edinburgh

However, if you can ride it out, Edinburgh is great - the prettiest city in Britain, I would say. Loads of good restaurants, pubs with reasonable opening hours, great record shops etc etc. I dunno about clubs etc - there is a pretty good regular artskooldisko - but then Glasgow is only 50 minutes away for that kind of thing. Have fun!

Having said that after a number of years with Glasgow in the ascendant Edinburgh appears to be on the rise and certainly is looking more prosperous, prob a result of the Scottish Parliament. Typical city in having some dodgy areas (Niddrie, Granton, Muirhouse) but other prosperous areas (Morningside, Cramond), Leith (down towards docks) was considered rough but is becoming increasingly gentrified as Parliamentarians and ancillary staff moves into area.

Architecturally prob one of the finest cities in UK although it lacks the genius of a Rennie Mackintosh or Thomson which Glasgow has. Not too sure pop culture wise though plenty of great pubs/restaurants, Glasgow having edge over past 15-20 years but ‘high’ culture exceptionally well served. Anyway it is a beautiful city and as Stevie T said Glasgow’s only 50 mins away.

Plug, go to AJ’s café in the Royal Mile esp. for the cakes. It is my sister’s partners though; mention my name and you may get a discount (or prob not.)

Glasgow is also ace. But then I even like Dundee, Aberdeen being the only Scottish city I'm not keen on.

Let's see, based on past encounters: Glasgow -- quite grand, spent three days there in 1992, had a wonderful wander around the city, will be seeing it again briefly this Sunday. Dundee -- only drove through it but I really liked the geography and look of the place, and of course Billy Mackenzie of the Associates was born and raised there, so clearly it is a place of Divine and Holy Goodness. St. Andrews -- where Jane the Glorious went to uni, and a nice spot it is, golf course and everything. Inverness -- didn't really spend much time there, but it and Nairn, where Jane's parents live, do both benefit from the setting.

quite a lot of good stuff coming to edinburgh nowadays.

and glasgow is not far away...

Well?

so, who else is in edinburgh these days besides calum and leigh?

It has the smells of Scotland, apparently. What's not to love?

[Word of warning it will be incredibly cold in Feb. Bring 2 jackets.]

[and 2 hats <<:]

Um I am in Edinburgh too, I know I am a persistent lurker but I only just moved up here so if you're having a FAP can I come? I need to get out of the house more.

(I'm told they occasionally have fetish nights at the Edinburgh Dungeon. That's probably the best thing about it)

(I definitely would recognise alext on sight, because we were at university at the same time, and I think had mutual acquaintances)

None of you would recognise me, however I am sort of cheating because I've only lived here for two months and know about three people. I work at Peckhams though so if you know where it is come in and say hi and buy some expensive food.

That "Haste Ye Back" sign in Rothesay? I was there on Sunday. The other sign there made the news the day we were there (which we failed to spot, despite having a Gaelic speaker in our midst).

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/27/eilean-bhoid-penis-island-isle-bute-typo-sign_n_8049120.html

there's an 18thC portrait in the gallery that's the spit of someone i went to school with. doppelganger. it was very unnerving when i saw it. reminded me of the beginning of John Dickson Carr's The Burning Court:

Fastened to the page was an old but still very clear photograph of a woman. Under it in small neat letters had been printed: Marie D’Aubray: Guillotined for Murder, 1861. He was looking at a photograph of his own wife.

don't add a note. kindle sneakery.

kindle sneakery

Sounds like an up and coming actress who has already made a splash in a couple of indie films and is now poised to cross over into the mainstream.

ha ha. it does. along with her peer Amazon Chicanery.

That's great but I don't know why it sounds like a plausible name. Who laid the groundwork? Zooey Deschanel, Leighton Meester (not indie), Diablo Cody (not an actress)?

there were some lovely portraits but predictably enough my favourite room was the sports gallery. that golf painting is something eh

anyone know much about leith? never been and i might take a wee daytrip soon.

proclaimers + hibs + irvine welsh is all i know

the local police will have concluded their questioning

If i moved to edinburgh i'd be in leith. Good restaurants, good pubs. Nice buzz.

I saw the "Haste Ye Back" sign later at the airport gate.

On my last evening I took a South African colleague to Shebeen, a South African restaurant on Dalry Place (he has lived in Scotland for 20 years and didn't know about it, as I suspect he doesn't eat out too much).

Not mad about it, full on meat but the Durban curry with hollowed out loaf was reasonable. Certainly worth a visit.

I didn't see yr review of the bull and castle anywhere yet I cry foul

We have many lifetimes..

me and mrs. bean have two evenings and an early morning in edinburgh ca. early july. what do we do in/near the city centre? where do we eat? note: not big consumers of alcohol.

take a couple hours and walk along the top of the Salsbury crags - just a short walk up from parliament.

(or take a few hours and do Arthur's Seat)

note: not big consumers of alcohol.

:(

others probably better placed to chime in but

this place is a very nice scottish take on neo-nordic style food (but can be pricey): http://www.timberyard.co/
for a less expensive option, posh pub grub done well (and the neighbourhood it's in, stockbridge, is good to walk around): https://scranandscallie.com/
if you're lucky it may be dry, and even maybe sunny, in which case this place is essential: http://www.marysmilkbar.com/

Fwiw I'm happy to have a beer, scotch, whatever. But - due to gastro issues - I can't have much more than one.

after years of occasionally popping into the glasgow thread and threatening a move back there, i've found myself instead moving to edinburgh. confusing. what's good around here? is there a music scene of note or will i be finding myself heading to glasgow for all of that?

oh yeah, perhaps it's relevant that i live in gorgie, but tbh having lived in london for seven years getting from one side of edinburgh to the other feels like a gentle morning stroll

no one can answer because edinburgh is just populated by airbnb guests

People I know in Edinburgh are always moaning about the music scene and having to go to Glasgow to see stuff. Still a great city to live in, I think.

What kind of music?

Braw Gigs are good if you're into weird noise/metal/punk/other stuff: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Cause/Braw-Gigs-117804704978695/ // http://brawmusic.tumblr.com

Hmm, I'd recommend reading The Skinny https://www.theskinny.co.uk/ for info on upcoming gigs, culture and events across the central belt.

These are a couple decent Edinburgh gig promoters that spring to mind:

https://www.facebook.com/songbytoadrecords/

https://www.facebook.com/nothingeverhappensheresummerhall/

Although I'm now in Manchester and haven't been along yet this will surely be a fun night which is ran by some friends that used to do the massively entertaining 'This is Music' gig/club nights
https://www.facebook.com/supperclubedinburgh

Other irregular dance all night club nights (10pm-3am usually) that are grand: Stacks (soul/Motown/Northern Soul), Unpop (jangle pop/twee/C86), The Egg (Rock 'n' Roll, Garage, New Wave, Psychedelia,Soul and Punk) and Mjolk (Scandi Pop).

Keep an eye on the Wee Red Bar https://www.weeredbar.co.uk/listings.htm at the Art School and Henry's Cellar Bar https://www.facebook.com/Henryscellarbar/ for some more alternative stuff.

You're also not far from the best pizza in Edinburgh - Pizzeria 1926 - Napoli style pizza at phenomenal value.

Oh and I have to say since you're in Gorgie check out Hearts if you like football and have no Scottish football allegiances. Great stadium and it looks like it will be a great wee season for us (we will definitely fall apart by mid-October).

I should note Stacks and Unpop have been fairly dead for a while but I think revives were round the corner?

great, thanks! will keep an eye on all of these.

yeah we're right next to tynecastle. my childhood / hereditary scottish football allegiances are to rangers, so i'll be happy to ditch that and pretend i'm a lifelong jambo.

tbh glasgow is dying on it's arse right now with the abc and art school closure, due to fire, the arches closed due to council incompetence. you're better off where you are with access to Summerhall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoMtbK35Ahw&fbclid=IwAR3pHlcXnPE9LVoK-1w2P29arumy4c646gWFv7Akya0EuLRakuu_kCl3G2M

“It’s Edinburgh ya fuckin wank” 🤣

pic.twitter.com/NhhADIdiCS

— SCOTTISH BANTER (@scottishbants2) August 14, 2022

Filmhouse has closed

So fucking sad

i will be in Edinburgh Thursday-Sunday :-)

go to the palmerston

Go to Glasgow

Go to Summerhall on Friday night. :) Then go to Glasgow.

i haven't much choice in the matter, although i do prefer glasgow

I've been to Edinburgh once, about ten years ago, and it was one of the best holidays I ever had. It was actually in late February and as I was riding the shuttle into town from the airport, the haze and fog completely dissolved in the sun and it was gorgeous. Even on the weekdays, people took their lunch breaks outside, filling a big lawn in the middle of the city. I remember telling someone at a Boots counter how beautiful everything looked outside and she laughed and said "it's usually not like this in February!"

Deep abiding affection for Edinburgh, not least because my first visit was when I was 9 years old and the whole place seemed kind of magical to me. I've been back several times since — most recently to bring my own kids, about 7 years ago — and have always loved it. But I feel bad that I've never been to Glasgow, so I'll pencil that in for whenever my next Scottish sojourn is.

Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. I spent the first 18 years of my life there and thre is so much to love and of course at this time of the year, during the festival it is absolutely electric.

it does feel like a town compared to how Glasgow truly feels like a city. Glasgow is undoubtedly culturally superior for 49 weeks of the year but the rivalry between the cities is really quite daft.

it is often said that anyone from anywhere in the world who spends 24 hours in Glasgow is fully entitled to call themselves a Glaswegian, with a caveat that if you were born in Edinburgh you will never qualify as a Glaswegian. I can testify this is true and my Glaswegian wife never lets me forget it!

Was there for a few days in April and was absolutely delighted the entire time, kid me was overjoyed by the winding streets, castle, and ice cream trucks everywhere

The Water of Leith walkway was beautiful - I was very envious of everyone that had a house with a backyard that sloped down to the waterway.

I realise I've become settled in here when my immediate response is "Oh Jesus no, don't come in August, it'll be overrun with the English - oh, sorry dog latin". Also sorry, dog latin - I'd love to come out for a pint usually but this month I'm either working or knackered.

I did raise an eyebrow at "undoubtedly culturally superior" - it's not like they deflate the Usher Hall at the end of August. Now gigs, absolutely - Jen's from Perth, which is equidistant travelwise* from Glasgow and I asked her if she'd been through to Edinburgh for bands when she was growing up, and she said no, basically never. If someone's only playing one gig in Scotland, it'll never be in Edinburgh unless they're Murrayfield-sized.

It definitely feels like a city to me, because my default city is Dublin, and it feels a lot more like Dublin than Glasgow does.

*it doesn't look like it! But the train from Edinburgh to Perth stops at every house in Fife and asks if anyone wants something got for them.

I grew up in Fife and for a while there was a really healthy gig scene in Edinburgh. Not as busy as Glasgow but you could see an interesting band somewhere on a regular basis (even if you'd frequently miss the encore because the last train home to Fife is always stupid early)
Then all the venues started being developed so the owners could make more money out of the property. If that didn't happen there would be some kind of mysterious fire (I can remember at least three places that were closed due to fires)
Anyone who tried to start up a venue that could cater to more than 100 people in town found that there was no realistic way to comply with noise regulations
The only places left in the city centre that cater to live music are pubs, the Queen's Hall, Summerhall, Usher Hall and very occasionally the Playhouse. There has been an uptick of activity at the corn exchange since it's been rebranded as an O2 venue but it's in the middle of nowhere

We almost never went to Glasgow for gigs unless someone had access to a car because of the lack of 'late' night public transport back to Fife

I've lived in both Edinburgh and Glasgow and the rivalry between the cities is intensely stupid. Especially when people from either place 'joke' about avoiding the other city. They are both great places to spend time in with loads of things to see and do. They have different strengths but that's about it

On the Perth train - it used to be an express train only stopping at Kirkcaldy and Inverkeithing before Haymarket. Then Scotrail decided to start running their service on overtime rather than recruiting staff and suddenly the Fife circle services went away or became very unreliable. Scotrail legally have to provide a service to the smaller towns so the Dundee and Perth trains suddenly started stopping everywhere but North Queensferry and Dalmeny.

There's also no equivalent to the GFT in Edinburgh or arthouse cinemas in Edinburgh I believe? But yes, it's mostly interesting gigs Edinburgh has a dearth of.

There was the Filmhouse. Which is trying to reopen. The Cameo also shows a more arthouse inclined slate of films. The GFT is wonderful

If someone's only playing one gig in Scotland, it'll never be in Edinburgh unless they're Murrayfield-sized.

I've noticed over the last few years that there's been a good number of acts who have done their Scotland stop at the Usher Hall. A few that spring to mind from my personal radar...

Beck 2021
The Smile 2022
Wilco 2023
Beth Gibbons 2024
Bob Dylan 2024

Some of these stopped in Glasgow on the previous or subsequent tour though, so seems like they were consciously alternating cities.

I did raise an eyebrow at "undoubtedly culturally superior" - it's not like they deflate the Usher Hall at the end of August.

Ha ha! i was trying to be a touch arch with that comment. both cities are culturally rich.

As far as music goes, I was blessed to grow up in Edinburgh at a time when it was awash with great gig venues and one was spoiled rotten with gig choices.