The Old Town is the heart of Scotland's capital city. It plays a key role in respect to civic, legal, religious and cultural activities both Nationally and in the life of the City of Edinburgh.
	The Old Town is a lively area with many specialty shops, restaurants and businesses. People also live here which adds to the character and charm of the Old Town as a place in which people choose to live work and spend their leisure time.
	The Old Town has to be actively managed in order to balance the diverse range of uses and to ensure that it has a strong economic base of quality facilities.
	Visitors
	There are many things to see and do in the Old Town. There are 22 existing Visitor Attractions a further four educational and visitor attractions are being planned.
	The Dynamic Earth The Museum of Scotland The Science Centre The Festival Centre
	Many visitors enjoy walking around this historic core exploring the many closes that thread their way through the Town.
	There is a wide variety of places to stay ranging from five star hotels to small and medium sized budget and family hotels.

	Shopping
	The Old Town is an important location for specialist shops. Here you can find a wide variety of Scottish crafts, gifts and clothing. You will find these shops in attractive areas such as the Royal Mile ( which is the generic name for the High Street, Lawnmarket and the Canongate) Victoria Street, the Grassmarket, St Mary's Street and Jeffry Street. There are also shops which serve the growing residential community and the working population.
Many goods can be sourced fromshopsin the Old Town

	Old Town Residents
	Almost 8000 people now live in the Old Town.
	In 1750 there were many more, some 25,000, making the area overcrowded and unsanitary. The gradual decline in population started when Edinburgh embarked on building a 'New Town' in 1767. By 1985 there were only 3000 residents left in the Old Town.
	Over the past ten years, a renewal programme has stopped this decline. Many properties have been refurbished and new homes built in keeping with the surroundings. There are also many local facilities which makes life in the Old Town very congenial.