More Information

One of Scotland's most populated regions, Edinburgh and Lothian accounts for only 2% of Scotland's land area but 15% of its population. Covering the four local authority areas of East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and West Lothian, the area includes Livingston, Bathgate, Linlithgow, Musselburgh, Tranent, Penicuik, Bonnyrigg, and Dalkeith.

GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE

- The population of the area is 780,000. - Rich in culture, Edinburgh hosts 14 major festivals annually, including the world famous - - Edinburgh International Festival which doubles the population of the city every summer. - Edinburgh attracts tens of thousands of commuters daily who work and create wealth in the City but live elsewhere. - In comparison to other European cities, commuter travel times are considerably shorter. - Edinburgh enjoys a crime rate, which is lower than most capital cities worldwide. - Apart from its excellent nightlife and quality shopping facilities, the area is excellent for outdoor pursuits. - Edinburgh has three well-respected universities as well as excellent colleges and schools. - There are approximately 33,500 university students and approximately 41,500 students at Further Education Colleges in Edinburgh. - The famous Edinburgh Castle is the most visited tourist attraction in Scotland. - The average weekly rent for council housing in the City of Edinburgh Council area is £45.69. The average house price for the city is £93,023.

INDUSTRY & EMPLOYMENT

- Best known for financial services, Edinburgh is ranked the UKs second largest centre after London. The capital is also home to the Scottish Parliament. - Other key industries are: biotechnology, optoelectronics, microelectronics, software, creative industries, government, tourism and education and training. - Major employers in the area include: Agilent, Sun Microsystems, Quintiles, Epson, Sky. Edinburgh and Lothian has a greater than average availability of labour and an abundance of well-qualified people. - The number of Lothian residents in employment (including the self-employed) rose from an estimated 374,000 in Spring 1995 to 397,000 in Spring 2000. - There were just over 21,100 enterprises in Lothian in March 2000, which includes all industries in the public, private and voluntary sectors. These represent 15% of the Scottish total. - Lothian based companies achieved some £3.1bn of manufactured exports in 1998, some 16 per cent of the Scottish total. - Almost 80 per cent of exports value in 1998 was attributable to electronics. - The most important export destinations (based on total value 1994-98) have been: Netherlands (£556m in 1998), USA (£328m in 1998), Italy (£550m in 1998), Germany (£316m in 1998), France (£136m in 1998) and Japan (£216m in 1998). - Overseas tourism in Lothian is worth an estimated £325m, about one-third of the Scottish total.