Edinburgh The economyScotland, United Kingdom Gaelic Dun Eideann

Contemporary Edinburgh is, as it was in the 18th century, predominantly a provider of services. Less than one-tenth of its labour force now works in the manufacturing sector, while service-related industries employ nearly seven-eighths. The pre-World War II staples of brewing, baking, and book printing have all declined. Electrical and electronic engineering and research, much of it related to defense and much of it drawing on the scientific skills of the town’s universities, has become the largest industrial employer. The main service industries are public administration, law, medicine, financial services, education, and tourism. Edinburgh is second only to London as a British tourist city.

Edinburgh has long been an important centre for financial and legal services. The city’s institutions financed much of the development of the western United States, including ranching, railroads, timber, and mining, and thereby laid the basis for its fortune. As the centre of Scotland’s legal system, Edinburgh has a flourishing legal profession, which ranks second only to banking as the highest-paid profession in the city. The city houses a large international conference centre, built in 1995, that attracts both business and tourist trade.