Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, is one of the world’s most beautiful cities. A relatively small city with a population of just half a million people, it’s nonetheless the UK’s second major financial centre after London and hosts the world-famous Fringe festival. The compact city centre features all of the amenities of urban life, but is only 20 minutes from a beach or the Peatland Hills. There are plenty of parks and green spaces, and it is renowned for its excellent schools. The city centre offers flats and Georgian or Victorian townhouses, with larger family homes further out. Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Castle, and the Royal Mile connecting them are among the city’s top attractions, or climb up Arthur’s Seat and take in the view of the city. Though parking is difficult and can be expensive, there is a bus and tram service serving the area — Edinburgh also has a busy city airport with direct flights to London, the UK, Europe, and North America, and trains from Waverley station run direct to Glasgow and London.
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. It’s a beautiful, historic, and compact city that offers all the advantages of living in a capital city and few of the downsides.
The cultural offerings in Edinburgh, which is the festival capital of the world, are outstanding. Aside from the world-famous Fringe festival, Edinburgh hosts world-class shows of art, music, theatre, and comedy throughout the year. Edinburgh also offers access to stunning green and open spaces, including amazing parks within the city centre as well as national parks and coastline nearby.
Transport links within and in and out of the city are also good, with train stations, trams, buses, and good road links.
Despite this, Edinburgh is relatively affordable for a major city – salaries and employment are high, and property is significantly less expensive than it is in London. A wide range of property types and styles are available, including some excellent specimens of period homes as well as more modern developments.
In 2015, uSwitch ranked Edinburgh the best place to live in the UK.