In the last ten years I’ve moved too many times to count. And now I’ve moved again! 6 months ago I left my lovely flat in North London and took a delayed train up to Scotland to try out a new life in Edinburgh.
Before moving here I had only visited Edinburgh once. I was a young teenager and I spent less than 24 hours walking through cobbled streets during the Fringe Festival before my Dad drove us to the Isle of Mull, so I didn’t really know what I was in for. In the past 6 months people have asked me what I think of the city and whether I miss London and I’ve had a different answer every time. Mostly I love the beauty of Edinburgh and the warmth of the people, but I do find myself occasionally missing the sheer technicolour energy that London emits like car fumes. On the other hand I can actually afford my lifestyle here, which is more than I could say as an artist in London.
In 6 months I’ve fallen in love with the way the light hits the mottled bricks on the old buildings here and how a random turning under an arch can take you into a completely different time period. The cobbled streets are horrendous to cycle on, but they have their own romance. I’ve made a list from the top of my head of all the bits and pieces that I’m loving in Edinburgh right now, which I’m sure will change as the summer (I can’t wait for the festival!) rolls in.
1. Calton Hill - I live in Leith and a twenty minute walk away is Calton Hill. It’s steep, but doesn’t take a long time to walk up (not like Arthur’s Seat) and from the top are amazing views of the city. My favourite part about Calton Hill is that on a clear day you can bask in a beautiful sunset and still look the other way to see the golden light spread over the sea.
2. The Seaside - In fifteen minutes I can cycle to the start of the Portobello promenade. Having grown up in London the seaside always seemed like a real excursion to my mind, so the fact that I can go at a moment’s notice is such a great novelty.
3. Bookshops - Before moving to Edinburgh I was working at a wonderful bookshop in North London (Ink@84 - look them up and support indie bookshops) and I miss it more than I expected. Luckily Edinburgh has the most incredible bookshops dotted around the city.
4. The Sicilian Pastry Shop - This one is quite specific, but if you are ever in Edinburgh you should look this place up. They make the most delectable cakes, cannoli and tarts. Everything has jammy centres and clouds of fresh cream on top. The strawberry cream tart is the best thing I’ve eaten in a long time.
5. Edinburgh Printmakers - I love this place! It’s on the other side of the city to where I live, but it’s an amazing old building full of workshops, studios and galleries for printmakers. There’s a cafe in there too, so I can pretend I’m actually a printmaker myself while soaking up the lovely heritage architecture.
6. Access to the rest of Scotland - I should have known this already (see: childhood trip to Mull) but Scotland is stunning. I visited the Isle of Skye and I’m still shaken by how incredible it was. All of this? In the UK? And I never bothered to visit? I’m going to have to make up for lost time.
7. Abandoned Railway Paths - Edinburgh has a network of disused railway paths crisscrossing the city and I’m lucky to live right by one. It’s a meandering path hemmed in by trees and zero cars. It’s ideal for running and cycling and I love it.
That’s it for now, but the list keeps growing, so maybe I’ll do an update at the end of a year. Hopefully I’ll eventually visit more of Scotland and be able to muse on all of my favourite places further afield too!