EdinburghThe Murrayfield stadium, which was erected in 1925 on the site of the Edinburgh Polo Club, was at one time the rugby stadium with the largest capacity in the world (104,000 spectators). This however was reduced for safety reasons and Murrayfield’s new configuration (67,500 places) was completed in 1994.
Famous for the harrowing noise, the whistling wind and the Tartan Army – the team’s 16th man - any visiting team needs nerves of steel to gain and retain an upper hand as the haunting ‘Flower of Scotland’ rings out above all else.
This ‘edge’ has been the downfall of many a team to reach the last stage of a Grand Slam and France memorably suffered defeats in 1984, 1986 and 1988. England have similarly fallen to the will of the Scots in 1990 and 2000, and Ireland in 2001.
Even worse for the French, ‘les bleus’ were unable to gain the upper hand at Murrayfield from 1980 through to 1994. Scotland’s fortunes have since followed a downward spiral, but Murrayfield retains all of its magic and is well worth a visit.
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland - a magical medieval city built around Castle Rock with its neighbourhoods dating from the 18th century.
The city is also a university and cultural centre where rugby has a prominent position due to the famous Murrayfield Stadium.
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