Living In Edinburgh
We came to live in Edinburgh about eighteen months ago, and like anyone newly arrived in a place, we notice things that are different to where we have lived before.
Here are a few of the things Tamara and I have noticed.
The Long, Long Streets In The Centre Of The City
Edinburgh is split in two by the valley that separates the Old Town from the New Town.
Here is a view looking from Princes Street in the New Town, across the valley to Edinburgh Castle that sits high on the hill at the top end of the Royal Mile in the Old Town.
The castle is the destination for thousands of tourists and it is where the annual Edinburgh Tattoo takes place each summer.
The castle looks attractive seen from across the valley, but what it means is that the main shopping area on this side of the valley runs in a very long strip along the north bank of this gouge in the landscape.
And when I am standing at one end of Princes Street (named after George III’s sons), I keep noticing just how long the street is.
I will be standing at one end of and realise that the shop I want to go to is way, way, down the other end of the street.
Do it once and it’s OK. Do it for the fiftieth time and it starts to wear. Thankfully, there are buses that run along Princes Street.
I kept my thoughts on the subject to myself until quite recently when it came out in conversation with a native-born Edinburgher.
That’s when I learned that this sinking of the spirits at the thought of yet again walking the length of the street is not one that only newly-arrived people feel. 😉
Independent Shops Means Variety
Once you get away from the centre of the city, there are lots of independently run shops.
It’s very noticeable compared to the cities and towns of England, where national chains have taken over every spot. Seeing the same names in every high street in every small town is depressing – like being caught in an episode of The Prisoner.
So seeing variety in Edinburgh is a real treat.
Off the top of my head I can think of several independent coffee shops, a shop selling specialist teas, independent pharmacists, bookshops, craft shops, art shops, card shops, boutiques, ironmongers…
[For our American readers – an ironmonger sells household goods.]
And the coffee shops have made a proud art of coffee making. Here in Edinburgh, I have drunk the best coffee I have ever drunk. Artisan Coffee in Bruntsfield stands out, as does Blackwood Coffee in Morningside.
When I enthusiastically tell local people how wonderful it is to see so many independent shops, they look at me sadly and shake their heads. They explain that I am seeing the death of independent shops and that the city centre itself used to be full of independent shops not that long ago.
Oh! I hadn’t realised that it is such a time of transition for Edinburgh.
And when I look in the windows of so many shops, I can see shopkeepers sitting or standing in shops empty of people. The recession has hit Edinburgh just like it has hit everywhere else.
The man in the art shop told me that they will be able to ride out the recession, but he knows of many other small businesses that are going to the wall.
I like independent shops – I like to see things that surprise me. I like to see an independent-thinking buyer’s hand at work – seeing things that he or she has sourced that are not just like one can see everywhere else.
A Word About Books
Waterstones is now the only major book retailer on the high streets of any town in the UK. There are two Waterstones branches in the centre of Edinburgh, but oh it would be good if another bookseller could enter the market.
Maybe local Amazon bookshops? (Wash my mouth out with soap and water.)
There is The Edinburgh Bookshop an independent bookshop in Brunstfield in the south of Edinburgh – one that the writer Alexander McCall Smith called the best independent bookshop in Edinburgh.
And there is a veritable treasure house of second-hand bookshops on Westport, a street close to the centre of Edinburgh.
Acres Of White Hair
I keep noticing acres of white hair. I notice it on the bus and in cafes – anywhere there is a minor concentration of middle-aged people. I have never seen so many grey and white-haired men and women anywhere.
Is there a genetic predisposition to white hair among the people of Scotland?
If it were just the women, I would say that perhaps they simply don’t dye their hair here. But it’s the men too, and surely men south of the border in England don’t dye their hair, do they?
I wonder why middle-aged women here don’t dye their hair like women do elsewhere?
The women often wear their hair cut quite short. Not stylishly so like in Paris – just short in a no-nonsense style.
Scottish DNA – Faces And Bodies
There is a preponderance of people with little turned-up Scandinavian noses and squarish faces. And there are some very tall women with big frames. Not fat, just big. I’m over six feet tall, and I am sure some of the women are near my height.
Perhaps there is a race of Nordic Amazons in the population.
People Talk
It is easy to strike up a conversation with people. And they listen – and they are interested. And they are not in a mad rush to get on with too-busy lives.
Take a look in any restaurant or cafe and you will see people eating together as a group – perhaps 10 or so people at one table – and all talking together.
It great to see.
And there is often a busy chatter on the buses – except when the weather is miserable.
When the weather is bad, everyone looks ahead, just putting up with things. But that’s OK too.
Dogs And Cats
There are people with dogs everywhere and there are lots of different breeds of dogs – many quite exotic. Of course, there are lots of Westies (West Highland terriers).
Very few cats.
Beggars
There are a lot of beggars on the street. Or is it that the police do not move them on as they do in the towns and cities of England?
There has been something in the newspapers recently about beggars in the city centre, but until yesterday, I hadn’t the heart to read about it.
It turns out the Essential Edinburgh, a company that promotes tourism for the city of Edinburgh, has asked the Council to pass a bylaw prohibiting beggars from begging in the city centre.
I asked a beggar about the situation and he told me that there is a King’s charter entitling beggars to beg in Edinburgh and that is why they are there and cannot be moved on.
He said that Essential Edinburgh estimated that there are 30 beggars in the city centre, but that he thought there were perhaps more than that.
He also said that Essential Edinburgh wanted the Council to offer jobs to the beggars in an attempt to get them off the streets – but in the current economic climate that is a political hot potato.
What council wants to be accused of offering jobs to beggars when the unemployment figures are so high?
We talked about the attitude of people in Edinburgh and he said that people were mostly fine. He said he had been in London for a while, and it was the loneliest place he had ever been.
He said he loved London for its buzz, but he would much rather be in Edinburgh. I asked, ‘Even with the winter weather?’ – and he said yes, even with the weather.
Winter in Edinburgh must be tough for anyone sleeping rough. It gets very, very cold.
Wee, Zeros, And Double Letters
People do say ‘wee’ when they mean ‘small’ or ‘short’ – as in ‘Stay a wee while’ and ‘The doctor will be a wee minute.’
Unlike in England, people use ‘zero’ rather than ‘oh’ when saying telephone numbers.
And also, unlike in England people say letters singly. They say, for example, n, n, rather than double n
I Have A Problem With ‘No Problem’
When I make a mistake, I say sorry.
When someone else makes a mistake and I point it out to them, I don’t think it is appropriate for them to say ‘No problem.’
It happens all the time. Maybe someone hands me the wrong item, or the soup is stone cold, or whatever it is… and they say ‘No problem.’ Huh?
‘No Problem’ is reserved for helping someone out, for assisting with someone else’s predicament. It is not for acknowledging that one needs to correct one’s own mistake.
I don’t think people are being rude when they say it. Rather, I think they simply are not conscious of what it implies.
But still… Grr!
Birds In The City
There are lots of birds in the city. I have seen countless dunnocks (hedge sparrows) and I’ve even seen a tree creeper climbing a wall in the city.
Five Pence Pieces
There are lots of five-pence pieces in circulation – quite unlike England. Considering that England is just down the road, so to speak, I wonder why there are so many here?
The Spoken Word
About words, here is one tidbit that I heard – people from Glasgow speak the fastest and use the greatest number of words per minute of all the dialects and regions in the UK.
The Edinburgh accent is attractive – but occasionally I hear an accent that I think comes from the islands of the coast of Scotland. It has the most delightful lilt and tone – it immediately makes me think of days gone by.
Bagpipes And Kilts
Yes, there are quite a lot of men wearing kilts and yes, there are bagpipe players on the streets. It is also common to see bagpipe players accompanying the wedding party at weddings in Edinburgh.
A few weeks ago, I saw groups of men wearing thick wool kilts. I asked one whether there was something going on. Yes, he said – Scotland were playing Ireland at Murrayfield.
I instantly had an image of rows of Scottish supporters at the match, turning their backs on the Irish supporters and ‘doing a Braveheart.’
Ediburgh Zoo
Did I mention that Edinburgh has a zoo? It’s a first-rate zoo as well.
We recently wrote about Giant Pandas At Edinburgh Zoo.
And it’s in the city itself; not miles away outside the city. In fact, it’s just a short bus ride from the city centre.
If you are interested in animals, then Edinburgh Zoo should definitely be on your list of places to visit.
Did I Mention The Weather
When it is overcast, it is miserable – and the bad weather goes on and on and on and on and on.
So it is a relief to be able to write that since the early days of April the sun has been shining and spring has arrived.
Actually, it has come and gone and come again like a phantom – one day of sun followed by days of overcast gloom, followed by…. Sun!!!
Because we are so far north, one thing that is very noticeable is the dramatic increase in the hours of daylight as spring draws on. From the short days of winter, the early evening stretches on and on now, and it’s a great treat for the soul.
[The famous/infamous Edinburgh Haar that sits on the face like a mist of fresh dew is worth reading about.]
Can’t Wrap Things Up Without A final Shot Of A Bagpiper
