Things to do

The Scottish capital is without a doubt one of the best places to live in the UK. From its imposing castle and incredible history, to the fantastic and beautiful New and Old Towns of the centre, Edinburgh is every bit the charming hub for residents and visitors alike. Proudly attracting tourists from around the world, as well as providing the very best in local life for families who make a home here, Edinburgh is a perfect location to find a new home.

The city, set on the south bank of the Firth of Forth, is the 7^th largest in the UK. With a population count of around 495,360, the city of Edinburgh is a bustling metropolis but is in no way overpopulated. In fact, there are 122 parks and plenty of green space for residents to explore. As greenery goes, there are more trees per head of population than any other UK city! The city centre is also well-maintained throughout, with excellent transport links and a whole host of things to see and do.

Edinburgh is a listed World Heritage Site, renowned for being the City of Literature, and it has been named as ‘The Best Place to Live and Work in Scotland’ in a national survey for the fifth year running. It has low unemployment rates and high salaries, as well as affordable housing compared to many other major capitals. For young couples, families with children, or first time buyers in search of new homes, Edinburgh makes a great choice – particularly when it comes to cost and standard of living.

Transportation

There are a number of ways you can travel within and around Edinburgh, including great routes for buses, trains or by car. The major bus operator is Lothian Buses, with regular, express and night services across the city, as well as other bus and coach operators, such as First in Scotland East, E & M Horsburgh, Borders Buses, Scottish Citylink, National Express, and Edinburgh Coach Lines.

There two main train stations in Edinburgh are Waverley Station and Haymarket Station, providing quick and easy links to destinations across the country. The city’s own airport is the busiest in Scotland and offers international flights all over the world. Walking and cycling within the capital is also encouraged as it is easy to get around in this compact city – try the Cyclestreets app to help you plan your bike journey. Even with a growing population and many new developments, Edinburgh remains easy to navigate on foot or by car.

In addition to having great transport links to help you get from A to B, commuting is also extremely easy and stress free. Edinburgh is reported to have some of the lowest commute times, which greatly improves the quality of life for residents.

Education

Scotland’s capital is home to three universities: the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, and Heriot-Watt University. The prestigious University of Edinburgh is one of the country’s ancient institutions, and is known across the globe as the sixth oldest university in the western world. The city also houses a number of colleges, such as Edinburgh's Telford College, Stevenson College, Scotland's Rural College, Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh Theological Seminary, and Leith School of Art.

There is also a fine choice of primary and secondary schools across Edinburgh’s suburbs, with a few of the major schools being featured in Tatler Magazine’s list of ‘Best Schools in Britain’. Scotland as a whole boasts a first-class education system, highly qualified graduates and a high rate of school leavers enrolling for further education. Over 55% of Edinburgh's working age population are educated to degree level or equivalent. For families interested in providing the best education for their children, we highly recommend searching for new houses for sale in Edinburgh or other parts of Scotland.

Help to Buy Edinburgh

The Help to Buy Scheme is open to buyers thinking about purchasing a property in Scotland, with the Help to Buy Equity Loan and Help to Buy ISA available to first time buyers. The Government-backed scheme can be used for all new build houses in Edinburgh. Visit our Buyer’s Hub for more info, or get in touch with our team today.

Easymove

As the name suggests, our Easymove* service can make selling your home, easy. It not only saves you time, but we’ll pay your agent’s fees - so you can save a fortune too. Find out more here