Edinburgh

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Edinburgh, Scotland's beautiful capital, is rich in fascinating history, captivating culture, majestic architecture, and a vibrant social scene, making it a wonderful place to live. Despite its relatively small size, Edinburgh is diverse, friendly, and full of character, making it an excellent choice for individuals, couples, and families alike. Whether you prefer to live in the historic city centre, by the charming coastline, or near the many green spaces, you'll find life in Edinburgh delightful.

Is Edinburgh a good place to live?

While it is well-documented that Scotland’s capital city is a wonderful place to visit, is Edinburgh a nice place live?

In our opinion, Edinburgh is an incredibly liveable city and has everything you would expect from a capital city: exciting culture, beautiful architecture, unbeatable shopping (both high street and independent), highly regarded universities, a plethora of restaurants, an exciting zoo, and a wide variety of housing styles.

What is the transport in Edinburgh like?

Getting around Edinburgh is easy and convenient due to its excellent transport network.

Edinburgh Buses

Running throughout the day and night, Lothian Buses has an extensive network of routes meaning you can get anywhere in the city. With regular buses criss-crossing across the capital and numerous options in terms of ticketing, Lothian Buses are a great way for travelling in and around Edinburgh.

The city is well-served by regular buses to the airport, namely the Airlink 100, Skylink 200 and Skylink 400 services.

Edinburgh Trams

Departing from Edinburgh Airport every 7 minutes, Edinburgh Trams pass through 23 stops on route to the end of its line in Newhaven. The trams are a quick and convenient way to access popular places in Edinburgh such as Princess Street, Haymarket, Waverley, Leith Walk, The Gyle, St. Andrews Square and Ocean Terminal.

Edinburgh Taxis

There are over 1000 black cabs providing taxi services in the city, which can be hailed in the street or accessed from one of the many taxi ranks located in the city centre. As with any big city, you can typically find taxis waiting by the train station, large hotels and main city centre throughfares. In the suburbs of Edinburgh, you can typically rely on private taxi/cab services as opposed to black cabs.

Along with numerous ways to travel within the city, Edinburgh has great options for getting in and out of the city.

Edinburgh Trains

Edinburgh is well connected to destinations in Scotland and the rest of the UK, with regular trains departing the two main stations of the city: Waverley and Haymarket. Along with numerous destinations in Scotland, you can find direct routes to London (4 hours) and Manchester (3 hours).

Edinburgh Airport

Located just a few miles from the city centre, Edinburgh Airport offers an extensive range of domestic and international flights. With excellent public transportation options, it serves as a well-connected gateway for travellers coming to or departing from the city.

What are the schools in Edinburgh like?

Schools in Edinburgh offer a diverse range of educational opportunities, reflecting both traditional and modern approaches. You'll find a selection of primary and secondary public schools throughout the city, including Boroughmuir High School, Firrhill High School, The Royal High School and St Thomas of Aquin’s RC High School.

Edinburgh is also highly regarded for its Private Schools, with popular institutions such as George Heriot's School, George Watson's College, ESMS, Fettes College and Edinburgh Academy offering esteemed education.

Edinburgh also offers a variety of specialist school that focus on particular needs or talents, such as special education schools for students with additional support needs or music and arts-focused institutions.

In terms of higher education pathways, Edinburgh has several prestigious universities, including the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier, Queen Margaret University, Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh College, which attract students from around the world. Many secondary schools have strong links with these institutions, providing pathways and support for students aspiring to higher education.

If buying a property in the right school catchment area is at the top of your priority list, use our property search by school catchment tool to help you find a home near your preferred school.

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What are the best things to do in Edinburgh

Edinburgh City Centre is famous for its attractions which include the majestic Edinburgh Castle, Scottish National Gallery, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, National Museum of Scotland, and the Royal Mile.

On top of that there's a plethora of dining options, as well as bars and nightclubs open until the early hours. Shopping is also impressive in Edinburgh City Centre, with Prices Street and St James' Quarter boasting the majority of well-known high-street names. Then when you wander around the winding, cobbled streets you'll find no shortage of independent stores.

Away from the beating heart of the city, you'll find that the wider Edinburgh area has plenty to offer as well. You'll find Edinburgh Zoo in charming Corstorphine, the horticultural haven of the Royal Botanic Garden in Inverleith and the fascinating Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith.

Types of property in Edinburgh

There is a variety of different architectural styles within Edinburgh. The New Town is home to the largest and best preserved example of Georgian town planning in the UK, whilst the Old Town is made of a medieval pattern of closes and wynds.

Throughout the suburbs, there is a mix of period properties and modern homes as well as a fast array of properties from 1930’s era bungalows to 1970’s housing developments in the suburbs.

Family living is easily accommodated with a variety of family homes available for sale. Popular areas for families include Morningside, Bruntsfield, Corstorphine, Barnton and Trinity.

Professionals are easily catered for with the array of flats available to buy, including traditional tenement styles with period features and low maintenance new build developments. Areas that would suit the young professional include Stockbridge, Broughton and Haymarket.

Students are easily catered for within close proximity to The University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, Queen Margaret University, and Edinburgh Napier University as well as Edinburgh College. Areas that are popular with students include Marchmont and Polwarth.

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High end homes in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is an especially popular with house hunters looking for high-end homes. The EH3, EH4, EH9 and EH10 postcodes are particularly popular and pull in areas such as Cammo, Dean Village, Morningside, Marchmont, New Town, Stockbridge, Merchiston, Newington, Fairmilehead and the West End.

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Planning on moving to Edinburgh?

If you have decided to move to Edinburgh, what’s the next step? We recommend finding a solicitor estate agent to help you find your perfect property!

Find a solicitor estate agent in Edinburgh

You can search our directory of local ESPC solicitor agents. Simply type in Edinburgh and we’ll give you the contact details and all the information you need on the agent.