushes westward into the Scottish Lowlands.

The city and its immediate surroundings form a separate municipal area. The town and most of the council area, including the busy port of Leith on the Firth of Forth, lies in the historic county of Midlothian. Physically, Edinburgh is a city of grim theatricality, with much of this quality coming from its rock and hill setting and its tall buildings and towers of dark stone. Edinburgh was a military stronghold, the capital of an independent country, and a centre of intellectual activity. Today it is the seat of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Administration and remains a major centre of finance, law, tourism, education, and culture.