The capital of Scotland, in the eastern part of the country on the Firth of Forth. The city grew up around a castle built in the 11th century by King Malcolm III, successor to Macbeth, and it became the capital of Scotland in 1437. Edinburgh later developed into an important literary and cultural center and is the site of an annual international festival of the arts. Population: 436,000.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.