This constituency spreads from the Meadows, Bruntsfield and Morningside to the west, and to Priestfield and Prestonfield to the east. Its southerly boundary is at Gilmerton village, Burdiehouse and Mortonhall - where the city meets the bypass linking it to the rest of Scotland.
The Victorian villa suburbs of Merchiston, Morningside and Grange are the home of many of the more well-to-do residents of Edinburgh. The plummy Morningside accent was that parodied in Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, but these areas sit ill at ease with the seat's less well turned-out districts. The peripheral council estates of Kaimes and Gilmerton are a far cry both socially and politically from their upper-crust neighbours.
This seat contains one of the highest proportions of professional and managerial workers in the country. Parts of Edinburgh University and Napier University are located in this seat, which also gives it a large student population.
This was once thought to be a solid Conservative seat - they held it up until 1987 when Michael Ancram was defeated by Labour's Nigel Griffiths. Mr Griffiths increased his majority considerably at both subsequent elections and it now stands at over 25%.