Are you planning to visit Edinburgh for the first time? Have you read up
on the must-visit attractions but not sure about the rest? Then let
us fill you in on everything you need to know for your first visit to Edinburgh!
A large part of this video is applicable to Scotland as a whole,
while other parts are more focused on Edinburgh. Let’s get into it!
First, let’s talk about the time zone. Edinburgh and Scotland are in the Greenwich Mean Time,
or GMT, time zone, which is the same as London. During Daylight Savings Time,
it changes to British Summer Time, or BST, which is GMT +1.
Next, languages. Many languages are spoken in Edinburgh and Scotland, but the main language
spoken is English. Scottish Gaelic and Scots are also spoken in Scotland, though to a lesser extent.
Now, onto the UK plug. The UK uses a type G plug, which has three rectangular prongs that form a
triangle shape. The plug operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz. Devices like mobile phones,
laptops, and camera batteries will charge without issue with a travel adapter. However, you may need
a voltage converter for other appliances like hairdryers and hair straighteners or curlers.
Let’s talk about currency now. Scotland uses the pound sterling, which is the same as the rest of
the UK, which comprises of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. UK banks all print their own
notes, which is why you might find the same value notes with different faces on them.
In Scotland, the Bank of Scotland, the Royal Bank of Scotland, and Clydesdale Bank all print
their own notes. We’ve never encountered any issues with having Scottish notes,
but we have heard of Scottish notes being refused in England. Some countries might also refuse to
exchange money if you give them Scottish notes, so we would advise that before you leave Scotland,
you exchange any leftover Scottish notes for Bank of England notes. You
can generally go to any bank and ask them to exchange your notes for you.
Now, how can you pay for things? Cash and debit or credit cards are accepted. Since the pandemic,
many businesses prefer customers to pay by debit or credit card, but it doesn’t hurt to have some
cash with you as well. When it comes to cards, Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted.
Now, where can you withdraw cash? Most ATMs offer free cash withdrawals and are dotted
all over the city. A simple Google Maps search should show you the ATMs closest
to you. Just make sure that the ATM clearly states that cash withdrawals are free before
you use it. Keep in mind, though, that this just means that there is no ATM fee,
so be sure to check if your card has any fees for cash withdrawals before you travel.
Let’s talk now about the weather and climate now. The climate is quite mild in Edinburgh year-round but
can be quite windy. Oftentimes, you can experience the sun, clouds, rain, and wind all in one day!
People that are used to living a bit closer to the equator are often
surprised at how long the summer days and how short the winter days are in
Edinburgh. On the longest day of the year, the sun rises just before 04.30
in the morning and sets just after 10.00 at night. And on the shortest day of the year,
the sun rises just after 08.30 in the morning and sets just after 03.30 in the afternoon.
Now, what clothes should you bring? Layers, layers,
and more layers!
As Edinburgh’s weather can be quite unpredictable,
your best bet is to bring layers and waterproof clothing as well as quality walking shoes.
Let’s talk about the best time of year to come. “Best” is relative of course. If you like crowds
and don’t mind paying more for accommodation, then come to Edinburgh in August, when the world’s
largest arts festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, comes to life for the entire month,
along with a bunch of other festivals. If you hate crowds, then don’t come in August. Like
many cities, the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn are nice times to visit Edinburgh.
How long should you stay? Because Edinburgh is a very compact city,
you can see a lot in two to three days. Staying a few more days will allow you to
use Edinburgh as a base to explore surrounding areas for day trips. We have a blog post about
the best day trips by train from Edinburgh, which you can find in the description below.
Now, where should you stay? If you really want to be in the thick of everything,
Old Town or New Town would be the best areas to stay. Going a little bit further,
although not by much, Stockbridge, Dean Village, and the Southside,
which is southeast of Old Town, are good options as well. For first-timers, we would recommend
Old Town or New Town, and there are a variety of accommodation options to suit all budgets.
How to get around! Since Edinburgh is a very compact city, that makes walking the best way
to get around, and also why we mentioned bringing quality walking shoes earlier. Do
note that the city also does have seven hills, so some areas are a bit steeper than others!
For destinations a bit outside of the city centre, it’s easy enough to take the bus or train. We also
have a full video on how to get around Edinburgh, which you can find in the description below.
We’ll move on now to how much to budget. Of course, how much you decide to budget largely
depends on how much you have to play with. We have a table with some estimates in our
accompanying blog post, but for accommodation, food, and transportation, per person per day,
you would be looking at approximately £40 on a low budget, £120 on a medium budget, and
over £210 on a high budget. This is also assuming you’re visiting in the shoulder, not high season.
Let’s talk about water now. Tap water is safe to drink in Scotland! And Scottish Water introduced Top
Up Taps across the country, where you can refill your reusable water bottle when you’re out and
about. There is a handy online map that shows all Top Up Tap locations in Scotland, which you
can find in the description below, and here’s one situated nicely on the Royal Mile.
Moving on now to tipping. The tipping culture in the UK is not as “extreme” as some places
like North America, where workers often have to rely on tips to make up part of
their salaries. Tipping is quite common though, so a few tips, no pun intended,
on tipping in various places are: for restaurants, if there is no service charge already added,
a 10% tip is often enough. In hotels, feel free to tip housekeepers, bellhops,
and doormen a pound or two. And in taxis, rounding up to the next pound is customary.
And last but not least, how to pronounce Edinburgh! Well,
if you’ve watched this video or any of our other videos on Edinburgh, then you likely
know how to pronounce it! We’ve noticed that many North Americans pronounce Edinburgh like
ed-in-boro, but that’s not right. And it’s not ed-in-berg either! Repeat after me: Edinburgh!
As mentioned earlier, we have an accompanying blog post on a first-timer’s guide to Edinburgh,
which you can find in the description below. We also have lots of other Edinburgh videos
that you may find helpful, which you can also find in the description below.
We hope you found this video helpful! If you have any additional questions about
Edinburgh or Scotland, let us know in the comments below and we’ll be happy to help!
Please give this video a like, subscribe to our channel, and we’ll see you in the next video!
[inaudible] *blows raspberry*
For accommodation... *laughs*
I can see your eyes! *laughs*