196-565: The Borders Railway connects the city of Edinburgh with Galashiels and Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders . The railway follows most of the alignment of the northern part of the Waverley Route , a former double-track line in southern Scotland and northern England that ran between Edinburgh and Carlisle . That line was controversially closed in 1969, as part of the Beeching cuts , leaving
392-637: A UNESCO World Heritage Site , which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999. The city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the UK's second-most visited tourist destination, attracting 4.9 million visits, including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018. Edinburgh is governed by the City of Edinburgh Council , a unitary authority. The City of Edinburgh council area had an estimated population of 514,990 in mid-2021, and includes outlying towns and villages which are not part of Edinburgh proper. The city
588-461: A royal charter , c. 1124–1127 , by King David I granting a toft in burgo meo de Edenesburg to the Priory of Dunfermline . The shire of Edinburgh seems to have also been created in the reign of David I, possibly covering all of Lothian at first, but by 1305 the eastern and western parts of Lothian had become Haddingtonshire and Linlithgowshire , leaving Edinburgh as the county town of
784-625: A 'devolved' Parliament were made before 1914, but were shelved due to the outbreak of the First World War . A sharp rise in nationalism in Scotland during the late 1960s fuelled demands for some form of home rule or complete independence , and in 1969 prompted the incumbent Labour government of Harold Wilson to set up the Kilbrandon Commission to consider the British constitution . One of
980-436: A 2011 cost-cutting exercise by Transport Scotland resulted in a new project specification which reduced the dynamic passing loops from their planned total length of 16 miles (26 km), and failed to future-proof the line by providing for all eight road bridges to be built to single-track width only, including the five bridges on the section between Tynehead and Stow where there were otherwise no other obstacles to doubling of
1176-520: A clause in the 2006 Waverley Railway Act , which committed the Scottish Government to complete the line to Tweedbank once works had been commenced. Construction began in earnest on 18 April 2013 after completion of remedial and preparatory works such as land acquisition, removal of vegetation, demolition of certain structures and remedial works on old mines in Midlothian, for which over £54 million
1372-528: A day or three per train, which would be less than the number using the existing bus service. In July 2005, the Waverley Railway Bill Committee came out in support of reopening as far as Galashiels. The bill was debated in September 2005 and a motion supporting it was passed with 102 in favour, none against and one abstention. On 9 May 2006, the bill committee published its final report supporting
1568-645: A few morning peak services that continue to Glenrothes with Thornton via the Fife Circle Line and a few evening peak services that originate at Glenrothes with Thornton. According to the Scottish transport minister Keith Brown, the timetable allows charter train promoters to run special excursion services within the hourly evening and Sunday services. Trains with 10:54, 12:54 and 14:24 departures from Edinburgh and 11:59, 13:59 and 15:28 departures from Tweedbank may be affected by scheduled steam trains. From March 2020,
1764-559: A full service on the line. The last passenger train over the Waverley Route was the Edinburgh- St Pancras sleeper on 5 January 1969 worked by Class 45 D60 Lytham St Anne's which arrived two hours late into Carlisle due to anti-closure protesters blocking the line. In 1992, Borders architect Simon Longland conducted a motorbike survey of the route which led him to set up the company Borders Transport Futures (BTF) to evaluate
1960-444: A group formed by Network Rail and Abellio ScotRail, took place on 14 June 2015. A 12-week period of driver training for 64 drivers and 64 guards began on 7 June 2015, with Abellio ScotRail Class 170 170414 in livery promoting the new line undertaking a proving run to measure stepping distances from platforms to trains. The train, which carried a large number of Network Rail staff, stopped at all stations from Newcraighall to Tweedbank in
2156-572: A large number of members wish to participate in the debate. Debate is more informal than in some parliamentary systems. Members may call each other directly by name, rather than by constituency or cabinet position, and hand clapping is allowed. Speeches to the chamber are normally delivered in English, but members may use Scots , Gaelic , or any other language with the agreement of the Presiding Officer. The Scottish Parliament has conducted debates in
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#17328445809202352-635: A meeting with members of the Scottish Borders Council that he expected the railway to benefit the Scottish economy by millions of pounds and that a feasibility study would be conducted to identify ways in which the line could boost tourism in the Borders region. Research by the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development has shown that visitor numbers for Midlothian and Borders tourist attractions increased by 4% and 6.9% respectively during
2548-523: A population in 2014 of 1,339,380. Like most of Scotland, Edinburgh has a cool temperate maritime climate ( Cfb ) which, despite its northerly latitude, is milder than places which lie at similar latitudes such as Moscow and Labrador . The city's proximity to the sea mitigates any large variations in temperature or extremes of climate. Winter daytime temperatures rarely fall below freezing while summer temperatures are moderate, rarely exceeding 22 °C (72 °F). The highest temperature recorded in
2744-588: A predicted 18,978 returns, while Galashiels had 104,593 against predicted 20,567. However, Eskbank, Gorebridge and Shawfair recorded less than their predicted usage. In September 2016, it was announced that one million passengers had been carried on the reopened line. The final annual rail passenger usage figures for 2015/16 for each station were as follows: Edinburgh Waverley (21,723,960), Brunstane (165,978), Newcraighall (224,026), Shawfair (13,202), Eskbank (128,298), Newtongrange (86,298), Gorebridge (59,304), Stow (39,656), Galashiels (213,760) and Tweedbank (300,602). For
2940-622: A result, the outcome of each division is known in seconds. The outcome of most votes can be predicted since political parties normally instruct members which way to vote. Parties entrust some MSPs, known as whips , with the task of ensuring that party members vote according to the party line. MSPs do not tend to vote against such instructions, since those who do are unlikely to reach higher political ranks in their parties. Errant members can be deselected as official party candidates during future elections, and, in serious cases, may be expelled from their parties outright. Thus, as with many Parliaments,
3136-703: A section between Galashiels and Tweedbank to passengers. The first moves came in 1999 when the Scottish Parliament supported a motion by Christine Grahame MSP which called for the reinstatement of the line as a means of reversing the economic decline of the Borders region. This was followed by a £400,000 feasibility study conducted by Scott Wilson and commissioned by the Scottish Office which reported in February 2000 that there were "no insurmountable planning or environmental constraints" to reinstatement as much of
3332-612: A series of small summits to the south of the city centre that command expansive views looking northwards over the urban area to the Firth of Forth. Edinburgh is drained by the river named the Water of Leith , which rises at the Colzium Springs in the Pentland Hills and runs for 18 miles (29 km) through the south and west of the city, emptying into the Firth of Forth at Leith. The nearest
3528-576: A shire covering the central part of Lothian, which was called Edinburghshire or Midlothian (the latter name being an informal, but commonly used, alternative until the county's name was legally changed in 1947). Edinburgh was largely under English control from 1291 to 1314 and from 1333 to 1341, during the Wars of Scottish Independence . When the English invaded Scotland in 1298 , Edward I of England chose not to enter Edinburgh but passed by it with his army. In
3724-596: A single line, resulting in a journey time from the Borders to Edinburgh of 45 minutes compared to 55 minutes by car. Despite the recommendations in the Scott Wilson report, political pressure on the Scottish Government to reconnect the Borders region eventually resulted in it giving support to the extension of the Edinburgh commuter network by 30 miles (48 km) as far as the Galashiels area. Pressure came in particular from
3920-617: A typical gradient of 1 in 150 into Galashiels and Tweedbank. Falahill is the tenth highest standard gauge railway summit in Britain, just 35 feet (11 m) lower than Shap summit . The Fushiebridge loop is on a 1 in 70 gradient and climbs southwards up the Borthwick Bank which had posed a challenge in the past for steam locomotives pulling heavy loads. Potential for further doubling exists around Newtongrange where passive provision has been made. The line has seven sets of points, two for each of
4116-637: A war band from across the Brittonic world who gathered in Eidyn before a fateful raid; this may describe a historical event around AD 600. In 638, the Gododdin stronghold was besieged by forces loyal to King Oswald of Northumbria , and around this time control of Lothian passed to the Angles . Their influence continued for the next three centuries until around 950, when, during the reign of Indulf , son of Constantine II ,
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#17328445809204312-411: Is a debate on a motion proposed by an MSP who is not a Scottish minister . Such motions are on issues which may be of interest to a particular area such as a member's own constituency, an upcoming or past event or any other item which would otherwise not be accorded official parliamentary time. As well as the proposer, other members normally contribute to the debate. The relevant minister, whose department
4508-615: Is a maximum speed limit on the Shawfair loop of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), with restrictions of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) at the northern entrance to the loop and 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) at King's Gate. A new bridge carries the Edinburgh bypass across the double-track. The Waverley Route is rejoined at King's Gate where it becomes single-track for 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (8.9 km) through Eskbank, Newtongrange and Gorebridge. Immediately after Eskbank, Hardengreen viaduct, an 87-yard (80 m) concrete span bridge, carries
4704-457: Is almost entirely within the City of Edinburgh Council boundary, merging with Musselburgh in East Lothian. Towns within easy reach of the city boundary include Inverkeithing , Haddington , Tranent , Prestonpans , Dalkeith , Bonnyrigg , Loanhead , Penicuik , Broxburn , Livingston and Dunfermline . Edinburgh lies at the heart of the Edinburgh & South East Scotland City region with
4900-409: Is believed to have been located at Castle Rock , now the site of Edinburgh Castle . A siege of Din Eidyn by Oswald , king of the Angles of Northumbria in 638 marked the beginning of three centuries of Germanic influence in south east Scotland that laid the foundations for the development of Scots , before the town was ultimately subsumed in 954 by the kingdom known to the English as Scotland. As
5096-1255: Is cloudier and somewhat wetter, but differences are minor. Temperature and rainfall records have been kept at the Royal Observatory since 1764. The most recent official population estimates (2020) are 506,520 for the locality (includes Currie ), 530,990 for the Edinburgh settlement (includes Musselburgh ). Scottish Parliament Opposition (66) Other (1) Charles III William , Duke of Rothesay Swinney government The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP Kate Forbes MSP Sixth session Alison Johnstone MSP Angela Constance MSP Dorothy Bain KC The Rt Hon Lord Carloway KC PC United Kingdom Parliament elections European Parliament elections Local elections Referendums Starmer ministry The Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic : Pàrlamaid na h-Alba [ˈpʰaːrˠl̪ˠəmɪtʲ nə ˈhal̪ˠapə] ; Scots : Scots Pairlament )
5292-737: Is convenient for an Edinburgh College campus, as well as the Midlothian Community Hospital . The first recorded use of the term Borders Railway to describe the reopened line was in a paper by the Corus Rail Consultancy in January 2004, entitled Delivering an innovative Borders Railway , which had been commissioned by the Waverley Route Trust. Previously, the Edinburgh–Tweedbank line had been variously described as
5488-426: Is encircled by a green belt , designated in 1957, which stretches from Dalmeny in the west to Prestongrange in the east. With an average width of 3.2 km (2 mi) the principal objectives of the green belt were to contain the outward expansion of the city and to prevent the agglomeration of urban areas. Expansion affecting the green belt is strictly controlled but developments such as Edinburgh Airport and
5684-409: Is entirely single-track save for the approach to Tweedbank. The 69-yard (63 m) Torwoodlee Tunnel is traversed just before Galashiels and four river crossings are made in under 2 miles (3.2 km) which required new bridge spans. At Galashiels, due to trackbed encroachment, the line deviates eastwards between a steep bank and the side wall of a supermarket which occupies the former station site. For
5880-581: Is in the Lothian region and was historically part of the shire of Midlothian (also called Edinburghshire). "Edin", the root of the city's name, derives from Eidyn , the name for the region in Cumbric , the Brittonic Celtic language formerly spoken there. The name's meaning is unknown. The district of Eidyn was centred on the stronghold of Din Eidyn, the dun or hillfort of Eidyn. This stronghold
6076-487: Is no revising chamber. The principal role of committees in the Scottish Parliament is to take evidence from witnesses, conduct inquiries and scrutinise legislation. Committee meetings take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning when Parliament is sitting. Committees can also meet at other locations throughout Scotland. Committees comprise a small number of MSPs, who look at specific subjects such as health,
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6272-412: Is normally set up to scrutinise private bills submitted to the Scottish Parliament by an outside party or promoter who is not a member of the Scottish Parliament or Scottish Government. Private bills normally relate to large-scale development projects such as infrastructure projects that require the use of land or property. Private Bill Committees have been set up to consider legislation on issues such as
6468-513: Is the unicameral legislature of Scotland . Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city , Edinburgh , it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyrood . The Parliament is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected for five-year terms under the regionalised form of Additional-member system (MMP): 73 MSPs represent individual geographical constituencies elected by
6664-440: Is typical of the old quarters of many Northern European cities. The New Town was an 18th-century solution to the problem of an increasingly crowded city which had been confined to the ridge sloping down from the castle. In 1766 a competition to design a "New Town" was won by James Craig , a 27-year-old architect. The plan was a rigid, ordered grid, which fitted in well with Enlightenment ideas of rationality. The principal street
6860-606: The A7 and A68 roads . The housing prediction came to pass when, as reported in the Edinburgh Evening News on 5 August 2013, a housing boom had been triggered along the line, with the number of new houses in Midlothian having doubled in the previous year, many of which were located in proximity to the line's stations. It is expected that 4,000 houses will be built in the Shawfair area in the next 25 years. On 20 August 2014, Alex Salmond , then First Minister of Scotland , announced to
7056-636: The Athenian Acropolis , as did aspects of the neoclassical architecture and layout of New Town . Both cities had flatter, fertile agricultural land sloping down to a port several miles away (respectively, Leith and Piraeus ). Intellectually, the Scottish Enlightenment , with its humanist and rationalist outlook, was influenced by Ancient Greek philosophy . In 1822, artist Hugh William Williams organized an exhibition that showed his paintings of Athens alongside views of Edinburgh, and
7252-638: The George Square and Potterrow areas proved highly controversial. Since the 1990s a new "financial district", including the Edinburgh International Conference Centre , has grown mainly on demolished railway property to the west of the castle, stretching into Fountainbridge , a run-down 19th-century industrial suburb which has undergone radical change since the 1980s with the demise of industrial and brewery premises. This ongoing development has enabled Edinburgh to maintain its place as
7448-554: The Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line once that route has been electrified. When, in 2013, vacancies were published for 18 trainee train driver positions at the planned Tweedbank depot, interest was substantial with 2,229 applications made for the posts. Upon the line's opening, one Class 170 unit bore a special livery advertising the tourist attractions of the Borders. Initial plans announced in February 2014 indicated an end-to-end fare of less than £10 and stipulated an average fare across
7644-525: The House of Commons . Speakers are drawn from across Scotland and are chosen to represent the balance of religious beliefs according to the Scottish census . Invitations to address Parliament in this manner are determined by the Presiding Officer on the advice of the parliamentary bureau. Faith groups can make direct representations to the Presiding Officer to nominate speakers. Before September 2012, Time for reflection
7840-702: The North Clyde Line or the Fife Circle Line . The service from Newcraighall through to the North Clyde Line was later electrified as a byproduct of the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link , leaving that from Newcraighall to Dalmeny and through to the Fife Circle Line with diesel trains. Crossrail was a success, and provided forward momentum for the Borders Railway project. The full business case for
8036-465: The Official Report , which is the substantially verbatim transcript of parliamentary debates. Since September 2012, the first item of business on Tuesday afternoons is usually Time for Reflection at which a speaker addresses members for up to four minutes, sharing a perspective on issues of faith . This contrasts with the formal style of "Prayers", which is the first item of business in meetings of
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8232-650: The Parliament of Scotland . Initial Scottish proposals in the negotiation over the Union suggested a devolved Parliament be retained in Scotland, but this was not accepted by the English negotiators. For the next 290 years, Scotland was governed by the Parliament of Great Britain and the subsequent Parliament of the United Kingdom , both seated at Westminster, and the lack of a Parliament of Scotland remained an important element in Scottish national identity . Suggestions for
8428-586: The Pentland Hills . Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in mid-2020, making it the second-most populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom . The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year. Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government , the Scottish Parliament ,
8624-724: The Robin Hood Line project, as well as the longest line in Scotland since the opening of the West Highland Line in 1901. On 6 August 2008, the Waverley Railway project was renamed the Borders Railway project and put under the control of Transport Scotland as statutory undertaker . In October 2009, the launch of a call for tenders stalled following discussions between the Scottish Government and HM Treasury over new regulations that required public–private partnerships to be recorded as public expenditure. A project timetable
8820-770: The Romans arrived in Lothian at the end of the 1st century AD, they found a Brittonic Celtic tribe whose name they recorded as the Votadini . The Votadini transitioned into the Gododdin kingdom in the Early Middle Ages , with Eidyn serving as one of the kingdom's districts. During this period, the Castle Rock site, thought to have been the stronghold of Din Eidyn, emerged as the kingdom's major centre. The medieval poem Y Gododdin describes
9016-657: The Royal Highland Showground at Ingliston lie within the zone. Similarly, suburbs such as Juniper Green and Balerno are situated on green belt land. One feature of the Edinburgh green belt is the inclusion of parcels of land within the city which are designated green belt, even though they do not connect with the peripheral ring. Examples of these independent wedges of green belt include Holyrood Park and Corstorphine Hill. Edinburgh includes former towns and villages that retain much of their original character as settlements in existence before they were absorbed into
9212-550: The Scotland Act , which came into force the following year, established a devolved Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive (renamed the Scottish Government since September 2007 ). Both based in Edinburgh, they are responsible for governing Scotland while reserved matters such as defence, foreign affairs and some elements of income tax remain the responsibility of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in London. In 2022, Edinburgh
9408-534: The Scottish Executive 's Public Transport Fund to allow a Parliamentary Order for reopening as far as Tweedbank to be taken forward. Once funding had been obtained, the three local authorities created the Waverley Railway Joint Committee to promote the scheme; consultant Turner & Townsend was appointed to carry out the necessary studies for a Transport and Works Act application. While
9604-758: The Scottish National Gallery . The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe , the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle , the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles , Greyfriars and the Canongate , and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as
9800-559: The Scottish National Party (SNP) resulted in rising support for Scottish independence, as well as the SNP. The party argued that the revenues from the oil were not benefitting Scotland as much as they should. The combined effect of these events led to Prime Minister Wilson committing his government to some form of devolved legislature in 1974. Under the terms of the Scotland Act 1978 , an elected assembly would be set up in Edinburgh if
9996-610: The Solicitor General for Scotland , who are not elected members of the Parliament but are members of the Scottish Government. As such, the Law Officers may attend and speak in the plenary meetings of the Parliament but, as they are not elected MSPs, cannot vote. Members are able to sit anywhere in the debating chamber, but typically sit in their party groupings. The First Minister, Scottish cabinet ministers and law officers sit in
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#173284458092010192-564: The South Bridge in the 1780s. The Southside is particularly popular with families (many state and private schools are here), young professionals and students (the central University of Edinburgh campus is based around George Square just north of Marchmont and the Meadows ), and Napier University (with major campuses around Merchiston and Morningside). The area is also well provided with hotel and "bed and breakfast" accommodation for visiting festival-goers. These districts often feature in works of fiction. For example, Church Hill in Morningside,
10388-413: The Waverley Railway and the Borders Rail Link . In mid-2014, Transport Scotland considered launching a competition for the public to submit their ideas for a name but the Scottish Borders Council was strongly opposed on the basis that Borders Railway had developed a strong brand identity . The use of Waverley Line or Waverley Route for the line was considered historically inaccurate by the Council and
10584-431: The highest courts in Scotland , and the Palace of Holyroodhouse , the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. It is also the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland . The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scottish law , literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. The University of Edinburgh , founded in 1582 and now one of three in
10780-424: The plurality (first-past-the-post) system, while a further 56 are returned as list members from eight additional member regions. Each region elects seven party-list MSPs. Each region elects 15 to 17 MSPs in total. The most recent general election to the Parliament was held on 6 May 2021, with the Scottish National Party winning a plurality. The original Parliament of Scotland was the national legislature of
10976-411: The standing orders that govern the proceedings of meetings. A vote clerk sits in front of the Presiding Officer and operates the electronic voting equipment and chamber clocks. As a member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body , the Presiding Officer is responsible for ensuring that the Parliament functions effectively and has the staff, property and resources it requires to operate. Convening
11172-399: The "burh" (fortress), named in the 10th-century Pictish Chronicle as oppidum Eden , was abandoned to the Scots. It thenceforth remained, for the most part, under their jurisdiction. The royal burgh was founded by King David I in the early 12th century on land belonging to the Crown, though the date of its charter is unknown. The first documentary evidence of the medieval burgh is
11368-542: The 17 fully booked services. During its first month of operations, 125,971 passengers travelled on the Borders Railway. Demand was far in excess of what ScotRail had expected, with the line carrying 19.4% of its predicted annual patronage of 650,000 in one month. The unexpected level of patronage resulted in overcrowding on services and passengers unable to board at intermediate stations, leading ScotRail to run four or six carriages with morning and peak trains. ScotRail also leased additional parking space near Tweedbank station as
11564-443: The 1860s began the transformation of the area into the predominantly Victorian Old Town seen today. More improvements followed in the early 20th century as a result of the work of Patrick Geddes , but relative economic stagnation during the two world wars and beyond saw the Old Town deteriorate further before major slum clearance in the 1960s and 1970s began to reverse the process. University building developments which transformed
11760-409: The 18th-century novel The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett one character describes Edinburgh as a "hotbed of genius". Edinburgh was also a major centre for the Scottish book trade. The highly successful London bookseller Andrew Millar was apprenticed there to James McEuen. From the 1770s onwards, the professional and business classes gradually deserted the Old Town in favour of
11956-573: The 1980s and 1990s, demand for a Scottish Parliament grew, in part because the government of the United Kingdom was controlled by the Conservative Party , while Scotland itself elected relatively few Conservative MPs. In the aftermath of the 1979 referendum defeat, the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly was initiated as a pressure group , leading to the 1989 Scottish Constitutional Convention with various organisations such as Scottish churches , political parties and representatives of industry taking part. Publishing its blueprint for devolution in 1995,
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#173284458092012152-520: The 19th century and joined by new industries such as rubber works , engineering works and others. By 1821, Edinburgh had been overtaken by Glasgow as Scotland's largest city. The city centre between Princes Street and George Street became a major commercial and shopping district, a development partly stimulated by the arrival of railways in the 1840s. The Old Town became an increasingly dilapidated, overcrowded slum with high mortality rates. Improvements carried out under Lord Provost William Chambers in
12348-404: The 235-space car park provided was generally full before 9am. The National Mining Museum near Newtongrange station reported a hike in visitor numbers, while the nearby towns of Melrose and St Boswells confirmed a rise in business and tourism. The line begins at Newcraighall South Junction where the track veers off the former Waverley Route to a parallel alignment just to the west which crosses over
12544-411: The A7, and required extensive works throughout 2013. Other works included digging out an infilled cutting on the outskirts of Galashiels and reconstructing a nearby bridge to allow the line to pass under power lines. The first sod was turned at Galashiels on 3 March 2010, when Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson attended a ceremony in the presence of campaigner Madge Elliot. This triggered
12740-425: The Borders Railway working out at just £3.50. According to the fare structure published by Abellio ScotRail in June 2015, the adult single fare between Edinburgh and Tweedbank was given as £10.00, while the adult anytime day return is £16 or £11.20 off-peak . With the launching of the railway, a community rail partnership was formed. Speaking in November 2012, Scottish transport minister Keith Brown predicted that
12936-461: The Borders Railway would bring inward investment into local communities as well as £33 million of benefits for the wider Scottish economy. The construction phase itself would support 400 jobs and would act as a catalyst to increased business development and housing as the area became within commuting distance of Edinburgh. Car journeys would be reduced by 60,000 peak trips per year, which would reduce carbon emissions and alleviate traffic and accidents on
13132-495: The Borders region without any access to the National Rail network. Following the closure, a campaign to revive the Waverley Route emerged. Discussion on reopening the northern part of the line came to a head during the early 2000s. Following deliberations in the Scottish Parliament , the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Act 2006 received royal assent in June 2006. The project was renamed the "Borders Railway" in August 2008, and building works began in November 2012. Passenger service on
13328-458: The Campaign for Borders Rail on behalf of which Petra Biberbach in February 2000 presented a petition with 17,261 signatures to the Public Petitions Committee of the Scottish Parliament. The petition received the unanimous support of the Parliament's Rural Affairs Committee which submitted it to the Parliamentary Chamber for debate. At its debate on 1 June, the Parliament passed unopposed motion SIM-922 according to which it "recognises and endorses
13524-641: The Campaign for Borders Rail since these names were only ever used for the whole of the original line as far as Carlisle. The Transport Scotland Business Case for Borders Railway , published in November 2012, central patronage forecast estimated that the additional passenger return journeys made for the first year of operation would be 647,136. This was broken down into Edinburgh Park (4,071), Haymarket (35,329), Edinburgh Waverley (220,533), Brunstane and Newcraighall combined (986), Shawfair (61,860), Eskbank (130,525), Newtongrange (52,918), Gorebridge (90,019), Stow (5,843), Galashiels (23,431) and Tweedbank (21,621). After
13720-411: The Castle Rock, giving rise to allusions to the seven hills of Rome . Occupying a narrow gap between the Firth of Forth to the north and the Pentland Hills and their outrunners to the south, the city sprawls over a landscape which is the product of early volcanic activity and later periods of intensive glaciation. Igneous activity between 350 and 400 million years ago, coupled with faulting , led to
13916-430: The Convention provided much of the basis for the structure of the Parliament. Devolution continued to form part of the platform of the Labour Party which won power under Tony Blair in May 1997. In September 1997, the Scottish devolution referendum was put to the Scottish electorate and secured a majority in favour of the reestablishment of the Scottish Parliament, with tax-varying powers, in Edinburgh. An election
14112-657: The English in 1544, Edinburgh continued to develop and grow, and was at the centre of events in the 16th-century Scottish Reformation and 17th-century Wars of the Covenant . In 1582, Edinburgh's town council was given a royal charter by King James VI permitting the establishment of a university; founded as Tounis College (Town's College), the institution developed into the University of Edinburgh , which contributed to Edinburgh's central intellectual role in subsequent centuries. In 1603, King James VI of Scotland succeeded to
14308-605: The English throne, uniting the crowns of Scotland and England in a personal union known as the Union of the Crowns , though Scotland remained, in all other respects, a separate kingdom. In 1638, King Charles I's attempt to introduce Anglican church forms in Scotland encountered stiff Presbyterian opposition culminating in the conflicts of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms . Subsequent Scottish support for Charles Stuart 's restoration to
14504-534: The Gaelic language. Each sitting day, normally at 5 pm, MSPs decide on all the motions and amendments that have been moved that day. This "Decision Time" is heralded by the sounding of the division bell, which is heard throughout the Parliamentary campus and alerts MSPs who are not in the chamber to return and vote. At Decision Time, the Presiding Officer puts questions on the motions and amendments by reading out
14700-604: The Jacobite "Highland Army" before its march into England. After its eventual defeat at Culloden , there followed a period of reprisals and pacification, largely directed at the rebellious clans . In Edinburgh, the Town Council, keen to emulate London by initiating city improvements and expansion to the north of the castle, reaffirmed its belief in the Union and loyalty to the Hanoverian monarch George III by its choice of names for
14896-472: The North". Robert Louis Stevenson, also a son of the city, wrote that Edinburgh "is what Paris ought to be". The earliest known human habitation in the Edinburgh area was at Cramond , where evidence was found of a Mesolithic camp site dated to c. 8500 BC. Traces of later Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements have been found on Castle Rock, Arthur's Seat , Craiglockhart Hill and the Pentland Hills . When
15092-586: The Parliamentary Bureau, which allocates time and sets the work agenda in the chamber, is another of the roles of the Presiding Officer. Under the Standing Orders of the Parliament the Bureau consists of the Presiding Officer and one representative from each political party with five or more seats in the Parliament. Amongst the duties of the Bureau are to agree the timetable of business in the chamber, establish
15288-538: The Provost for the time as Sheriff, and by the Bailies for the time as Sheriffsdepute conjunctly and severally; with full power to hold Courts, to punish transgressors not only by banishment but by death, to appoint officers of Court, and to do everything else appertaining to the office of Sheriff; as also to apply to their own proper use the fines and escheats arising out of the exercise of the said office." Despite being burnt by
15484-662: The Queen's helicopter journey from Balmoral was delayed which resulted in the late departure of the train and a delay at Newcraighall while a ScotRail service cleared the single-line section to the south. Her Majesty alighted at Newtongrange to unveil a plaque marking the opening of the railway; a second plaque was unveiled at Tweedbank. The following day the LNER Class A4 commenced a six-week programme of Borders steam specials promoted by ScotRail which saw services run to Tweedbank for three days each week. Around 6,200 passengers were carried on
15680-430: The Scottish Parliament, at the beginning of each parliamentary session, Parliament elects one MSP to serve as Presiding Officer , the equivalent of the speaker in other legislatures, and two MSPs to serve as deputies. The Presiding Officer (currently Alison Johnstone ) and deputies (currently Annabelle Ewing and Liam McArthur ) are elected by a secret ballot of the 129 MSPs, which is the only secret ballot conducted in
15876-480: The Scottish Parliament. Principally, the role of the Presiding Officer is to chair chamber proceedings and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body . When chairing meetings of the Parliament, the Presiding Officer and his/her deputies must be politically impartial. During debates, the Presiding Officer (or the deputy) is assisted by the parliamentary clerks, who give advice on how to interpret
16072-497: The United Kingdom's second largest financial and administrative centre after London. Financial services now account for a third of all commercial office space in the city. The development of Edinburgh Park , a new business and technology park covering 38 acres (15 ha), 4 mi (6 km) west of the city centre, has also contributed to the District Council's strategy for the city's major economic regeneration. In 1998,
16268-581: The adjectival forms Edinburgensis and Edinensis are used in educational and scientific contexts. Edina is a late 18th-century poetical form used by the Scots poets Robert Fergusson and Robert Burns . "Embra" or "Embro" are colloquialisms from the same time, as in Robert Garioch 's Embro to the Ploy . Ben Jonson described it as "Britaine's other eye", and Sir Walter Scott referred to it as "yon Empress of
16464-566: The alignment being buried. When the bypass was designed, local councils had requested that provision be made for the railway but they were overruled by the Department of Transport which insisted that the trackbed should be cut "on the level". Two further breaches were reported as a result of improvements to the A7 road between Eskbank and Gorebridge. A small housing estate had been built on the line in Gorebridge. Even more encroachments were found on
16660-608: The architectural style of the New Town into the early 19th century. Bute House , the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland , is on the north side of Charlotte Square. The hollow between the Old and New Towns was formerly the Nor Loch , which was created for the town's defence but came to be used by the inhabitants for dumping their sewage . It was drained by the 1820s as part of
16856-537: The area. With the redevelopment, Edinburgh has gained the business of cruise liner companies which now provide cruises to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. The coastal suburb of Portobello is characterised by Georgian villas, Victorian tenements, a beach and promenade and cafés, bars, restaurants and independent shops. There are rowing and sailing clubs, a restored Victorian swimming pool, and Victorian Turkish baths . The urban area of Edinburgh
17052-432: The areas in which it can make laws – by explicitly specifying powers that are " reserved " to the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate in all areas that are not explicitly reserved to Westminster. The UK Parliament retains the ability to amend the terms of reference of the Scottish Parliament, and can extend or reduce the areas in which it can make laws. The first meeting of
17248-479: The balance of parties across Parliament. Typically each committee corresponds with one (or more) of the departments (or ministries) of the Scottish Government. The current Subject Committees in the fourth Session are: Economy, Energy and Tourism; Education and Culture ; Health and Sport ; Justice ; Local Government and Regeneration ; Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment; Welfare Reform; and Infrastructure and Capital Investment . A further type of committee
17444-623: The case for establishment of a railway linking the Scottish Borders to the national network at Edinburgh and Carlisle and urges the Scottish Executive to consult with the Strategic Rail Authority and others to facilitate its establishment". The Scottish Borders Council , Midlothian Council , City of Edinburgh Council , Scottish Enterprise Borders , Borders Transport Futures, Railtrack and ScotRail bid for £1.9 million from
17640-547: The city between October and April. Located slightly north of the city centre, the weather station at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) has been an official weather station for the Met Office since 1956. The Met Office operates its own weather station at Gogarbank on the city's western outskirts, near Edinburgh Airport . This slightly inland station has a slightly wider temperature span between seasons,
17836-423: The city was 31.6 °C (88.9 °F) on 25 July 2019 at Gogarbank, beating the previous record of 31 °C (88 °F) on 4 August 1975 at Edinburgh Airport. The lowest temperature recorded in recent years was −14.6 °C (5.7 °F) during December 2010 at Gogarbank. Given Edinburgh's position between the coast and hills, it is renowned as "the windy city", with the prevailing wind direction coming from
18032-531: The city's northward expansion. Craig's original plan included an ornamental canal on the site of the loch, but this idea was abandoned. Soil excavated while laying the foundations of buildings in the New Town was dumped on the site of the loch to create the slope connecting the Old and New Towns known as The Mound . In the middle of the 19th century the National Gallery of Scotland and Royal Scottish Academy Building were built on The Mound, and tunnels for
18228-571: The city, is considered one of the best research institutions in the world. The financial centre of Scotland, Edinburgh is the second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, the fourth largest in Europe, and the thirteenth largest internationally. The city is a cultural centre, and is the home of institutions including the National Museum of Scotland , the National Library of Scotland and
18424-445: The construction of around 30 miles (48 km) of new railway as far as Tweedbank with seven new stations. In total, the Act had taken three full Parliamentary years to be passed, with 29 committee meetings, 108 witnesses and a quantity of paper 4 feet (1.2 m) in height. The line is the longest stretch of railway to be reopened in modern British history, 2 miles (3.2 km) longer than
18620-685: The courtyard adjoining the Assembly Hall, which is part of the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh . This building was vacated twice to allow for the meeting of the Church's General Assembly . In May 2000, the Parliament was temporarily relocated to the former Strathclyde Regional Council debating chamber at Strathclyde House in Glasgow, and to the University of Aberdeen in May 2002. Since September 2004,
18816-415: The creation of tough basalt volcanic plugs , which predominate over much of the area. One such example is the Castle Rock which forced the advancing ice sheet to divide, sheltering the softer rock and forming a 1 mi-long (1.6 km) tail of material to the east, thus creating a distinctive crag and tail formation. Glacial erosion on the north side of the crag gouged a deep valley later filled by
19012-618: The crest of a ridge from it terminating at Holyrood Palace. Minor streets (called closes or wynds ) lie on either side of the main spine forming a herringbone pattern. Due to space restrictions imposed by the narrowness of this landform, the Old Town became home to some of the earliest "high rise" residential buildings. Multi-storey dwellings known as lands were the norm from the 16th century onwards with ten and eleven storeys being typical and one even reaching fourteen or fifteen storeys. Numerous vaults below street level were inhabited to accommodate
19208-606: The day on which she became the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Her Majesty travelled with the Duke of Edinburgh and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on LNER Class A4 4488 Union of South Africa where they were met with children singing the National Anthem. The locomotive hauled a rake of Mark 1s provided by the SRPS as well as Pullman car No. 310 Pegasus . Due to bad weather,
19404-411: The debate and motion relate to "winds up" the debate by speaking after all other participants. Much of the work of the Scottish Parliament is done in committee . The role of committees is stronger in the Scottish Parliament than in other parliamentary systems, partly as a means of strengthening the role of backbenchers in their scrutiny of the government and partly to compensate for the fact that there
19600-531: The debating chamber usually take place on Wednesday afternoons from 2 pm to 6 pm and on Thursdays from 9:15 am to 6 pm. Chamber debates and committee meetings are open to the public. Entry is free, but booking in advance is recommended due to limited space. Parliament TV is a webcast and archive of Parliamentary business back to 2012. and on the BBC 's parliamentary channel BBC Parliament . Proceedings are also recorded in text form, in print and online, in
19796-531: The decision by Carillion not to continue. This led to the cancellation of the tender procedure by Scottish transport minister Keith Brown . Network Rail was chosen by Transport Scotland to undertake the project and, following months of negotiations, a Transfer of Responsibility was signed at a ceremony held on 6 November 2012 at the Scottish Mining Museum in Newtongrange . Network Rail agreed to build
19992-617: The development of the Edinburgh Tram Network , the Glasgow Airport Rail Link , the Airdrie–Bathgate rail link and extensions to the National Gallery of Scotland . The Scotland Act 1998 , which was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and given royal assent by Queen Elizabeth II on 19 November 1998, governs the functions and role of the Scottish Parliament and delimits its legislative competence. Since
20188-513: The economy or justice. They play a central role in the work of the Scottish parliament because, unlike the UK Parliament, the Scottish parliament is a single-chamber parliament. The committees can thus, consider and amend proposals for new laws, they can also propose new laws themselves. The committees can investigate any area that is within their remit and publish recommendations, and can also report on petitions that have been submitted by members of
20384-530: The exercise of devolved competences. Its effect is to undermine the freedom of action, regulatory competence and authority of the Parliament, limiting its ability to make different economic or social choices to those made by Westminster . Before the Treaty of Union 1707 united the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England into a new state called " Great Britain ", Scotland had an independent parliament known as
20580-434: The expanding city of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Many areas, such as Dalry , contain residences that are multi-occupancy buildings known as tenements , although the more southern and western parts of the city have traditionally been less built-up with a greater number of detached and semi-detached villas. The historic centre of Edinburgh is divided in two by the broad green swathe of Princes Street Gardens . To
20776-472: The fact that the social classes shared the same urban space, even inhabiting the same tenement buildings; although here a form of social segregation did prevail, whereby shopkeepers and tradesmen tended to occupy the cheaper-to-rent cellars and garrets, while the more well-to-do professional classes occupied the more expensive middle storeys. During the Jacobite rising of 1745 , Edinburgh was briefly occupied by
20972-528: The final 2 miles (3.2 km) to Tweedbank, the line follows its original alignment over a reconstructed embankment and through an excavated cutting before crossing the River Tweed on the Category B listed Redbridge Viaduct. In terms of gradients, the line proceeds on the level until Eskbank where it climbs to the summit at Falahill (880 feet above sea level ) at a ruling gradient of 1 in 70 and then descends at
21168-505: The final business case was released by the Scottish Government, which showed a benefit-cost ratio of just 0.5:1. This led the journal Local Transport Today to comment that the line was "one of the worst-performing major transport projects to be funded in recent times." The Campaign for Borders Rail responded stating that the ratio was based on modelling that underestimated the route's potential patronage, predicting only 23,431 yearly return trips from Galashiels equivalent to only 70 passengers
21364-447: The final length of rail into place. During the period of construction, more than 1,000 rails were laid across 100,000 sleepers . With the infrastructure complete, attention was turned to the installation of signalling and communications equipment as well as finalising the stations. A GSM-R system controlled from the IECC next to Edinburgh Waverley was in place by April 2015. On 13 May 2015,
21560-503: The first month, the actual number of passengers was 125,971, compared to the predicted annual total of around 650,000 additional return journeys, i.e. 2.6 million additional entries and exits across all stations. By 23 January 2016, 537,327 passengers had been carried on the line with weekly figures consistently showing over 20,000 journeys made. Figures released on 31 May 2016 showed that 694,373 persons had been carried since 6 September 2015. Tweedbank station saw 183,918 passengers compared to
21756-427: The first seven months of 2016, while Abbotsford House , Sir Walter Scott 's former home near Galashiels, saw a significant revival in its fortunes as it reported a 12% rise in visits during 2016. A study released on 15 June 2017 and commissioned by Transport Scotland and Borders Railway Blueprint Group showed that 50% of the line's users had moved to the region and that more than 80% of those who had changed jobs cited
21952-531: The first test train, DRS Class 37 604 with DBSO 9702, worked the 1Q13 Tweedbank-Millerhill. On 4 June 2015, a ceremony was held at Edinburgh Waverley to mark the final stages of the completion of works during which Madge Elliot, a veteran campaigner and founder member of the Campaign for Borders Rail, had Class 66 528 renamed in her honour. Official completion and handover of the line to the ScotRail Alliance,
22148-434: The first train into the station since 1969, which was hauled by GBRf Class 66761 and 66741 . On 5 February 2015, Network Rail's tracklaying machine reached the end of the line at Tweedbank station where a large crowd had gathered. As there was not enough track for the train to complete tracklaying into the second platform, it had to return the next day. The formal completion took place on 12 February when Keith Brown clipped
22344-580: The former Monktonhall Colliery, part of the Midlothian Coalfield . The first of three double-track dynamic loops begins here and continues for 2.1 mi (3.4 km) to King's Gate Junction just beyond the Edinburgh Bypass. The new alignment - some 660 yards (600 m) to the south-west of the original route - avoids new roads and mining subsidence on the Waverley Route trackbed through Millerhill, whilst also serving new housing at Shawfair. There
22540-513: The front row, in the middle section of the chamber. The largest party in the Parliament sits in the middle of the semicircle, with opposing parties on either side. The Presiding Officer, parliamentary clerks and officials sit opposite members at the front of the debating chamber. In front of the Presiding Officers' desk is the parliamentary mace , which is made from silver and inlaid with gold panned from Scottish rivers and inscribed with
22736-471: The funds to be used instead on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link . The Campaign for Borders Rail indicated that the low ratio followed from the choice to build a single-track line for half-hourly commuter services with no capacity for freight or specials. A revised benefit-cost ratio of 1.32 was announced in March 2008 despite costs of construction having risen to between £235 million and £295 million. In February 2013,
22932-570: The gradient and the short distance involved. The final section of double-track begins at Galabank Junction on the approach to Stow where a 3 + 1 ⁄ 4 mi (5.2 km) loop is entered by a 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) turnout before proceeding through several reverse curves and the 220-yard (200 m) Bowshank Tunnel to reach Bowland Points. The speed limit drops from 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) through Bowland. The last 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (8.9 km) stretch to Galashiels and Tweedbank
23128-620: The idea of a direct parallel between both cities quickly caught the popular imagination. When plans were drawn up in the early 19th century to architecturally develop Calton Hill , the design of the National Monument directly copied Athens' Parthenon . Tom Stoppard 's character Archie of Jumpers said, perhaps playing on Reykjavík meaning "smoky bay", that the "Reykjavík of the South" would be more appropriate. The city has also been known by several Latin names , such as Edinburgum , while
23324-424: The independence of Members of the Scottish Parliament tends to be low, and backbench rebellions by members who are discontent with their party's policies are rare. In some circumstances, however, parties announce "free votes", which allows Members to vote as they please. This is typically done on moral issues. Immediately after Decision Time a "Members Debate" is held, which lasts for 45 minutes. Members Business
23520-511: The independent Kingdom of Scotland and existed from the early 13th century until the Kingdom of Scotland merged with the Kingdom of England under the Acts of Union 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain . As a consequence, the Parliament of Scotland ceased to exist, while the Parliament of England , which sat at Westminster , was subsumed into the Parliament of Great Britain . In practice, all of
23716-598: The influx of incomers, particularly Irish immigrants , during the Industrial Revolution . The street has several fine public buildings such as St Giles' Cathedral, the City Chambers and the Law Courts . Other places of historical interest nearby are Greyfriars Kirkyard and Mary King's Close . The Grassmarket , running deep below the castle is connected by the steep double terraced Victoria Street. The street layout
23912-458: The language shifted from Cumbric to Northumbrian Old English and then Scots , the Brittonic din in Din Eidyn was replaced by burh , producing Edinburgh . In Scottish Gaelic din becomes dùn , producing modern Dùn Èideann . The city is affectionately nicknamed Auld Reekie , Scots for Old Smoky , for the views from the country of the smoke-covered Old Town. A note in a collection of
24108-484: The last service leaving Edinburgh at 23:54. Departure times from Edinburgh are usually at 24 and 54 minutes past the hour, while from Tweedbank trains depart at 28 and 58 minutes past the hour; individual timings may vary by a minute or so. The trains starting close to on the hour do not call at Stow except in the peaks and evenings; the Sunday service stops at Stow. Most services operate between Edinburgh and Tweedbank except for
24304-553: The line are designed for speeds of up to 90 miles per hour (140 km/h), average speeds over the whole line are in the region of 35–39 miles per hour (56–63 km/h). Amongst the line's 27 substantial structures, the greatest engineering challenge was posed by the point where the track met the Edinburgh City Bypass. At that point, a tunnel had to be constructed under the A720 road while it had been temporarily diverted; in total,
24500-431: The line as single track. This is in contrast to the reopened Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link , which was built as a double-track electrified railway from the outset. The difference between the two lines has been claimed by commentators to reflect scepticism toward the Borders Railway, which has existed since proposals were first made in the 1990s, as well as a reluctance to allow the project to become too ambitious. In particular,
24696-515: The line began on 6 September 2015, whilst an official opening by Queen Elizabeth II took place on 9 September. The railway was rebuilt as a non-electrified , largely single-track line. Several surviving Waverley Route structures, including viaducts and tunnels, were rehabilitated and reused for the reopened railway. Passenger services run half-hourly on weekdays until 20:00, and hourly until 23:54 and on Sundays. The timetable also allows charter train promoters to run special excursion services, and for
24892-511: The line by mid-2015 for £294 million, an increase on the estimated £230 million that the line was expected to cost and the £100 million that it was originally costed at in 2000. This figure is also substantially more than the £189 million which Network Rail Chief Executive Iain Coucher agreed to build the line in late 2007 or early 2008. In December 2012, Network Rail appointed BAM Nuttall as its main contractor. The Network Rail team which worked on
25088-623: The line over the A7 road at Hardenbridge, thereby correcting the damage caused by the Dalkeith Western Bypass. Thereafter Glenesk viaduct crosses the River North Esk , a single-arch span built for the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway between 1829 and 1831, which is one of Scotland's oldest railway bridges. This is soon followed by the 23-arch Newbattle Viaduct between Eskbank and Newtongrange, where
25284-425: The line south of Tweedbank which would take infrastructure costs over £100 million. The Scott Wilson report also indicated that patronage projections for a new line were not encouraging, with none of the route options examined producing a positive cost-benefit value . The option which came closest to a neutral cost-benefit assessment was a reopening only as far as Gorebridge. Nevertheless, Scott Wilson did indicate that
25480-416: The line under the A7, the original alignment having been lost to allow the road to be straightened across the trackbed. The realignment at Falahill as well as the installation of single-track on a wider double-track alignment has allowed higher line speeds to be reached here than was possible on the Waverley Route; whereas the curvature of old alignment limited the line speed to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h),
25676-526: The line was essentially the same as the one which delivered the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link in 2009. A Network Rail spokesman confirmed that lessons learned from the previous project had been applied to the Borders project, such as better coordination between the different teams by having them together in one office in Newtongrange. In June 2013, the design contract for the line was awarded to URS which agreed to design new bridges, stations and roads, as well as
25872-522: The line was not suitable for double track and, in any event, there was no business case for doubling the line from the outset. As a result, 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (34.2 km) of the line are single-track with three "dynamic" passing loops providing 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (15.3 km) of double-track to allow for half-hourly services. The route is not electrified but provision has been made to install overhead line if required as bridges have been built to W12 gauge . Although certain sections of
26068-470: The line was published in mid-2004, showing a modest benefit to cost ratio of 1.01 to 1. The case was in some part built on projected housing developments – 700 in the Borders and 1,100 in Midlothian – that led to an anti-rail backlash in local elections with the success of the Borders Party . Representing the party, Councillor Nicholas Watson described the scheme as "a colossal waste of money" and called for
26264-454: The line. Edinburgh Edinburgh ( / ˈ ɛ d ɪ n b ər ə / ED -in-bər-ə , Scots: [ˈɛdɪnbʌrə] ; Scottish Gaelic : Dùn Èideann [t̪un ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ] ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas . The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth estuary and to the south by
26460-507: The local council built a £5.2 million bus/rail interchange . The station at Stow was a late addition to the scheme after lobbying by the Campaign for Borders Rail. Campaigning also resulted in the extension of platforms at the line's Tweedbank terminus to 312 yards (285 m), to accommodate tourist charter trains of up to 10–12 carriages in length. Passive provision has been made for the extension of all other station platforms from 170 yards (160 m) to 257 yards (235 m). Eskbank station
26656-499: The mace is displayed in a glass case, suspended from the lid. At the beginning of each sitting in the chamber, the lid of the case is rotated so that the mace is above the glass, to symbolise that a full meeting of the Parliament is taking place. Parliament typically sits Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from early January to late June and from early September to mid December, with two-week recesses in April and October. Plenary meetings in
26852-527: The middle of the 14th century, the French chronicler Jean Froissart described it as the capital of Scotland (c. 1365), and James III (1451–88) referred to it in the 15th century as "the principal burgh of our kingdom". In 1482 James III "granted and perpetually confirmed to the said Provost, Bailies, Clerk, Council, and Community, and their successors, the office of Sheriff within the Burgh for ever, to be exercised by
27048-558: The modern-day skyscraper. Most of these old structures were replaced by the predominantly Victorian buildings seen in today's Old Town. In 1611 an act of parliament created the High Constables of Edinburgh to keep order in the city, thought to be the oldest statutory police force in the world. Following the Treaty of Union in 1706, the Parliaments of England and Scotland passed Acts of Union in 1706 and 1707 respectively, uniting
27244-482: The more elegant "one-family" residences of the New Town, a migration that changed the city's social character. According to the foremost historian of this development, "Unity of social feeling was one of the most valuable heritages of old Edinburgh, and its disappearance was widely and properly lamented." Despite an enduring myth to the contrary, Edinburgh became an industrial centre with its traditional industries of printing, brewing and distilling continuing to grow in
27440-427: The name of the motion or amendment as well as the proposer and asking " Are we all agreed? ", to which the chamber first votes orally. If there is audible dissent, the Presiding Officer announces " There will be a division " and members vote by means of electronic consoles on their desks. Each MSP has a unique access card with a microchip which, when inserted into the console, identifies them and allows them to vote. As
27636-437: The new line has seen units reach 86 miles per hour (138 km/h). The speed limit for the next 7 miles (11 km) to Galabank Junction is 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) with a 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) restriction at the halfway point. The limit is raised to 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) for 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (2.8 km) south of Tynehead, although this speed is unlikely to be reached in practice due to
27832-468: The now drained Nor Loch . These features, along with another hollow on the rock's south side, formed an ideal natural strongpoint upon which Edinburgh Castle was built. Similarly, Arthur's Seat is the remains of a volcano dating from the Carboniferous period , which was eroded by a glacier moving west to east during the ice age. Erosive action such as plucking and abrasion exposed the rocky crags to
28028-493: The number, remit and membership of parliamentary committees and regulate the passage of legislation (bills) through the Parliament. The Presiding Officer also represents the Scottish Parliament at home and abroad in an official capacity. The Presiding Officer controls debates by calling on members to speak. The Presiding Officer rules on points of order raised by members, which are not subject to debate or appeal. The Presiding Officer may also discipline members who fail to observe
28224-532: The official home of the Scottish Parliament has been a new Scottish Parliament Building , in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh. The Scottish Parliament building was designed by Spanish architect Enric Miralles in partnership with local Edinburgh Architecture firm RMJM which was led by Design Principal Tony Kettle . Some of the principal features of the complex include leaf-shaped buildings, a grass-roofed branch merging into adjacent parkland and gabion walls formed from
28420-480: The original line could be reused, although several major obstacles would need to be overcome which would entail substantial costs. A number of blockages were identified in the 12-mile (19 km) section between Edinburgh and Gorebridge . The first was the breach of the former line by the Edinburgh City Bypass which intersected the trackbed at a shallow angle resulting in more than 220 yards (200 m) of
28616-428: The people have the art, very strange to Aeneas, of burning a certain sort of black stones, and Edinburgh with its chimneys is called 'Auld Reekie' by the country people". The 19th-century historian Robert Chambers asserted that the sobriquet could not be traced before the reign of Charles II in the late 17th century. He attributed the name to a Fife laird, Durham of Largo, who regulated the bedtime of his children by
28812-486: The period 2017–18, patronage rose by 5.5% to 1.5 million. The route was operated by the ScotRail franchisee, Abellio ScotRail , which had taken control in April 2015, followed in April 2022 by Scottish Government-owned ScotRail . Monday to Saturday services are half-hourly in each direction until 20:00, with an hourly service provided after 20:00 and on Sundays. The first weekday service departs at 05:20 from Tweedbank with
29008-546: The possibility of reopening. Having carried out feasibility work, in 1997 the company came close to lodging Parliamentary plans for what would effectively be a long siding for timber traffic from the West Coast Main Line at Gretna to Longtown and Riccarton Junction where the line would branch off along the former Border Counties Railway to Kielder Forest . This scheme, known as the South Borders Railway ,
29204-464: The presence of large crowds of spectators. The following day Class 158 158741 was used for the first driver-training runs. On 26 July 2015, a driver-training train carried Borders rail campaigner Madge Elliot. The Borders Railway was named the Scottish infrastructure project of 2016 by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors . The final cost of the project was £353 million, of which £295 million
29400-448: The principal objectives of the commission was to examine ways of enabling more self-government for Scotland, within the unitary state of the United Kingdom. Kilbrandon published his report in 1973 recommending the establishment of a directly elected Scottish Assembly to legislate for the majority of domestic Scottish affairs. During this time, the discovery of oil in the North Sea and the following " It's Scotland's oil " campaign of
29596-422: The project incorporated five new associated road schemes. Major challenges were also posed by abandoned mine shafts to the north of the route, some of which dated to the 16th century and had not been mapped. More than 200 bridges were involved in the scheme, as the route crosses the Gala Water and River Tweed nineteen times. One of the most vital bridges on the line carries the track over Hardengreen roundabout on
29792-432: The project were to be invited to participate in a competitive dialogue; these were BAM UK , IMCD ( Sir Robert McAlpine , Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras and Carillion ) and New Borders Railway ( Fluor , Miller and Uberior Infrastructure Investments). In mid-November 2010, the withdrawal of Fluor resulted in the third consortium pulling out of the bidding process. The second consortium withdrew in June 2011 following
29988-407: The project with two recommendations: a station had to be provided at Stow and the line had to be completed to its full extent, i.e. as far as Tweedbank. These recommendations were accepted by the Scottish Parliament in the final debate on the bill on 14 June 2006. The bill was carried by 114 votes to one. The Waverley Railway (Scotland) Act 2006 received Royal Assent on 24 June 2006 and sanctioned
30184-567: The proposed Borders Railway was undergoing a lengthy period of consultation, passenger services were reintroduced on the surviving freight-only section of the Waverley Route between Portobello Junction and Millerhill. Brunstane and Newcraighall stations opened on 3 June 2002, the latter being 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (7.6 km) from Edinburgh, providing a park-and-ride service to the city. The scheme cost £10 million to build two basic stations and upgrade 1.1 miles (1.8 km) of track for frequent passenger services. According to ScotRail , it
30380-402: The public approved it in a referendum be held on 1 March 1979 . A narrow majority of 51.6% to 48.4% voted in favour of a Scottish Assembly, but the Act also required that at least 40% of the total electorate vote in favour of the proposal. As the turnout was only 63.6%, the vote in favour represented only 32.9% of the eligible voting population, and the Assembly was not established. Throughout
30576-427: The public or groups. The current Mandatory Committees in the fourth Session of the Scottish Parliament are: Public Audit ; Equal Opportunities; European and External Relations; Finance; Public Petitions; Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments; and Delegated Powers and Law Reform. Subject Committees are established at the beginning of each parliamentary session, and again the members on each committee reflect
30772-454: The railway as a factor in their decision. The study estimated that 40,000 car journeys had been saved per year as well as 22,000 fewer bus journeys. The report also indicated that 23% of visitors to the area would not have done so without the railway. The line's construction has been described as resembling a "basic railway" built to a tight budget and incorporating cost-saving features, such as using elderly two-carriage diesel trains and running
30968-411: The railway line between Haymarket and Waverley stations were driven through it. The Southside is a residential part of the city, which includes the districts of St Leonards , Marchmont , Morningside , Newington , Sciennes , the Grange and Blackford . The Southside is broadly analogous to the area covered formerly by the Burgh Muir , and was developed as a residential area after the opening of
31164-432: The reconvened Parliament took place on 12 May 1999. The legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament has been amended numerous times since then. The Scotland Act 2012 and Scotland Act 2016 expanded the Parliament's powers, especially over taxation and welfare. The purpose of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 , the most recent amendment, is to constrain the powers of the devolved institutions and restrict
31360-474: The refurbishment of existing bridges and the provision of engineering support, for £3.5 million. The line comprises 40 miles (65 km) of single-line track over a distance of 31 miles (50 km), plus 42 new bridges, 95 refurbished bridges and two refurbished tunnels, and required 1.5 million tonnes of earth to be moved. Stations are provided at Shawfair , Eskbank , Newtongrange , Gorebridge , Stow , Galashiels , and Tweedbank . According to Network Rail,
31556-423: The reopening of the line would benefit the Borders region by providing better links with Edinburgh and creating up to 900 new jobs. Scott Wilson also suggested that part of the Border Counties Railway as far as Kielder Forest could be reinstated at a cost of £26 million to allow timber traffic to be carried on the southern part of the new Borders line. Furthermore, line speeds of 70–90 mph could be achieved on
31752-413: The river gets to the city centre is at Dean Village on the north-western edge of the New Town, where a deep gorge is spanned by Thomas Telford 's Dean Bridge , built in 1832 for the road to Queensferry . The Water of Leith Walkway is a mixed-use trail that follows the course of the river for 19.6 km (12.2 mi) from Balerno to Leith. Excepting the shoreline of the Firth of Forth, Edinburgh
31948-402: The route and pre-cast switch and crossing units for the passing loops. The first part of the route to be ballasted was the section through Lothianbridge Viaduct to which structural repairs had to be carried out. By the end of October, more than 11 miles (18 km) of track had been laid as far as Tynehead and the double-track on the Shawfair loop had been completed plus 2 miles (3.2 km) of
32144-416: The rules of the Parliament. The debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament has seating arranged in a hemicycle , a design which is common across European legislatures, intended to encourage consensus and compromise. There are 131 seats in the debating chamber. Of the total 131 seats, 129 are occupied by the Parliament's elected MSPs and two are seats for the Scottish Law Officers—the Lord Advocate and
32340-403: The second half of the century, the city was at the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment , when thinkers like David Hume, Adam Smith, James Hutton and Joseph Black were familiar figures in its streets. Edinburgh became a major intellectual centre, earning it the nickname "Athens of the North" because of its many neo-classical buildings and reputation for learning, recalling ancient Athens. In
32536-437: The second track on the Borthwick loop. Work was halted in late November 2014 after a contractor working for BAM Nuttall in the Gala area was injured when a sleeper came loose when being lifted into position and landed on his leg. Work restarted on 12 January 2015 following a review by BAM of their track installation methodology. By 3 February, the track was complete through Galashiels and hundreds of spectators turned out to welcome
32732-457: The service was reduced to one train per hour as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . The half-hourly service is expected to return in May 2022. Class 158 DMUs were initially used on the line with Class 170s becoming the primary unit on the line from 2018. The latter operate a new 3-coach hourly service to Fife. Network Rail indicated that three-car trains run initially, with the possibility of six-car formations using Class 170s cascaded from
32928-418: The single-track runs down the centre of the structure as is the case for the Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle Line . The second double-track section begins at Fushiebridge Junction and continues for 3.8 miles (6.1 km) to just beyond the site of Tynehead station. A 10-mile (16 km) single-track section then extends as far as Falahill where a 110-yard (100 m) reinforced concrete box takes
33124-528: The smoke rising above Edinburgh from the fires of the tenements. "It's time now bairns, to tak' the beuks, and gang to our beds, for yonder's Auld Reekie, I see, putting on her nicht -cap!". Edinburgh has been popularly called the Athens of the North since the early 19th century. References to Athens, such as Athens of Britain and Modern Athens , had been made as early as the 1760s. The similarities were seen to be topographical but also intellectual. Edinburgh's Castle Rock reminded returning grand tourists of
33320-448: The south, the view is dominated by Edinburgh Castle, built high on Castle Rock, and the long sweep of the Old Town descending towards Holyrood Palace. To the north lie Princes Street and the New Town. The West End includes the financial district, with insurance and banking offices as well as the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Edinburgh's Old and New Towns were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 in recognition of
33516-472: The south-west, which is often associated with warm, unstable air from the North Atlantic Current that can give rise to rainfall – although considerably less than cities to the west, such as Glasgow. Rainfall is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year. Winds from an easterly direction are usually drier but considerably colder, and may be accompanied by haar , a persistent coastal fog. Vigorous Atlantic depressions, known as European windstorms , can affect
33712-497: The southern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city centre is 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi (4.0 km) southwest of the shoreline of Leith and 26 mi (42 km) inland, as the crow flies, from the east coast of Scotland and the North Sea at Dunbar . While the early burgh grew up near the prominent Castle Rock, the modern city is often said to be built on seven hills , namely Calton Hill , Corstorphine Hill , Craiglockhart Hill, Braid Hill , Blackford Hill , Arthur's Seat and
33908-416: The stones of previous buildings. Throughout the building there are many repeated motifs, such as shapes based on Raeburn's Skating Minister . Crow-stepped gables and the upturned boat skylights of the Garden Lobby, complete the unique architecture. Queen Elizabeth II opened the new building on 9 October 2004. In 2024, the Scottish Parliament celebrated its 25th anniversary. After each election to
34104-400: The streets of the New Town: for example, Rose Street and Thistle Street; and for the royal family, George Street , Queen Street , Hanover Street, Frederick Street and Princes Street (in honour of George's two sons). The consistently geometric layout of the plan for the extension of Edinburgh was the result of a major competition in urban planning staged by the Town Council in 1766. In
34300-414: The surrounding countryside, was controversially closed in January 1969 following the recommendation for its closure in the 1963 Beeching Report as an unremunerative line. According to information released by the Ministry of Transport , the potential savings to British Railways from the line's closure were at least £536,000. In addition, an estimated grant of £700,000 would have been required to maintain
34496-572: The three dynamic loops, and one at the Tweedbank terminus. The 30-mile (48 km) long route serves Tweedbank, Galashiels, Stow, Gorebridge, Newtongrange, Eskbank, Shawfair, Newcraighall, Brunstane and Edinburgh Waverley stations, with a total running time of 55 minutes for most services. Certain services are slowed due to conflicts with other operators' services in the Edinburgh area. The new stations are not staffed, but ticket machines and train information have been provided. All stations other than Galashiels have park and ride facilities; at Galashiels,
34692-438: The throne of England resulted in Edinburgh's occupation by Oliver Cromwell 's Commonwealth of England forces – the New Model Army – in 1650. In the 17th century, Edinburgh's boundaries were still defined by the city's defensive town walls . As a result, the city's growing population was accommodated by increasing the height of the houses. Buildings of 11 storeys or more were common, and have been described as forerunners of
34888-402: The traditions, procedures, and standing orders of the English parliament were retained, with the addition of Scottish members in both the Commons and Lords . Following a referendum in 1997 , in which the Scottish electorate voted for devolution, the powers of the devolved legislature were specified by the Scotland Act 1998 . The Act delineates the legislative competence of the Parliament –
35084-484: The two kingdoms in the Kingdom of Great Britain effective from 1 May 1707. As a consequence, the Parliament of Scotland merged with the Parliament of England to form the Parliament of Great Britain , which sat at Westminster in London. The Union was opposed by many Scots, resulting in riots in the city. By the first half of the 18th century, Edinburgh was described as one of Europe's most densely populated, overcrowded and unsanitary towns. Visitors were struck by
35280-415: The unique character of the Old Town with its medieval street layout and the planned Georgian New Town, including the adjoining Dean Village and Calton Hill areas. There are over 4,500 listed buildings within the city, a higher proportion relative to area than any other city in the United Kingdom. The castle is perched on top of a rocky crag (the remnant of an extinct volcano) and the Royal Mile runs down
35476-401: The weeks following the line opening scheduled steam trains were run. In 1849, the North British Railway opened a line from Edinburgh through Midlothian as far as Hawick in the Scottish Borders ; a further extension in 1862 brought the line to Carlisle in England. The line, known as the Waverley Route after the novels of the same name by Sir Walter Scott whose stories were set in
35672-551: The west before leaving a tail of deposited glacial material swept to the east. This process formed the distinctive Salisbury Crags , a series of teschenite cliffs between Arthur's Seat and the location of the early burgh. The residential areas of Marchmont and Bruntsfield are built along a series of drumlin ridges south of the city centre, which were deposited as the glacier receded. Other prominent landforms such as Calton Hill and Corstorphine Hill are also products of glacial erosion. The Braid Hills and Blackford Hill are
35868-424: The words: Wisdom , Compassion , Justice and Integrity . The words There shall be a Scottish Parliament , which are the first words of the Scotland Act, are inscribed around the head of the mace, which has a ceremonial role in the meetings of Parliament, representing the authority of the Parliament to make laws. Presented to the Scottish Parliament by the Queen upon Parliament's official opening in July 1999,
36064-483: The works of the poet, Allan Ramsay , explains, "Auld Reeky...A name the country people give Edinburgh, from the cloud of smoke or reek that is always impending over it." In Walter Scott 's 1820 novel The Abbot , a character observes that "yonder stands Auld Reekie—you may see the smoke hover over her at twenty miles' distance". In 1898, Thomas Carlyle comments on the phenomenon: "Smoke cloud hangs over old Edinburgh, for, ever since Aeneas Silvius 's time and earlier,
36260-463: Was a matter of great resentment when the two burghs merged in 1920 into the City of Edinburgh. Even today the parliamentary seat is known as "Edinburgh North and Leith". The loss of traditional industries and commerce (the last shipyard closed in 1983) resulted in economic decline. The Edinburgh Waterfront development has transformed old dockland areas from Leith to Granton into residential areas with shopping and leisure facilities and helped rejuvenate
36456-414: Was affected by the 2022 Scotland bin strikes . In 2023, Edinburgh became the first capital city in Europe to sign the global Plant Based Treaty , which was introduced at COP26 in 2021 in Glasgow. Green Party councillor Steve Burgess introduced the treaty. The Scottish Countryside Alliance and other farming groups called the treaty "anti-farming". Situated in Scotland's Central Belt , Edinburgh lies on
36652-449: Was announced by Finance Secretary John Swinney on 4 November 2009, whereby he stated that construction of the line would not begin prior to the 2011 elections to the Scottish Parliament . The tendering process finally began on 16 December 2009, when a contract notice was published in the Official Journal of the European Union . Transport Scotland announced in June 2010 that three consortiums that had submitted expressions of interest in
36848-440: Was construction costs (in 2012 prices). Regular passenger services began on 6 September 2015 when the 08:45 Tweedbank - Edinburgh Waverley departed formed of two-car ScotRail Class 158s led by 158701. On the first day more than 2,500 journeys were made. A special VIP press trip had run on 4 September which left Edinburgh Waverley at 10:20 for Tweedbank. The railway was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 9 September 2015 -
37044-421: Was held on 6 May 1999, and on 1 July of that year power was transferred from Westminster to the new reconvened Parliament. While the permanent building at Holyrood was being constructed, a temporary home for the Parliament was found in Edinburgh. The General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland on the Royal Mile was chosen to host the Parliament. Official photographs and television interviews were held in
37240-533: Was held on Wednesday afternoons. The Presiding Officer (or Deputy Presiding Officer) decides who speaks in chamber debates and the amount of time for which they are allowed to speak. Normally, the Presiding Officer tries to achieve a balance between different viewpoints and political parties when selecting members to speak. Typically, ministers or party leaders open debates, with opening speakers given between 5 and 20 minutes, and succeeding speakers allocated less time. The Presiding Officer can reduce speaking time if
37436-411: Was one of two projects promoted by BTF, the other being the North Borders Railway – a commuter line from Edinburgh to Galashiels. There were no plans to link the two lines. The South Borders Railway ran into difficulties as a result of the unwillingness of landowners to sell land. Based on the BTF's groundwork, the Campaign for Borders Rail, founded in 1999, was able to advance a project to reopen
37632-434: Was spent by Network Rail. The first task was the excavation of the track alignment through Monktonhall and the clearing of the site for Shawfair station. Construction of the line's first bridge, Rye Haugh Bridge at Millerhall, were underway on 6 August 2013 as part of works to deviate the line out of Edinburgh from Newcraighall before it returns to the original alignment. The 23-arch Newbattle Viaduct (or Lothianbridge Viaduct)
37828-580: Was the first "proper heavy rail reopening" with stations since privatisation and the first permanent service to stations in the east of Edinburgh since Abbeyhill , Piershill , Portobello and Joppa closed in September 1964. Plans for a station at Portobello were abandoned amid concerns that trains using it would hold up GNER services. A half-hourly service was launched using Class 158s running alternately to Dunblane and Bathgate . This service, termed Edinburgh Crossrail , extended from Newcraighall through to Edinburgh Waverley, and continued either onto
38024-403: Was the home of Muriel Spark 's Miss Jean Brodie, and Ian Rankin 's Inspector Rebus lives in Marchmont and works in St Leonards. Leith was historically the port of Edinburgh, an arrangement of unknown date that was confirmed by the royal charter Robert the Bruce granted to the city in 1329. The port developed a separate identity from Edinburgh, which to some extent it still retains, and it
38220-576: Was to be George Street , running along the natural ridge to the north of what became known as the "Old Town". To either side of it are two other main streets: Princes Street and Queen Street. Princes Street has become Edinburgh's main shopping street and now has few of its Georgian buildings in their original state. The three main streets are connected by a series of streets running perpendicular to them. The east and west ends of George Street are terminated by St Andrew Square and Charlotte Square respectively. The latter, designed by Robert Adam , influenced
38416-486: Was used by lorries removing spoil from the construction site which eased traffic on local roads. The first track was laid in the Bowshank Tunnel on 4 April 2014. On 30 September 2014, the first train on the Waverley Route for 45 years – a works train – ran to Newcraighall. Tracklaying began in earnest on 6 October 2014, although preliminary works had resulted in a section of slab track laid through Bowshank Tunnel, south of Stow, as well as ballasting along large sections of
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