Edinburgh topographic map
Interactive map
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Edinburgh
Some have called Edinburgh the Athens of the North for a variety of reasons. The earliest comparison between the two cities showed that they had a similar topography, with the Castle Rock of Edinburgh performing a similar role to the Athenian Acropolis. Both of them had flatter, fertile agricultural land sloping down to a port several miles away (respectively Leith and Piraeus). Although this arrangement is common in Southern Europe, it is rare in Northern Europe. The 18th-century intellectual life, referred to as the Scottish Enlightenment, was a key influence in gaining the name. Such luminaries as David Hume and Adam Smith shone during this period. Having lost most of its political importance after the Union, some hoped that Edinburgh could gain a similar influence on London as Athens had on Rome. Also a contributing factor was the later neoclassical architecture, particularly that of William Henry Playfair, and the National Monument. 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.
About this map
Name: Edinburgh topographic map, elevation, terrain.
Average elevation: 104 m
Minimum elevation: -3 m
Maximum elevation: 578 m
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The area was traditionally seen as two farm estates: Easter Swanston owned by the Ross family; and Wester Swanston owned by the Foulis family. The two were united in 1749 when the Trotters of Mortonhall (who had bought Wester Swanston in 1670) also acquired Easter Swanston. The Trotter family planted the…
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