MUCH of Edinburgh's charm stems from the way in which past and present live easily side by side. Diverted by the city's physical beauty, it is easy for the visitor to overlook the fact that Edinburgh is also a busy, thriving, modern community, providing a working and living environment for 440,000 people.

Less than one-fifth of the working population are employed in manufacturing industry. The rest are in a variety of service industries, so plainly the service sector is fundamental to the economic well-being of Edinburgh.

World Markets, Crewe Toll

However, though manufacturing has declined in size in recent years, it remains important. The manufacturing sector in Edinburgh is dominated by three industrial groups, namely: electrical and electronics engineering; paper, printing and publishing; and food and drink. These three account for more than 75 per cent of all manufacturing employment.

In electrical and electronics engineering, the four leading companies are Hewlett Packard, Racal, NEI Peebles and GEC Marconi Avionics. Moreover, there is a growing number of small firms in the field of advanced technology who, as well as showing employment growth, are providing a vital research resource for the wider sector.

The City of Edinburgh District Council's economic strategy includes support for the development of new technologies and their application. Edinburgh University, Heriot-Watt University and Napier University are all at the forefront of a number of leading-edge technologies, and the Technology Transfer Centre at Edinburgh University, conducting research which can be developed for commercial application, provides an example of a beneficial joint venture between city and university.

Edinburgh's economic strengths are in electronics, information technology, tourism and financial services. The importance of financial services, which has always been considerable in Edinburgh, continues to grow. Indeed, financial services now take up about a third of all commercial office space in the city.

TSB Headquarters

Edinburgh has always enjoyed a good reputation for handling other people's money, and in the context of the United Kingdom, Edinburgh's importance as a financial centre is second only to that of London. Scottish Financial Enterprise, an organisation which was formed to represent the community of banks, insurance groups, fund managers and financial services companies, has more than 200 members, of whom almost half have their head office in Edinburgh. The objective of this organisation is to help the financial community to grow and to benefit from opportunities arising in the wake of the world-wide deregulation of financial services.

Edinburgh has two major industrial estates, both on the west side of the city. The older of the two has been established at Sighthill for more than 40 years; the second, at Gyle, is still growing. More than two million square feet of business, retail, leisure and residential space have easy access to road, rail and air transport, and the development also have the world's most advanced telecommunications. It all means that west Edinburgh is blossoming into one of Europe's most exciting business locations.

New West Edinburgh (four miles from the city centre, and just two miles from Edinburgh International Airport) has everything from sites to purpose-built office developments. The development includes Scotland's largest and most ambitious commercial development, the 138-acre Edinburgh Park - a joint venture between the Miller Group and Edinburgh Development and Investment (a City of Edinburgh District Council subsidiary). The park offers high technology and financial services headquarter buildings, with landscaping that includes a central water feature. The park has its own access to the M8 extension and to the Edinburgh City Bypass, which provides a gateway to the entire UK motorway network.

Good telecommunications are crucial to international business, and so Edinburgh is equipped with the United Kingdom's first major integrated digital telephone network based on fibre optics. Edinburgh enjoys instantaneous access to every form of electronic communication currently available in the world. Access to satellite communication links and video-conferencing facilities are also available.

A major shopping centre development by the City of Edinburgh, Marks and Spencer and Safeway was opened at the Gyle, adjacent to Edinburgh Park, in 1993.

Edinburgh International Airport, which is only eight miles from the city centre, is served by 11 airlines flying to 27 destinations. There are hourly flights to London, making it easy to connect to destinations world-wide. There are direct flights from Edinburgh to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Dublin.

Edinburgh's commitment to the sciences in general and new technologies in particular is further demonstrated at the annual Edinburgh International Science Festival. Held in April each year, it brings together all scientific disciplines. It unites everyone with an interest in science, from local children to international research biologists, from companies adopting new technologies to individuals concerned about the environment. The Science Festival focuses attention on the issues and advances of science through conferences, seminars, lectures, exhibitions, demonstrations and popular events.

Edinburgh International Conference Centre

As well as being Britain's most popular holiday destination after London, Edinburgh is a favourite venue for conferences of all types and sizes. The Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Morrison Street, was opened in 1995. It provides international-standard, purpose-built meeting facilities of the highest quality, right in the heart of the city. The unique feature of the centre is the main auditorium. Providing raked seating for 1,200 delegates theatre-style, the auditorium can be quickly sub-divided into three separate, self-contained auditoria for 600, 300 and 300. Supported by exhibition and catering areas and a range of break-out rooms, the centre also offers the latest in presentation and communications technology. Adjacent to the conference centre is another development, providing one million sq. ft of high-quality office space and creating a new business district in the heart of the city. Edinburgh has more than 15,000 beds available in a wide range of hotel accommodation, up to five-star, as well as a large number of comfortable guest-houses.

Good restaurants abound, many of them being featured in national good food guides. The cuisine available is international: ethnic restaurants include French, Italian, Swiss, Spanish, Indian, Pakistani, and Chinese. There are also excellent fish restaurants, particularly in Leith. Edinburgh is also noted for its pubs, a number of which are celebrated for their elegant Victorian and Edwardian interiors.

Shopping in Edinburgh

There are many attractive shops in Edinburgh. These range from the spacious and well-ordered department stores of Princes Street, George Street and the West End, to the informality of the antique shop. These antique shops are encountered throughout Edinburgh, but they will be found in concentration in the New Town around Stockbridge, Thistle Street and North West Circus Place; and in the Old Town in Causewayside, Victoria Street and the Grassmarket. Who can resist the appeal, the inherent mystery of the antique shop? To enter a department store may be interesting, but to enter an antique shop is an adventure.