I don’t know about you, but if you’re not a local, when I think of Edinburgh and The Lothians, it always brings to mind unicorns, cobbled streets and interesting sounding bridge names. Perhaps the latter is due to my having read my way through the Rebus’ books. Whichever way you look at it, Edinburgh has a fascinating history and a legion of places, people and landmarks of interest.

AquAid Edinburgh, or AquAid Lothian as the branch is more commonly known, has been looking after their more than 1,000 customers in Edinburgh; Alloa; East Lothian; Falkirk; Fife; Midlothian; Perth; Scottish Borders and Stirling since they opened their doors in 2005.

Edinburgh & The Lothians are so close, yet they’re both so very different. Scotland‘s cosmopolitan capital city borders with miles of lush countryside and the attractive coastline of the Lothians.

But even if you’re a local, there are quite a few startling facts about this gorgeous city and region you may not be aware of.

Like the fact that the Castle is perched on top of part of a volcano.* Arthur’s Seat isn’t the only extinct volcanic feature in Edinburgh. Castle Rock is actually a volcanic plug, and it’s 340 million years old…

And, what about the source of Scrooge* – Charles Dickens invented the famous character of Scrooge when he misread the tombstone of successful Edinburgh merchant Ebenezer Scroggie in the Canongate Kirkyard. Dickens was horrified by the apparently hard-hearted inscription ‘Meanman’ – but the tombstone actually read ‘Mealman’ in recognition of Scroggie’s successful career as a corn trader. Thus, a legend was mistakenly born.

We can’t leave out the fact that 75% of the city’s buildings are listed.* In fact, Edinburgh has the most listed sites in the UK outside of London, with more than 4,500 buildings making the list.

It’s where the Encyclopaedia Britannica was first published.* The Encyclopaedia Britannica was first produced in Edinburgh, and the first edition caused controversy due to the anatomy section which was said to contain “unvarnished portrayals of the unmentionable parts of the human body.”

Rose’s Lime Juice was first made here.* Taking a tip from sailors avoiding scurvy at sea, Lauchlan Rose patented a method to preserve citrus juice using sugar in 1867 and Rose’s Lime Juice was born. The first factory to produce the now world famous cordial opened on Commercial Street in Leith in 1868.

The meaning of ‘caddie’.* The word ‘caddie’ is now commonly associated with golf, but is thought to have originated as a description of the men who were hired to carry pails of water up the tenement flats in Edinburgh’s Old Town.

The professional team of installers, drivers and engineers at AquAid Edinburgh certainly don’t bring you pails of water, but they are responsible for getting your water to you and keeping your water coolers in tip top condition.

For all your water and water coolers requirements in Edinburgh and The Lothians, contact any one of the amazing team at the AquAid Edinburgh branch – they’ll be delighted to assist.

*source: iNews