The «royal» and fairytale Edinburgh

Medieval and much like a fairy-tale, with a rich history and an atmosphere of mystery, Edinburgh – both the old and the new city of the UNESCO world heritage site – is home to some of the most important historical landmarks in the world.

It has been the capital of Scotland since 1437, it was a center during the Enlightenment due to its great University and it is also a city with many galleries and museums, as well as an impressive gastronomy scene. Overall, it is an ideal destination to visit, especially at this time of year.

• Climb up to the inactive volcano of Arthur’s Seat for stunning panoramic views of the city.
• Stockbridge, by the River Leith, is a delightful village of elegant Georgian and Victorian courtyard houses. A fairytale ride…
• The Scottish Parliament building is bold, reminiscent of upturned boats, and was designed by Spanish architect Enric Miralles, who died before its unveiling in 2004.
• The historic Edinburgh Castle and one of the oldest in Europe, built in the 12th century, is in the centre of the city. It is simply fabulous!
• Picturesque, but also a touristic street, the Royal Mile, is flooded with shops. It leads to Hollyrood Palace, which was the residence of the Princess of Scots and the resort of Queen Elizabeth.
• The National Museum of Scotland houses everything. Egyptian mummies, fashion, art, dinosaur skeletons… Entrance is also free.
• The National Gallery of Scotland is housed in two magnificent 19th-century neoclassical buildings and houses works by Rembrandt and Botticelli, among others.
• Football pie is a traditional Scottish mince pie. A frequent snack on a matchday at football matches, hence the name football pie.
• You will find many shops selling Harry Potter related products. And that’s because the beloved hero is inspired by the city of Edinburgh.

Heart of Midlothian

Eternally between the Celtic and Rangers rivalry, Hearts are PAOK’s last … obstacle before the group stage. Heart of Midlothian, as its full name is, is based in Gorgie to the west of Edinburgh.

The Scottish team is intimately connected with PAOK, given that the Double-headed Eagle team manager Christos Karipidis played there from 2006 to 2009. Hearts have won four Scottish championships (the last in 1960), eight Scottish Cups (the last in 2012) and four League Cups. In the Scottish league in the 2022-23 season they finished fourth.

Regarding their presence in Europe, the club has rarely qualified for the group stage, and in fact the most recent time was last season’s Europa Conference League, when they finished third in their group.

• The club takes its name from the historic county of Midlothian, which dates back to the Middle Ages. The Heart of Midlothian mosaic on the Royal Mile, which marks the historic entrance to Old Tolbooth Prison, demolished in 1817, also dates from that time.
• Hearts was formed by a group of friends from the Heart of Midlothian Quadrille Assembly Club. The club’s exact founding date has never been recorded, although 1874 is now established as the founding year.
• One of the oldest derbies in world football is that of Hearts and Hibernian. The two first met on Christmas Day 1875, with Hearts winning 1-0.
• Initially the team wore white jerseys with a heart stitched on the chest. Their colors are now white and burgundy, always of course with a heart in a prominent place.
• The badge is a heart, based on the Heart of Midlothian mosaic on the Royal Mile. There is a strange custom about it. When someone passes by the mosaic, he spits on out, in memory of the time when the city’s prison was located there.
• The team’s nickname is «The Jambos». «Jambo» in Scottish dialect means heart, of course.

Tynecastle Park

Tynecastle Park in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh has been the home of Hearts since 1886. It has hosted Scottish national team international matches, Scottish Cup and League Cup semi-finals. Tynecastle has a capacity of 19,852 and is the sixth largest football ground in Scotland. Hearts originally played at The Meadows, Powburn and Powderhall before moving to the Gorgie area.

• The stadium was completely renovated in the 1990s. The main stand was opened to the public in November 2017 and has a capacity of 7,000 seats.
• Away fans are housed in the Roseburn Stand at one end of the pitch, which can accommodate up to 3,676 fans.
• Inside the Gorgie Stand is the team museum. Admission is free.
• It is a UEFA category 4 stadium, as the only football stadium outside Glasgow and one of five in Scotland to hold a high UEFA ranking.
• A record attendance (53,396) was recorded for a game against Rangers on 02/1932 for the Scottish Cup.