In Chapter II of Volume III, Victor and Clerval arrived in Edinburgh during their tour of Britain and have very different reactions. Victor says "I visited Edinburgh with languid eyes and mind; and yet that city might have interested the most unfortunate being." (Vol. II Chapter II) which in my opinion basically means that Edinburgh would be incredibly impressive to anyone except Victor because he is too wrapped up in guilt and dread to appreciate it. Instead of admiring the city's beauty again Victor allows his internal struggles to make everything seem lifeless. This is a major contrast from Clerval who is enjoying his time in the city; the text says it "filled him with cheerfulness and admiration" (Vol. II Chapter II). 

For Shelley's early readers, Edinburgh was very well known for being a central hub for science and medicine. I think that these readers in the early 1800s would have associated Edinburgh with the progress of learning and the evolution of science. In Frankenstein, we only see the city through Victor's gloomy and alienated perspective. I think, in a way, Victor being unable to truly see what the city has to offer shows how his obsession of the Creature robs him of his experiences that could been benificial for him as a character maybe even saving him in the end. 

The photo above is of the Edinburgh Castle 1880s by John Patrick, Public Domain,  https://www.rawpixel.com/search/history%20of%20edinburgh%20castle?page=1...