Edinburgh Salford Train

The city of Edinburgh in Scotland has a rich history which has resulted in the city having many historic buildings. Examples include Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, the churches of St Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate. Edinburgh also has an international reputation as a centre of learning particularly in medicine, science and engineering. The University of Edinburgh, which was founded in 1583, was recently placed 17th in the QS World University Rankings 2013, and is one of four universities in the city.

The city is also famous for the Edinburgh International Festival, which, since its inception in 1947, has grown – largely as a result of the "Fringe" and other associated events – into the biggest annual international arts festival in the world. The Festival is usually held over three weeks from the middle of August and brings top class performers of music (especially classical music), theatre, opera and dance from around the world to perform. The festival also hosts a series of visual art exhibitions, talks and workshops. However, the main festival has been overtaken in size and popularity by the Edinburgh Fringe which initially began as a range of alternative acts alongside the 'official' Festival and has progressed to become the largest performing arts festival in th world.

Salford, located in the north west of England, has a secret that many visitors don't realise - 60% of the city is green space! The city has three green flag parks, five local nature reserves and over 20 public parks, all of which offer visitors plenty of things to do and see. You can explore one of the beautiful country parks such as Clifton Country Park's meadows, play hide and seek in Worsley Woods, take a leisurely stroll at Blackleach Country Park, or enjoy a brass band concert with an ice cream in the summer at Victoria Park. If you prefer a more wild approach, try some real wilderness at Chat Moss. If you are looking for a taste of Salford's past, visit Ordsall Hall which is a formerly moated Tudor mansion, the oldest parts of which were built during the 15th century. The mansion is located in the Ordsall area of Salford and was the family seat of the Radclyffe family, who lived in the house for more than 300 years. The hall was the setting for William Harrison Ainsworth's 1842 novel Guy Fawkes, written around the plausible although unsubstantiated local story that the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was planned in the house.