The unique profile of Edinburgh was born of a marriage between nature's sculpture and man's architecture. The epicentre is Castle Rock - a volcanic plug - which constantly draws the eye from all parts of the city. Sloping down from it is a jagged outline of impossibly high medieval tenements lining the Royal Mile which is punctuated at the foot of the tail of glacial debris by Holyrood Palace. That Edinburgh is beautiful is not in doubt.It is a city blended in to the countryside, with the Firth of Forth as the northern backdrop, a necklace of hills in all other directions. The history, however, has been less harmonious, largely due to warring with the English, but also because of religious turmoil and social unrest. The vibrant capital today draws thousands of visitors, not only for the historical sights, but also for the annual International Festivals of the arts, music and literature.