Edinburgh city lies on the east coast of Scotland, on the south bank of the Firth of Forth (the estuary that opens into the North Sea). Geologically, the Firth of Forth is a fjord, carved by the Forth glacier at the Last Glacial Maximum. The famous Edinburgh Castle is situated on the top of a volcanic rock intrusion which was resistant to erosion by the ice sheet, and so stands above the surrounding area; a perfect defensive site! The volcanic rock sheltered an area of softer bedrock from the erosive forces of advancing glaciers, creating a “crag and tail” feature where the tail is a tapering strip of the softer rock. The Old Town runs down the “tail” and the castle stands on the “crag”. The site of the city of Edinburgh was first named as “Castle Rock”. Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since 1437, when it replaced Scone. The Scottish Parliament resides in Edinburgh. However, in the past, Edinburgh Castle was often under English control. Before the 10th Century, Edinburgh was under the control of the Anglo-Saxons and Danelaw. Because of this previous Anglo-Saxon ruling, Edinburgh was often, along with the Border counties of Scotland, involved in the disputes between the English and the Scottish. Culturally, the city is thriving too. The world-wide famous Edinburgh Festival (a series of arts festivals held in the city in August) draws thousands of visitors to the city annually, and has thousands more who wish to go but haven’t yet made it. Amongst these events is the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, originally a small sideline from the initial Edinburgh International Festival but now pulls one of the largest crowds and boasts being the first break for many acts.