Carlisle is a cathedral city at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril in Cumbria, northern England. It is located 8 miles south of the Scottish border, therefore nicknamed the Great Border City. It is the main cultural, commercial and industrial centre in the Borderlands, home to the University of Cumbria as well as multiple museums and heritage centres.
Carlisle is the historic county town of Cumberland and administrative county town of Cumbria as well as the latter's City of Carlisle district administrative centre. At the 2001 census, the population of Carlisle was 71,773, with 100,734 living in the wider city district. By the 2011 census, the population had risen to 75,306 and 107,524, respectfully.
The early history of Carlisle is marked by its status as a Roman settlement, established to serve forts on Hadrian's Wall. During the Middle Ages, in proximity to the Kingdom of Scotland, the city became an important military stronghold. This stronghold, Carlisle Castle, it still relatively intact and was built in 1092 by William Rufus, once serving as a prison for Mary, Queen of Scots in 1568.