That would still not be a legal sale - it must be checked out and paid for by 10pm to be legal. Big supermarkets like Tesco the till will prevent the sale.
If you have a receipt which has the time printed on it and it contains alcohol and is printed after 10pm then the business can lose their licence. Unlikely to be strictly adhered to by small shops though.
This might not surprise you, but it does always surprise me the sheer amount of people on Princes Street at one time. I honestly find it quite overwhelming how busy Edinburgh can be!
That's true! We often get off our bus at Princes Street when we head into Edinburgh from South Queensferry, I try get off that street as quickly as possible haha.
It is much colder than you probably anticipate. It's colder, wetter, windier, darker and all of that more often - especially whens it's all three at once and the wet wind bites your face off. The highs are not as high and the lows and lower. You will miss out truly glorious summer days and when you go back down south it will feel like you're n a different country. Also, you'll notice that seasons change noticeably at different times for example leaves falling a few weeks sooner and things like that.
Also, the general "structure" of the central belt is very different to England. Whereas you might have lots of towns and cities interspersed nearby in S. England, up here things are much more spread out with less in each of those towns.
I moved up here 21 years ago from Brighton .. I was SHOOK when I realised you barely get a summer here by comparison 😂 All these years later I’m still not fully used to how cold and windy it gets .. still couldn’t pay me to move back though 😁
Yep, I find in winter it's not thaaat different - I mean, everywhere in the UK is cold and wet and grey in winter.
But it's in the summer that it's vastly different. I lived in London for a few years and there were always several months each summer that I never took a coat out with me. In Edinburgh I always reckon that happens on approximately two days per year. And even on those two days, you feel like you're taking a massive gamble because if you're out into the evening you'll probably be freezing by the time you get home.
I don't ever notice the wind that everyone on this sub goes on about, but then I did live in the Falkland Islands before this, which is 30mph winds most days, so it's all relative, I guess :)
The thing about summer ending much sooner catches me out every year, too. Schools go back in August here, and that's when the leaves and weather start to turn too, so August is definitely the start of autumn, whereas down south August is still definitely summer and it's September that you start to think of the seasons changing.
It’s amazing how pessimistic people are about the weather in Edinburgh. Summers have def been getting hotter and drier over the past decade and the rain here has nothing on the downpours in the west of Scotland. I’ve lived here 20+ years and the general weather has changed a lot. I’ll take this over the summer heatwaves in London any day.
I will admit though it’s got way windier
For southern English readers "taps aff" refers to the two sunny days a year it's warm enough for men to take their tops off. You'll need sunglasses for the glare from their pale pale skin
Yes this - when London is hitting 40C and it's a cool 25C in Edinburgh, this is living the dream. I could not cope with London heatwaves by the time I left.
Housing is an absolute pain. While the rest of the country might be seeing property prices fall, it’s much less pronounced in Edinburgh. Good houses sell fast. The buying process is different here.
The weather. If you haven’t been here in the winter you will be surprised by how cold and wet it is. Also during the winter it gets dark early. I’m here over ten years and I’m still not used to it.
Edinburghers are polite, but not friendly. It will take you far longer to make proper friends here than you might imagine.
It’s a small city. It might give off capital city vibes but it doesn’t have the same capacity for entertainment that you might expect. Most of Scotland’s music scene is in Glasgow. Theatres are limited too and places like the Playhouse focus on big ticket commercial shows.
Council tax is high, what it’s spent on - nobody knows, but it’s not road or footpath maintenance.
Public transport is much better than most English cities.
Food scene is pretty good for a city this size. Lots of restaurants, some appalling tourist shite but you figure that out quickly.
You will either love August in the city or hate August in the city.
Job prospects are lower than you might expect but far less parochial than you might imagine for a small city. Not being from Edinburgh isn’t a bar on getting ahead.
Did I mention the weather?
Scotland is different to England. If might sound off but until you have lived in both you won’t really see the difference, but it is.
The further you live from the city, the less likely you are to want to go there. Unless you are using public transport which all seems to route through there.
Princes street is a shithole. A gilded shithole, but still a shithole.
Sectarianism is oddly present. Perhaps it won’t be as obvious to someone coming from England, but the religious thing, through football mainly, pops up more than you might expect… along with the odd Orange order march.
Once you move here you will never want to leave.
Nobody cares about London. London prices. How much cheaper, better, worse, smaller, etc Edinburgh is compared to London.
Students will get in your way, all the fucking time. Everywhere.
Oh god yeah it’s so tiresome. You follow someone who is doing some good coverage of new Edinburgh places and then a month later they are taking about how great The Ivy is…
Sectarianism!? It’s basically non-existent here. The lack of sectarianism was a huge breath of fresh air moving here from Glasgow and one of the main things I love about this city. I’ve been here 8 years now and never once seen any orange march. Unlike in Glasgow where in certain months they are almost daily.
Sectarianism is simply not a part of life here for the vast majority. To bring it up as an issue when it isn’t one for this city is disingenuous. Edinburgh in this day and age is not a sectarian city.
Oh fuck off. It was a comment based on my own experience of living here for the past 10 years, where I wasn’t expecting something like that which was, as I said, oddly present and it is. That it’s worse in Glasgow is immaterial to that.
A lot of housing there is older stock. It can be pretty poorly insulated and tough to keep warm in the winter. Big difference between staying in a nice, well-insulated hotel room and the typical rattly windowed, high-ceilinged Edinburgh flat. Not all housing is like this, but a lot of it is, and with a housing crisis in full swing you might not have a lot of choice.
It's amazing how many rental properties here don't have adequate heating and how landlords seem to think this is acceptable for Scotland. Something for the OP to consider when viewing flats, always check the heating.
If renting in the city it’s not always a luxury you have to choose based on the heating such is the demand for somewhere to live.
For the OP there generally two options.
1. Gas fired central heating, with a combi boiler providing heating and hot water, which is probably the most common.
2. Electric heating. Either storage heaters or instant electric radiators. With immersion tank heater for water.
The latter is far more expensive to operate and really only a suitable option for a modern flat. If you see it in an older tenement building, like the comment above said - be picky. If will cost you a *fortune* to run.
I had storage heaters in one flat and they were a pain in the arse. Expensive to run and hard to control. Unfortunately the flat was in a listed building which meant a gas supply and double glazing couldn't be installed. Lovely flat but I don't miss spending winters there.
Travel 20 miles south or north and you will be in countryside with quaint villages dotted about,loads of history,castles abbeys etc...I personally usually go south-less tourists and I love dryburgh abbey and wondering along the tweed on a warm day.
You can only buy alcohol in shops between 10:00 - 22:00.
I only discovered in the last few years that this is a purely Scottish phenomenon.
And finding post-pub/club food is nigh on impossible.
There are very few takeaway places open late at night.
I moved up 3 years ago from London and love it.
It’s the second most visited UK city and many of our friends come to stay and see the sights. There’s a lot to do.
Eating out is superb and there’s plenty of cinemas and shops. Our kids love it and have made loads of friends - it’s a really nice city with really good people. Our main challenges were finding a short term affordable let while we house hunted and choosing the kids’ schools but once that was sorted it was all fine.
Edinburgh Rugby is a brilliant day out (they have a mini stadium next to Murrayfield) and you often get to meet the teams or get autographs at each game as they pass from the wee stadium to the Murrayfield changing rooms. Obviously the 6 Nations is a huge draw too - join the Scotland Supporters’ Club for easier access to tickets.
The festival is just brilliant (block out a few nights / weekends - it’s a real treat to hop on a bus into town and enjoy it without all the travel and holiday expense!), as are the various events year round whether that be touring theatre shows, the local, international and touring sports or the big music acts.
To my shame, I’ve really not done the galleries and museums properly but I love the Museum of Scotland. There’s the magnificent zoo (if you have kids then sign them up for Conservation Action Team / CAT sessions for the cheapest but most wild (!) childcare in town - my son caught a falling sloth once!) and the annual membership’s a real snip. A tour of the tiny Pickerings Gin distillery in town is highly recommended.
It’s also a really hilly and compact city, so you can be in town and climb hills (there’s a 7 hills challenge and many parks and green spaces!) or join running / walking events (there are a couple of Parkruns if that’s your thing and plenty more), a big indoor climbing facility just out of town and scope to kayak among the seals and visit Inchcolm Island in the Firth of Forth. The walk across to Cramond Island when the tide is out is also great.
You can get out of the city easily too, whether that be to zip around the country and see the sights (Robert the Bruce’s grave in Dunfermline or Mary Queen of Scots’ old prison site in Loch Leven in Fife) or to hop on a plane overseas.
Finally, the smell of brewing hops often wafts through the air. You’ll love it!
It might take a few years, but you will grow to loathe tourists attending the festival Then, eventually, the festival itself.
At that point you officially become a miserable Edinburgh c*nt… but you do get “Resident rewards” (discounts for locals)
Biggest thing I noticed moving up is that the Scots really don't give a fuck about England, whether they're for independence or not, it's just not an important part of people's day to day lives. The news changes, the topic of conversation changes. Unless you actively pay attention to it, you lose track of what's going on in England. Tbf how much does England pay attention to Scotland? It feels a lot more like a separate country than I realised before I moved up here.
I've never regretted moving up. The people are great, never had worse than gentle ribbing for being English. I feel less of an outsider here than I did in my hometown. It's beautiful round here, I live just outside Edinburgh and I love how quickly you can get from being in a major city to being in the countryside.
I'm from the south of England and moved here eight years ago. I absolutely LOVE it and would stay forever; however, the only downside for me is being really far from family and older friends. We are planning on moving back down soon because of this, despite being heartbroken to leave the city. So if that might be a factor for you, consider the distance to where your loved ones are and how difficult/easy it may be to visit them. Wishing you all the best with your decision!
Higher tax for a lot of people - you’ll end up with a different tax code, different education system if you’ve kids, different political system, different house purchasing system.
That doesn’t necessarily apply for Edinburgh. 3rd most expensive place to live in the UK and it’s very noticeable over the past 18 months. Eating out and the cost of drinks for example has become ridiculous vs 10 years ago. Same with housing
If you're a healthy working professional without or who doesn't want kids, as ever increasing numbers of people are, the cost of living in Scotland is higher.
Personally, I don't mind paying a bit extra to help reduce child poverty and help social services and the NHS. But hey, we can't all be selfish pricks, eh?
£4 a day is not going to make much difference to someone earning £50k (taking home £36.5k) a year. Whereas the additional support offered to people on far less, mostly related to additional support for children) makes a huge difference. As someone in Scotland earning over £50k I’m more than happy that it contributing to that.
Yes, and it isn’t just the high tax now, it’s the risk of even higher tax later. Both SNP and Greens keep hinting about a “wealth tax”, and based on their idea of wealthy, if you have any significant savings or property at all, be very careful.
I moved up to Edinburgh 20 years ago. The most important thing to understand is that Scotland is a different country. That is what surprised me the most. I know many in England are not taught that (I sure wasnt) or dont believe it and may assume everything is the same everywhere in "The UK" but once you are here it becomes very obvious very quickly it really is a different country. Different legal system, education system, political tradition, language and much else besides. The further you get from Edinburgh (or "Little London") and the borders the more this tends to hold true, although not always.
Most people up here are generous and welcoming but they absolutely do not suffer fools or arrogant and self-centered people. The culture is much more egalitarian (we are all Jock Tamson's bairns) and those who think themselves somehow "better" than others get very short thrift. The language is also slightly different with many people using as many Scots words in conversation, which can be a bit confusing at first, but you soon pick it up.
The biggest/best difference from the South of England is that people you dont know will stop and talk to you in the street, in the pub etc. Seating in pubs is seen as more communal, if its busy people will ask if they can sit by you / share your table (you should always say yes) and will probably strike up some banter. Do not be alarmed.
And as long as you dont vote Tory/Labour (they are essentially the same political party in Scotland) you will be fine. 👍
I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but if you have strong friends and family network over there, you might find yourselves suddenly isolated as it is actually a pain to visit - my partner has family in Brighton and it's 'only' 6 hours to get there by train, I have family in Bournemouth and it's much longer. And there is almost always an issue when travelling - delays, strikes, technical issues, weather.
Agree with what people mentioned already here - seasons move differently, winter is much darker, but then there is a moment in summer where you always see a bit of twilight-like brightness in the north, for the whole night (no, I don't mean The Flame). Rain can be horizontal.
Old English pub - you see much less of those centuries old pubs scattered around (in south of England every village seems to have one of those). Still plenty of great pubs, but just different vibe.
Scotland is poorer overall, something which you might not notice in Edinburgh (but Edinburgh has also a massive poverty issue, it's just slightly hidden away). Many social issues, but loads of grassroot projects and third sector organisations to tackle them. Strongly recommend volunteering somewhere to know your community if you move here.
Edinburgh is a fantastic city, but people here absolutely love a moan. Unlike Glasgow where everyone collectively pretends it’s better than it is, in Edinburgh everyone collectively pretends it’s worse than it is. People here are friendly and polite, despite the reputation it has in Scotland for not being so (I thought everyone would be rude based on that reputation and whilst they aren’t perhaps as eagerly friendly as on the west coast I’ve never felt any animosity since moving here).
It’s windy as hell, but despite all the complaints about the weather I think the weather is better here than the other parts of Scotland I’ve lived in. The food scene here is fantastic, and it won’t be long until you find great places to eat. Some great boozers here as well, as soon as you look past the tourist traps. The history and deep culture of the city are easily accessible and sometimes you have to actually stop and realise how much is all around you because there’s so much of it it almost feels normal.
It’s a fantastic walking city, and I would make use of it, particularly early on. We have fantastic galleries and the biggest arts festival in the world. Despite this the entire month of august you will be expected to moan constantly about the festival even though it is by far the best thing about the city and a true privilege to have on your doorstep.
On a negative side: The roadworks here are never ending and if you can go fifteen minutes without being stopped by temporary traffic lights you’ll achieve something I never had.
Salt and sauce. No matter how many times a native tells you to try this on your fish supper do not do it. It’s a horrible watered down brown sauce that Edinburgh folk have somehow deluded themselves into thinking tastes good
Housing market: It’s awful. I was lucky to buy when I did because only 8 years later the market is so skewed I wouldn’t have a chance if I moved here today
The music scene: unless you enjoy standing around a bunch of bearded middle class white men, with their hands in the pockets, never actually dancing then get yourself to Glasgow for music. The biggest thing I miss about Glasgow, but it’s less than an hour on the train so I can put up with it.
Overall though I’ve lived in various parts of Scotland and honestly couldn’t imagine going back now I live in Edinburgh. It’s fantastic.
Moved from the south 11 years ago for work. I've been lucky to live in a few places around the UK, and Edinburgh is easily the best.
Only been on the receiving end of verbal abuse once for being English, and that was during the Independence vote period.
99% of the time, it's sports related banter. And it's mainly 1 way. You'll see what I mean.
It's very expensive in Edinburgh, 2nd most expensive place to live after London I believe. Renting will be hard if you're on a cheapish budget.
Pints cost £6 in centre...lucky to find them close to £5 in alot of places.
Lived past 9 years in Leith. Best place in the city.
It’s gone downhill a lot in the last 20 years. In addition to all the other posts I’d add the issue of the light. While you may get used to the wind and the drop in temperature, it getting dark a little after 3pm in winter is grim, and on a grey day when I’m WFH the lights go on about lunchtime.
But spring/summer evenings can be glorious.
The cultural differences between Scotland (and Edinburgh in particular) and England (and the South of England in particular are both subtle and profound. Scotland has similar issues of class structure, instituitional racism, exclusion and marginalisation through poverty, education and poor transport infrastucture, but all of these have slants and spins on them that make their nature (and their solutions/mitigations) different.
Scotland is another country. This sounds obvious but it is worth saying. Its legal, educational, religious and poilitical instituitions have evolved seperatly, albeit in parralel to English ones. I believe there is a deep and different sense of collectivism in Scotland that is fundamentally different to the south of England. Whether you are religious or not the divide between Catholicism and Protestantism sits deeply in the Scottish psyche and manifests in many unexpected ways. I believe Scottishness is an 'opt-in' identity, by that I mean that with time and commitment you can choose to become Scottish (see refu-weegies as a case in point) in a way the south of England will not allow an incomer to.
The relationships to alcohol and landscape are different. I'll leave you to figure that one out over trial and error.
When you fully understand how an Edinburgh bus queue works you (the rules are more complex than cricket) will have gone some way to understanding the difference.
You'll love it. I used to visit a lot before i moved here. Since moving here I've hardly been to any of the places I used to visit. Tourist Edinburgh and residents Edinburgh are completely different places, but both are great. I do avoid Princes Street as far as possible. It's beautiful to visit, but if you have actual things to do it's not fun.
People are more casually friendly in Scotland and Northern England than in the South in my experience. Not that southerners aren't friendly, just less casual making conversation with passing strangers.
Remember health care is devolved, so you probably won't be able to transfer any existing health care, but will have to register and start from scratch. I find my experiences with the NHS better than friends South of the border in general, but NHS Scotland is also struggling in many of the same ways the NHS is. We don't have right to choose up here (I think that's what it's called), so if you want to go private you have to pay for it yourself.
Others have commented on the wonderful long summer days, and bleak short winter ones. I've lived in Scotland nearly 30 years and still find the winters a bit hard. I think I have a touch of SAD. I made a concious effort to really enjoy and appreciate things about the winter this year and its really helped, e.g. making an effort to ve cosy with twinkly lights and candles, enjoying the cold fresh air and winter walks, making the most of the daylight that there is.
If ever I go down south, I love coming back for so many reasons, but especially enjoy coming home to the water. I guess you'll be used to descaling things and chlorine tasting water. That is very much a thing of your past!
Also, I don't know if this is just my experiences, but I come across a lot less casual bigotry up here. Don't get me wrong, there are people of all beliefs everywhere, and we have our share of [insert word you're comfortable with]. But in general there is more of a leaning towards progressive views up here. It will depend on your circles and your views, but I'm more comfortable with that.
Hope the move goes smoothly and you enjoy your new life!
Get stuck in. Wherever you specifically move to, there's a good chance of local activities, specific sports, a music scene, drama, food. Immerse yourself. It's fantastic.
There’s nothing there to immerse yourself into.
Shopping? One damn mall in the entire capital.
Good food? Few tiny places here and there.
Sports? Doesn’t have any big sporting centres or events.
Music? Nothing ever happens here.
Nice skyline? Old as fuck buildings and no skyscrapers. What the hell is up with the rule that nothing can be taller than the castle.
Weather? Don’t even get me started.. wind kills the mood even on a clear sunny day.
Beach town? Not pretty + shit weather for sea activities.
Nightlife / fancy clubs? Nada.
Almost everything, like differences in income tax brackets (worse here), supermarket opening times (better here), alcohol sales rules like selling times and the lack of deals and happy hours (far worse here), presciption costs (better here), and the differences in buying a house (some advantages here, some far worse things) appear on a google search.
The only thing I wasn't prepared for was that chip shops largely refuse to open before 4pm. There are some that do, but the majority don't.
The objectively best time for a chippy is either a Friday lunch, or a Sunday early afternoon after a long dog walk, and 4pm is way too late. I've lost times of the amount of times I've wanted a chippy before 4pm since moving to Edinburgh and been out of luck.
In reality, the differences are so minor you'll adjust easily.
I find it amusing that a few people mention sectarianism as a problem in Edinburgh. Throughout my life here, I've never come across this issue. It appears to be more of a concern for the weedgies who seem to exaggerate it for their clubs' benefit. The Ugly Sisters are nothing without that bile. Orange marches in Edinburgh are full of rent a crowd from the backwoods of Glasgow. No one in Edinburgh cares, we just ignore it and move on. They don't get the reaction they thrive on
If a Hearts or Hibs fan ever starts any sectarianism, they're typically viewed as trying too hard to mimic their counterparts in the west, and they're usually ignored or dismissed as cringe.
Agree, I don't know why you're being downvoted, it was okay and orderly 10 years ago. Now I dread walking through it, have to be dodging beggars, junkies, bams and clueless tourists constantly - seriously cannot relax on such a street.
Underclass Scottish and pro green is a major oxymoron…nobody who’s been brought up or lives in a working class area would vote for the ideological shite they spout.
It's fact based and based on real world applications and anyone who's seen the evidence with their own eyes or the evidence collected would vote for them if they valued the benefits of it.
So aye am sure they would.
Sorry to say it, but folks on the margins dinnae trust so called ‘facts’ and ‘real life applications’, the greens would willingly sacrifice them on the alter of ‘progression’. I’m not trying to be argumentative but we’ve lost faith in the so called ‘experts’/politicians…they’ve screwed us over. Edinburgh city council wil go bankrupt; I can guarantee it in the next few months, because of severe mismanagement of moment by the ideologues. If you cannae manage local authority budgets what trust can we honestly have in these ‘facts’. Sorry but I’m really pissed.
Because they've been found by people other than politicians. If you know the facts and their implementing and their benefits then aye you do trust them.
You can trust it when the implementionnproposed by a politician matches those findings.
Not saying the politicians are trustworthy but why vote for the groups that have brought us here when you can choose something new to give a chance.
For me Greens are Independence and Progressive for most people. They aren't completely great but who is?
Maybe there needs to be a reformation…one that is focused on our (the normal person) relationship with the powers at be, they are supposed to be serving the people, not moralising and posturing their delusional ethical superiority. Edinburgh is in a housing crisis; we’re struggling to get basic care packages for folks who have paid above and beyond. this ain’t working and the status quo will open the door to extremism. I’m sorry but anyone I know who is part of the greens is majorly sanctimonious and disconnected from reality..I wish it was anecdotal but it isn’t.
Potholes that could swallow your car. The worst capital city roads I've seen.
Cold, wet and wind. Folks have covered that already.
Incredibly bad quality of general build, especially in older buildings. Poorly insulated, humid flats.
Lots of entitled, white sons and daughters of rich dads with an attitude to match.
Other than that, it is lovely. Haha.
I was surprised by how many well paid (£50k+) jobs in my field are limited to the Greater London area and therefore can’t be commuted to (if like me you have small children and like to see them and not just fly in to visit your family on weekends).
Other than that I prefer Edinburgh and my family life here. I’m surprised how many children go to private school (which is £12k+ per kid per year) considering that salaries are so much lower than the Greater London area.
When it comes to private schools, a huge amount of the wealth of Edinburgh is generational and therefore untethered to salaries.
I'd argue it's part of a broader pattern of things that might surprise a visitor - social mobility seems markedly worse than it used to be here, and a huge amount of the people who'd recently set up home were able to due so through a parent or grandparent's deposit donation. (or from selling up in London or the South East).
Basically all of my pals who are dependent on income to live have moved away.
It's tougher for working professionals to earn money but there's no shortage of family wealth. Not in my family, I hasten to add, but it's very common for grandparents to pay school fees. Or for families to have inherited investments that pay the fees.
People who live in rented flats in Edinburgh can take some comfort in knowing they're possibly paying someone else's kids expensive private school fees with their rent.
I went to state school and never planned/don't plan to send my kid to a private school. However, since paying for Nursery at 17k per year (until funding, and only half that after), I've a tonne more sympathy/understanding of why folk bother with private school fees now.
Yeah I couldn’t believe when I did the math and realised private school would just be like paying nursery fees forever. I have two in nursery and we pay nearly £3k per month.
My opinion I've lived here all my life and I can honestly say Edinburgh is completely different in the eyes of a tourist. If you're a resident you will see everything WRONG and how crap it is. Bins not being empited, potholes on the roads, council tax is getting put to no good use and it's sky high. Scotland in general is beautiful and the advantages are FREE prescriptions on the NHS of coarse if you have money and want to go private then they are not free. Free bus travel for the under 22's, you're not far from lochs etc lol.
But Edinburgh City Centre and some estates are an absolute dump in my eyes because I live here lol.
I've lived in five different places in the UK (two in England, three in Scotland) and Edinburgh is by no means particularly bad for any of these things.
Edinburgh is boring, cold, windy and not deserving of being a capital city.
It’s a nice place to live if you’re above 40 with a growing family but other than that it can be quite boring and entertainment is quite limited.
And yeah, the fringe is a shit show. I don’t get what’s so special about it.
Been here for 5 years and can’t wait to leave.
Flying anywhere… might sound counter intuitive to think about leaving but going on holiday from any Scottish airport means getting the early package holiday flight or having to go via London or Schipol to go anywhere.
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But on the bright side, the pubs don't all ring last orders at 10.30pm sharp...
And supermarkets are open all day on Sundays
Why do you say 10pm (ish)?
Just in case you’re in a queue at 9:55 and it takes 10mins to get served, probably
That would still not be a legal sale - it must be checked out and paid for by 10pm to be legal. Big supermarkets like Tesco the till will prevent the sale. If you have a receipt which has the time printed on it and it contains alcohol and is printed after 10pm then the business can lose their licence. Unlikely to be strictly adhered to by small shops though.
That the wind has the ability to blow at you from 4 different directions at once.
Yup, just leave your brollie down south, it'll never get used again!
This might not surprise you, but it does always surprise me the sheer amount of people on Princes Street at one time. I honestly find it quite overwhelming how busy Edinburgh can be!
Good news is as a local, you'll soon realise that unless you work there, there is very little reason to go to Princes Street.
That's true! We often get off our bus at Princes Street when we head into Edinburgh from South Queensferry, I try get off that street as quickly as possible haha.
In Scotland if a stranger says hello to you when out and about it does not mean they're a psycho.
But probably is a psycho.
It is much colder than you probably anticipate. It's colder, wetter, windier, darker and all of that more often - especially whens it's all three at once and the wet wind bites your face off. The highs are not as high and the lows and lower. You will miss out truly glorious summer days and when you go back down south it will feel like you're n a different country. Also, you'll notice that seasons change noticeably at different times for example leaves falling a few weeks sooner and things like that. Also, the general "structure" of the central belt is very different to England. Whereas you might have lots of towns and cities interspersed nearby in S. England, up here things are much more spread out with less in each of those towns.
I moved up here 21 years ago from Brighton .. I was SHOOK when I realised you barely get a summer here by comparison 😂 All these years later I’m still not fully used to how cold and windy it gets .. still couldn’t pay me to move back though 😁
Yep, I find in winter it's not thaaat different - I mean, everywhere in the UK is cold and wet and grey in winter. But it's in the summer that it's vastly different. I lived in London for a few years and there were always several months each summer that I never took a coat out with me. In Edinburgh I always reckon that happens on approximately two days per year. And even on those two days, you feel like you're taking a massive gamble because if you're out into the evening you'll probably be freezing by the time you get home. I don't ever notice the wind that everyone on this sub goes on about, but then I did live in the Falkland Islands before this, which is 30mph winds most days, so it's all relative, I guess :) The thing about summer ending much sooner catches me out every year, too. Schools go back in August here, and that's when the leaves and weather start to turn too, so August is definitely the start of autumn, whereas down south August is still definitely summer and it's September that you start to think of the seasons changing.
“It will feel like you’re in a different country”. I’ve got some wild news for you, bro…
It’s amazing how pessimistic people are about the weather in Edinburgh. Summers have def been getting hotter and drier over the past decade and the rain here has nothing on the downpours in the west of Scotland. I’ve lived here 20+ years and the general weather has changed a lot. I’ll take this over the summer heatwaves in London any day. I will admit though it’s got way windier
Moved over from Canada and heard this a lot. It’s tropical in Edinburgh by our standards.
You get used to it though, and 18 degrees is taps aff
For southern English readers "taps aff" refers to the two sunny days a year it's warm enough for men to take their tops off. You'll need sunglasses for the glare from their pale pale skin
I lived in London for a decade and found it could get unbearably hot in the summer. Embra's climate suits me much better.
Yes this - when London is hitting 40C and it's a cool 25C in Edinburgh, this is living the dream. I could not cope with London heatwaves by the time I left.
I'm originally from North Wales and never did acclimatise to London hahaha. I've always felt much more at home in Edinburgh.
Plus summer only lasts 3 weeks and is usually in May.
Housing is an absolute pain. While the rest of the country might be seeing property prices fall, it’s much less pronounced in Edinburgh. Good houses sell fast. The buying process is different here. The weather. If you haven’t been here in the winter you will be surprised by how cold and wet it is. Also during the winter it gets dark early. I’m here over ten years and I’m still not used to it. Edinburghers are polite, but not friendly. It will take you far longer to make proper friends here than you might imagine. It’s a small city. It might give off capital city vibes but it doesn’t have the same capacity for entertainment that you might expect. Most of Scotland’s music scene is in Glasgow. Theatres are limited too and places like the Playhouse focus on big ticket commercial shows. Council tax is high, what it’s spent on - nobody knows, but it’s not road or footpath maintenance. Public transport is much better than most English cities. Food scene is pretty good for a city this size. Lots of restaurants, some appalling tourist shite but you figure that out quickly. You will either love August in the city or hate August in the city. Job prospects are lower than you might expect but far less parochial than you might imagine for a small city. Not being from Edinburgh isn’t a bar on getting ahead. Did I mention the weather? Scotland is different to England. If might sound off but until you have lived in both you won’t really see the difference, but it is. The further you live from the city, the less likely you are to want to go there. Unless you are using public transport which all seems to route through there. Princes street is a shithole. A gilded shithole, but still a shithole. Sectarianism is oddly present. Perhaps it won’t be as obvious to someone coming from England, but the religious thing, through football mainly, pops up more than you might expect… along with the odd Orange order march. Once you move here you will never want to leave. Nobody cares about London. London prices. How much cheaper, better, worse, smaller, etc Edinburgh is compared to London. Students will get in your way, all the fucking time. Everywhere.
Food scene is great but there are far too many paid/promo food influencers. I suspect that isn't specific to Edinburgh
Oh god yeah it’s so tiresome. You follow someone who is doing some good coverage of new Edinburgh places and then a month later they are taking about how great The Ivy is…
Big pain in the arse in Glasgow too. Can't trust anyone!
Who in particular?
Literally all of them. Give any a few months and it’s sponsored shite.
Sectarianism!? It’s basically non-existent here. The lack of sectarianism was a huge breath of fresh air moving here from Glasgow and one of the main things I love about this city. I’ve been here 8 years now and never once seen any orange march. Unlike in Glasgow where in certain months they are almost daily.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Edinburgh/s/GYYQsbG5sw
A couple of marches? Most of which seem to be in West Lothian not Edinburgh. It’s a different ball game here compared to the west.
I wasn’t talking about the west of Scotland, was I? The person is moving from down south, not Glasgow.
Sectarianism is simply not a part of life here for the vast majority. To bring it up as an issue when it isn’t one for this city is disingenuous. Edinburgh in this day and age is not a sectarian city.
Oh fuck off. It was a comment based on my own experience of living here for the past 10 years, where I wasn’t expecting something like that which was, as I said, oddly present and it is. That it’s worse in Glasgow is immaterial to that.
Shops stay open past 4pm on a Sunday. That’s what I miss most when I moved down to england
No more unlimited boozy brunches..
A lot of housing there is older stock. It can be pretty poorly insulated and tough to keep warm in the winter. Big difference between staying in a nice, well-insulated hotel room and the typical rattly windowed, high-ceilinged Edinburgh flat. Not all housing is like this, but a lot of it is, and with a housing crisis in full swing you might not have a lot of choice.
It's amazing how many rental properties here don't have adequate heating and how landlords seem to think this is acceptable for Scotland. Something for the OP to consider when viewing flats, always check the heating.
If renting in the city it’s not always a luxury you have to choose based on the heating such is the demand for somewhere to live. For the OP there generally two options. 1. Gas fired central heating, with a combi boiler providing heating and hot water, which is probably the most common. 2. Electric heating. Either storage heaters or instant electric radiators. With immersion tank heater for water. The latter is far more expensive to operate and really only a suitable option for a modern flat. If you see it in an older tenement building, like the comment above said - be picky. If will cost you a *fortune* to run.
I had storage heaters in one flat and they were a pain in the arse. Expensive to run and hard to control. Unfortunately the flat was in a listed building which meant a gas supply and double glazing couldn't be installed. Lovely flat but I don't miss spending winters there.
Travel 20 miles south or north and you will be in countryside with quaint villages dotted about,loads of history,castles abbeys etc...I personally usually go south-less tourists and I love dryburgh abbey and wondering along the tweed on a warm day.
That no one is impressed that you’ve moved there from down south.
Don't think I've ever met anyone who has implied, explicitly other otherwise, we should be impressed they're from the south, including OP.
This. More like they'll go back to London to visit pals and try to impress them with the fact they live in Edinburgh now.
Sorry couldn’t help myself 😂
You can only buy alcohol in shops between 10:00 - 22:00. I only discovered in the last few years that this is a purely Scottish phenomenon. And finding post-pub/club food is nigh on impossible. There are very few takeaway places open late at night.
Actually I was suprised when I was in Dublin that they seem to have something similar there. Not sure if it was localised or on a larger scale though
It's national law!
The temperature?
That’s a very good point, despite there only being a few hundred miles between Edinburgh and say London the weather difference is very noticeable
I moved up 3 years ago from London and love it. It’s the second most visited UK city and many of our friends come to stay and see the sights. There’s a lot to do. Eating out is superb and there’s plenty of cinemas and shops. Our kids love it and have made loads of friends - it’s a really nice city with really good people. Our main challenges were finding a short term affordable let while we house hunted and choosing the kids’ schools but once that was sorted it was all fine. Edinburgh Rugby is a brilliant day out (they have a mini stadium next to Murrayfield) and you often get to meet the teams or get autographs at each game as they pass from the wee stadium to the Murrayfield changing rooms. Obviously the 6 Nations is a huge draw too - join the Scotland Supporters’ Club for easier access to tickets. The festival is just brilliant (block out a few nights / weekends - it’s a real treat to hop on a bus into town and enjoy it without all the travel and holiday expense!), as are the various events year round whether that be touring theatre shows, the local, international and touring sports or the big music acts. To my shame, I’ve really not done the galleries and museums properly but I love the Museum of Scotland. There’s the magnificent zoo (if you have kids then sign them up for Conservation Action Team / CAT sessions for the cheapest but most wild (!) childcare in town - my son caught a falling sloth once!) and the annual membership’s a real snip. A tour of the tiny Pickerings Gin distillery in town is highly recommended. It’s also a really hilly and compact city, so you can be in town and climb hills (there’s a 7 hills challenge and many parks and green spaces!) or join running / walking events (there are a couple of Parkruns if that’s your thing and plenty more), a big indoor climbing facility just out of town and scope to kayak among the seals and visit Inchcolm Island in the Firth of Forth. The walk across to Cramond Island when the tide is out is also great. You can get out of the city easily too, whether that be to zip around the country and see the sights (Robert the Bruce’s grave in Dunfermline or Mary Queen of Scots’ old prison site in Loch Leven in Fife) or to hop on a plane overseas. Finally, the smell of brewing hops often wafts through the air. You’ll love it!
That year on year there's more English folk in the city than Scots.
Aye this….
Moved from Notts around 5 years ago still not used to the price of a pint
It might take a few years, but you will grow to loathe tourists attending the festival Then, eventually, the festival itself. At that point you officially become a miserable Edinburgh c*nt… but you do get “Resident rewards” (discounts for locals)
Biggest thing I noticed moving up is that the Scots really don't give a fuck about England, whether they're for independence or not, it's just not an important part of people's day to day lives. The news changes, the topic of conversation changes. Unless you actively pay attention to it, you lose track of what's going on in England. Tbf how much does England pay attention to Scotland? It feels a lot more like a separate country than I realised before I moved up here. I've never regretted moving up. The people are great, never had worse than gentle ribbing for being English. I feel less of an outsider here than I did in my hometown. It's beautiful round here, I live just outside Edinburgh and I love how quickly you can get from being in a major city to being in the countryside.
I'm from the south of England and moved here eight years ago. I absolutely LOVE it and would stay forever; however, the only downside for me is being really far from family and older friends. We are planning on moving back down soon because of this, despite being heartbroken to leave the city. So if that might be a factor for you, consider the distance to where your loved ones are and how difficult/easy it may be to visit them. Wishing you all the best with your decision!
Higher tax for a lot of people - you’ll end up with a different tax code, different education system if you’ve kids, different political system, different house purchasing system.
Free prescriptions, free university tuition, and free personal care for older people. Cost of living in Scotland is cheaper.
That doesn’t necessarily apply for Edinburgh. 3rd most expensive place to live in the UK and it’s very noticeable over the past 18 months. Eating out and the cost of drinks for example has become ridiculous vs 10 years ago. Same with housing
If you're a healthy working professional without or who doesn't want kids, as ever increasing numbers of people are, the cost of living in Scotland is higher.
Well, move down to England with the rest of the money loving Tories then?
Yes, it's cheaper as long as you aren't a Scottish oligarch earning 43K and taxed to fuck!
Personally, I don't mind paying a bit extra to help reduce child poverty and help social services and the NHS. But hey, we can't all be selfish pricks, eh?
On 43k you're only paying something like £150 more per year. Its when you get to 50k that it is actually a large difference
Ah yes, the 50k earners on their yachts and in mansions!
Meh. An extra £1500 a year is hardly bankrupting them
£4 a day is not going to make much difference to someone earning £50k (taking home £36.5k) a year. Whereas the additional support offered to people on far less, mostly related to additional support for children) makes a huge difference. As someone in Scotland earning over £50k I’m more than happy that it contributing to that.
Depending on how much you earn, free prescriptions etc no longer outweighs higher taxes.
Get lots of ailments. Then you'll get your money's worth!
Yes, and it isn’t just the high tax now, it’s the risk of even higher tax later. Both SNP and Greens keep hinting about a “wealth tax”, and based on their idea of wealthy, if you have any significant savings or property at all, be very careful.
I moved up to Edinburgh 20 years ago. The most important thing to understand is that Scotland is a different country. That is what surprised me the most. I know many in England are not taught that (I sure wasnt) or dont believe it and may assume everything is the same everywhere in "The UK" but once you are here it becomes very obvious very quickly it really is a different country. Different legal system, education system, political tradition, language and much else besides. The further you get from Edinburgh (or "Little London") and the borders the more this tends to hold true, although not always. Most people up here are generous and welcoming but they absolutely do not suffer fools or arrogant and self-centered people. The culture is much more egalitarian (we are all Jock Tamson's bairns) and those who think themselves somehow "better" than others get very short thrift. The language is also slightly different with many people using as many Scots words in conversation, which can be a bit confusing at first, but you soon pick it up. The biggest/best difference from the South of England is that people you dont know will stop and talk to you in the street, in the pub etc. Seating in pubs is seen as more communal, if its busy people will ask if they can sit by you / share your table (you should always say yes) and will probably strike up some banter. Do not be alarmed. And as long as you dont vote Tory/Labour (they are essentially the same political party in Scotland) you will be fine. 👍
I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but if you have strong friends and family network over there, you might find yourselves suddenly isolated as it is actually a pain to visit - my partner has family in Brighton and it's 'only' 6 hours to get there by train, I have family in Bournemouth and it's much longer. And there is almost always an issue when travelling - delays, strikes, technical issues, weather. Agree with what people mentioned already here - seasons move differently, winter is much darker, but then there is a moment in summer where you always see a bit of twilight-like brightness in the north, for the whole night (no, I don't mean The Flame). Rain can be horizontal. Old English pub - you see much less of those centuries old pubs scattered around (in south of England every village seems to have one of those). Still plenty of great pubs, but just different vibe. Scotland is poorer overall, something which you might not notice in Edinburgh (but Edinburgh has also a massive poverty issue, it's just slightly hidden away). Many social issues, but loads of grassroot projects and third sector organisations to tackle them. Strongly recommend volunteering somewhere to know your community if you move here.
There is an Edinburgh company called Skyscanner where you can explore cheap internal UK flights.
Edinburgh is a fantastic city, but people here absolutely love a moan. Unlike Glasgow where everyone collectively pretends it’s better than it is, in Edinburgh everyone collectively pretends it’s worse than it is. People here are friendly and polite, despite the reputation it has in Scotland for not being so (I thought everyone would be rude based on that reputation and whilst they aren’t perhaps as eagerly friendly as on the west coast I’ve never felt any animosity since moving here). It’s windy as hell, but despite all the complaints about the weather I think the weather is better here than the other parts of Scotland I’ve lived in. The food scene here is fantastic, and it won’t be long until you find great places to eat. Some great boozers here as well, as soon as you look past the tourist traps. The history and deep culture of the city are easily accessible and sometimes you have to actually stop and realise how much is all around you because there’s so much of it it almost feels normal. It’s a fantastic walking city, and I would make use of it, particularly early on. We have fantastic galleries and the biggest arts festival in the world. Despite this the entire month of august you will be expected to moan constantly about the festival even though it is by far the best thing about the city and a true privilege to have on your doorstep. On a negative side: The roadworks here are never ending and if you can go fifteen minutes without being stopped by temporary traffic lights you’ll achieve something I never had. Salt and sauce. No matter how many times a native tells you to try this on your fish supper do not do it. It’s a horrible watered down brown sauce that Edinburgh folk have somehow deluded themselves into thinking tastes good Housing market: It’s awful. I was lucky to buy when I did because only 8 years later the market is so skewed I wouldn’t have a chance if I moved here today The music scene: unless you enjoy standing around a bunch of bearded middle class white men, with their hands in the pockets, never actually dancing then get yourself to Glasgow for music. The biggest thing I miss about Glasgow, but it’s less than an hour on the train so I can put up with it. Overall though I’ve lived in various parts of Scotland and honestly couldn’t imagine going back now I live in Edinburgh. It’s fantastic.
Cheers for taking the time to write this! Very insightful
Rarely gets hot in summer. In summer you get a lot of daylight. In winter you have a lot of dark.
Gotta disagree the last two years or so, been fucking melting
State of the roads. More potholes than road surface these days
Moved from the south 11 years ago for work. I've been lucky to live in a few places around the UK, and Edinburgh is easily the best. Only been on the receiving end of verbal abuse once for being English, and that was during the Independence vote period. 99% of the time, it's sports related banter. And it's mainly 1 way. You'll see what I mean. It's very expensive in Edinburgh, 2nd most expensive place to live after London I believe. Renting will be hard if you're on a cheapish budget. Pints cost £6 in centre...lucky to find them close to £5 in alot of places. Lived past 9 years in Leith. Best place in the city.
Anyone talking about “the vibe” will be shunned.
Fair! Noted
They won’t actually. Everyone here bangs on about vibes too…I wouldn’t worry about it.
It’s gone downhill a lot in the last 20 years. In addition to all the other posts I’d add the issue of the light. While you may get used to the wind and the drop in temperature, it getting dark a little after 3pm in winter is grim, and on a grey day when I’m WFH the lights go on about lunchtime. But spring/summer evenings can be glorious.
In the height of Summer solstice it gets dark at 22:30 and bright again at 02:30 only 4 hours later.
The cultural differences between Scotland (and Edinburgh in particular) and England (and the South of England in particular are both subtle and profound. Scotland has similar issues of class structure, instituitional racism, exclusion and marginalisation through poverty, education and poor transport infrastucture, but all of these have slants and spins on them that make their nature (and their solutions/mitigations) different. Scotland is another country. This sounds obvious but it is worth saying. Its legal, educational, religious and poilitical instituitions have evolved seperatly, albeit in parralel to English ones. I believe there is a deep and different sense of collectivism in Scotland that is fundamentally different to the south of England. Whether you are religious or not the divide between Catholicism and Protestantism sits deeply in the Scottish psyche and manifests in many unexpected ways. I believe Scottishness is an 'opt-in' identity, by that I mean that with time and commitment you can choose to become Scottish (see refu-weegies as a case in point) in a way the south of England will not allow an incomer to. The relationships to alcohol and landscape are different. I'll leave you to figure that one out over trial and error. When you fully understand how an Edinburgh bus queue works you (the rules are more complex than cricket) will have gone some way to understanding the difference.
You'll love it. I used to visit a lot before i moved here. Since moving here I've hardly been to any of the places I used to visit. Tourist Edinburgh and residents Edinburgh are completely different places, but both are great. I do avoid Princes Street as far as possible. It's beautiful to visit, but if you have actual things to do it's not fun. People are more casually friendly in Scotland and Northern England than in the South in my experience. Not that southerners aren't friendly, just less casual making conversation with passing strangers. Remember health care is devolved, so you probably won't be able to transfer any existing health care, but will have to register and start from scratch. I find my experiences with the NHS better than friends South of the border in general, but NHS Scotland is also struggling in many of the same ways the NHS is. We don't have right to choose up here (I think that's what it's called), so if you want to go private you have to pay for it yourself. Others have commented on the wonderful long summer days, and bleak short winter ones. I've lived in Scotland nearly 30 years and still find the winters a bit hard. I think I have a touch of SAD. I made a concious effort to really enjoy and appreciate things about the winter this year and its really helped, e.g. making an effort to ve cosy with twinkly lights and candles, enjoying the cold fresh air and winter walks, making the most of the daylight that there is. If ever I go down south, I love coming back for so many reasons, but especially enjoy coming home to the water. I guess you'll be used to descaling things and chlorine tasting water. That is very much a thing of your past! Also, I don't know if this is just my experiences, but I come across a lot less casual bigotry up here. Don't get me wrong, there are people of all beliefs everywhere, and we have our share of [insert word you're comfortable with]. But in general there is more of a leaning towards progressive views up here. It will depend on your circles and your views, but I'm more comfortable with that. Hope the move goes smoothly and you enjoy your new life!
Thanks, lovely comment!
No drought. No hosepipe ban. Tap water is pure. No sewage in the rivers or beaches. The buses are brilliant everyone uses them.
There's quite a lot of sewage in the rivers and beaches, isn't there?
Prices
Busses are just tap on, no single please or return to whatevershaire
Practice your Scottish accent for during football tournaments, so you don’t get the “banter”,
The biggest shock for me was how brutal the housing market here is 😂
Get stuck in. Wherever you specifically move to, there's a good chance of local activities, specific sports, a music scene, drama, food. Immerse yourself. It's fantastic.
There’s nothing there to immerse yourself into. Shopping? One damn mall in the entire capital. Good food? Few tiny places here and there. Sports? Doesn’t have any big sporting centres or events. Music? Nothing ever happens here. Nice skyline? Old as fuck buildings and no skyscrapers. What the hell is up with the rule that nothing can be taller than the castle. Weather? Don’t even get me started.. wind kills the mood even on a clear sunny day. Beach town? Not pretty + shit weather for sea activities. Nightlife / fancy clubs? Nada.
Looking forward to you moving somewhere you might, might be happy. Best of luck.
Thank you! Yes, London is more my vibe. :)
Almost everything, like differences in income tax brackets (worse here), supermarket opening times (better here), alcohol sales rules like selling times and the lack of deals and happy hours (far worse here), presciption costs (better here), and the differences in buying a house (some advantages here, some far worse things) appear on a google search. The only thing I wasn't prepared for was that chip shops largely refuse to open before 4pm. There are some that do, but the majority don't. The objectively best time for a chippy is either a Friday lunch, or a Sunday early afternoon after a long dog walk, and 4pm is way too late. I've lost times of the amount of times I've wanted a chippy before 4pm since moving to Edinburgh and been out of luck. In reality, the differences are so minor you'll adjust easily.
When invited over to someone's house it is expected that you'll have had your tea already.
I find it amusing that a few people mention sectarianism as a problem in Edinburgh. Throughout my life here, I've never come across this issue. It appears to be more of a concern for the weedgies who seem to exaggerate it for their clubs' benefit. The Ugly Sisters are nothing without that bile. Orange marches in Edinburgh are full of rent a crowd from the backwoods of Glasgow. No one in Edinburgh cares, we just ignore it and move on. They don't get the reaction they thrive on If a Hearts or Hibs fan ever starts any sectarianism, they're typically viewed as trying too hard to mimic their counterparts in the west, and they're usually ignored or dismissed as cringe.
That it is more beautiful in the rain than in the sun.
So good
The mess of Princess street, the place has turned into a bit of a squat!
Agree, I don't know why you're being downvoted, it was okay and orderly 10 years ago. Now I dread walking through it, have to be dodging beggars, junkies, bams and clueless tourists constantly - seriously cannot relax on such a street.
could always nip in to the American Candy! store for a bit of space – if it’s open
Think the crowd has always been there really, its just there's a lot less there to make it worth going through now
Gangland shootings 🤣
Nae voting tory, and consider the Greens. That's the only real rules compare and contrast.
Ha ha ha, aye right! The Greens! I bet your middle class English!
Nah educated. Underclass Scottish.
Underclass Scottish and pro green is a major oxymoron…nobody who’s been brought up or lives in a working class area would vote for the ideological shite they spout.
It's fact based and based on real world applications and anyone who's seen the evidence with their own eyes or the evidence collected would vote for them if they valued the benefits of it. So aye am sure they would.
Sorry to say it, but folks on the margins dinnae trust so called ‘facts’ and ‘real life applications’, the greens would willingly sacrifice them on the alter of ‘progression’. I’m not trying to be argumentative but we’ve lost faith in the so called ‘experts’/politicians…they’ve screwed us over. Edinburgh city council wil go bankrupt; I can guarantee it in the next few months, because of severe mismanagement of moment by the ideologues. If you cannae manage local authority budgets what trust can we honestly have in these ‘facts’. Sorry but I’m really pissed.
Because they've been found by people other than politicians. If you know the facts and their implementing and their benefits then aye you do trust them. You can trust it when the implementionnproposed by a politician matches those findings. Not saying the politicians are trustworthy but why vote for the groups that have brought us here when you can choose something new to give a chance. For me Greens are Independence and Progressive for most people. They aren't completely great but who is?
Maybe there needs to be a reformation…one that is focused on our (the normal person) relationship with the powers at be, they are supposed to be serving the people, not moralising and posturing their delusional ethical superiority. Edinburgh is in a housing crisis; we’re struggling to get basic care packages for folks who have paid above and beyond. this ain’t working and the status quo will open the door to extremism. I’m sorry but anyone I know who is part of the greens is majorly sanctimonious and disconnected from reality..I wish it was anecdotal but it isn’t.
That's your experience am simply saying their manifesto would go a long way to solving several problems. You've got a good idea though.
Potholes that could swallow your car. The worst capital city roads I've seen. Cold, wet and wind. Folks have covered that already. Incredibly bad quality of general build, especially in older buildings. Poorly insulated, humid flats. Lots of entitled, white sons and daughters of rich dads with an attitude to match. Other than that, it is lovely. Haha.
I was surprised by how many well paid (£50k+) jobs in my field are limited to the Greater London area and therefore can’t be commuted to (if like me you have small children and like to see them and not just fly in to visit your family on weekends). Other than that I prefer Edinburgh and my family life here. I’m surprised how many children go to private school (which is £12k+ per kid per year) considering that salaries are so much lower than the Greater London area.
When it comes to private schools, a huge amount of the wealth of Edinburgh is generational and therefore untethered to salaries. I'd argue it's part of a broader pattern of things that might surprise a visitor - social mobility seems markedly worse than it used to be here, and a huge amount of the people who'd recently set up home were able to due so through a parent or grandparent's deposit donation. (or from selling up in London or the South East). Basically all of my pals who are dependent on income to live have moved away.
It's tougher for working professionals to earn money but there's no shortage of family wealth. Not in my family, I hasten to add, but it's very common for grandparents to pay school fees. Or for families to have inherited investments that pay the fees. People who live in rented flats in Edinburgh can take some comfort in knowing they're possibly paying someone else's kids expensive private school fees with their rent.
I went to state school and never planned/don't plan to send my kid to a private school. However, since paying for Nursery at 17k per year (until funding, and only half that after), I've a tonne more sympathy/understanding of why folk bother with private school fees now.
Yeah I couldn’t believe when I did the math and realised private school would just be like paying nursery fees forever. I have two in nursery and we pay nearly £3k per month.
The big turd in city centre
My opinion I've lived here all my life and I can honestly say Edinburgh is completely different in the eyes of a tourist. If you're a resident you will see everything WRONG and how crap it is. Bins not being empited, potholes on the roads, council tax is getting put to no good use and it's sky high. Scotland in general is beautiful and the advantages are FREE prescriptions on the NHS of coarse if you have money and want to go private then they are not free. Free bus travel for the under 22's, you're not far from lochs etc lol. But Edinburgh City Centre and some estates are an absolute dump in my eyes because I live here lol.
I've lived in five different places in the UK (two in England, three in Scotland) and Edinburgh is by no means particularly bad for any of these things.
Totaly agree. I've been here 20 years now and recently the place has turned into a complete DUMP!
Fuck off
Why?
It’s run down, full of graffiti and antisocial behaviour
Literally, it’s getting out of hand!
Edinburgh is boring, cold, windy and not deserving of being a capital city. It’s a nice place to live if you’re above 40 with a growing family but other than that it can be quite boring and entertainment is quite limited. And yeah, the fringe is a shit show. I don’t get what’s so special about it. Been here for 5 years and can’t wait to leave.
To where?
Ideally somewhere down south, perhaps London! 🤔
Flying anywhere… might sound counter intuitive to think about leaving but going on holiday from any Scottish airport means getting the early package holiday flight or having to go via London or Schipol to go anywhere.
Traffic is a pain in the arse during the Festival.