Essentials

๐Ÿ™๏ธ City Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, known for its historic and cultural attractions.
๐Ÿ‘ฅ Population Approximately 540,000
๐Ÿ’ป Internet Speed Average download speeds of 60 Mbps
๐Ÿ’ธ Currency & Banking 1 GBP โ‰ˆ 1.36 USD
๐Ÿšฐ Tap Water Drinkable
๐Ÿ”Œ Power 230V, 50Hz, ๐Ÿ”Œ Type G sockets
๐Ÿ“ถ SIM Card Providers include EE, Vodafone, and O2
๐Ÿ’ณ Banking for Expats Banks like HSBC, Barclays, and digital options like Monzo
๐Ÿ›Œ Accommodation Options range from hotels to serviced apartments and Airbnb
๐Ÿ’ณ Cashless Friendly Yes, cards accepted widely
๐Ÿ  Short Term Rentals Airbnb and Vrbo offer many choices
๐Ÿ›๏ธ Budget Accommodation Hostels such as Castle Rock Hostel and Budget Backpackers

Working and Networking

๐Ÿข Best Coworking Space Spaces at Tontine and CodeBase
โ˜• Best Cafe for Work Brew Lab Coffee and The Milkman
๐Ÿ’ผ Networking Events Meetups and Tech meetups at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre
๐Ÿฅ‚ Social Events for Expats Facebook groups like 'Edinburgh Expats' and weekly pub meet-ups

Transportation

๐Ÿš• Best Taxi/Ride App Uber and Bolt operate in Edinburgh
๐Ÿšฒ Bike/Scooter Rental Just Eat Cycles and Lime scooters are available
๐Ÿ–๏ธ Best Beach Nearby Portobello Beach, about 20 minutes away by tram
โœˆ๏ธ Top Regional Airline Loganair operates several regional flights
โœˆ๏ธ Top International Airline British Airways and easyJet serve Edinburgh
๐Ÿ›ฃ๏ธ Highway Access M8 and A1 highways connect Edinburgh with other major cities
๐Ÿš‰ Main Train/Transit Hub Edinburgh Waverley Station
๐Ÿš Public Transport Passes Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams offer day tickets
โœˆ๏ธ Regional Travel Trains to Glasgow, Newcastle, and beyond

Health and Wellness

๐Ÿฅ Best Hospital Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
๐Ÿง˜ Yoga & Wellness Centers Yoga in the City and The Yoga Tree
๐Ÿ‹๏ธ Gyms & Fitness Centers PureGym and The Gym Group
๐Ÿงบ Laundry Services Laundrette on Bruntsfield Place

Food and Drink

๐Ÿ“ฑ Best Food Delivery App Deliveroo and Just Eat are popular
๐Ÿฝ๏ธ Best Local Dish to Try Haggis, served at restaurants like Howies
๐Ÿฑ Vegan/Vegetarian Options Hendersons Vegan and Kailyard by Nick Nairn
๐Ÿซ Best Dessert Spots Mimi's Bakehouse and K von H Gourmet Brownies
๐Ÿ›’ Affordable Shopping Spots Stockbridge Market on Sundays
๐Ÿ›’ E-commerce/Online Store Amazon UK and local online retailers like The Online Radio
๐Ÿ›’ Grocery Delivery Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Asda offer delivery options
๐Ÿธ Bar/Nightlife Area The Cowgate and Grassmarket areas host several pubs
๐Ÿป Local Brewery Stewart Brewing and Edinburgh Beer Factory
๐Ÿท Wine Bars Castle Terrace and The Wine Room
๐Ÿฒ Street Food Stalls Edinburgh Food Festival and street markets in Grassmarket
๐Ÿ• Popular International Cuisine Dishoom for Indian food and Mamma's for pizza

Culture and Attractions

๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Must-See Landmarks Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile
๐Ÿ›๏ธ Museums & Art Venues National Museum of Scotland and Scottish National Gallery
๐Ÿฐ Historical Sites Palace of Holyroodhouse and St Giles' Cathedral
๐Ÿ• Religious Sites St Mary's Cathedral and Greyfriars Kirk
๐ŸŽ‰ Annual Events Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival
๐ŸŽจ Cultural Districts Leith and the Old Town
๐ŸŽญ Theater Venues Edinburgh Playhouse and Traverse Theatre
๐Ÿ›๏ธ Local Markets Stockbridge Market and Leith Market
๐ŸŽผ Music Scene Local venues include Usher Hall and Queen's Hall
๐ŸŽจ Street Art Explore murals in the Leith area
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿณ Cooking Classes Cookery classes at The Edinburgh Cookery School
๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐ŸŽจ Art Galleries Patricia Fleming Projects and Jupiter Artland
๐Ÿ•ฐ๏ธ Historic Buildings The Georgian House and Gladstone's Land
๐Ÿด Local Heritage The Thistle, a symbol of Scotland's heritage

Nature and Outdoor Activities

๐ŸŒ… Nearby Nature Escapes Holyrood Park and Pentland Hills
๐Ÿž๏ธ National Parks Nearby Cairngorms National Park is about 1.5 hours away
๐Ÿšฒ Cycling/Walking Paths Water of Leith Walkway and Union Canal
๐ŸŒ„ Scenic Viewpoints Arthur's Seat and Calton Hill
๐Ÿฆ‰ Birdwatching Locations Inchcolm Island and the Forth Islands
๐Ÿ”ฅ Bonfire-Friendly Spots Designated areas in Holyrood Park

Other Services and Amenities

๐Ÿ“ฆ Parcel Delivery Service Royal Mail and DPD offer reliable services
๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Tech Repair Services CPW (Carphone Warehouse) and various local shops
๐Ÿ“ Table Tennis Spots Table Tennis Scotland at various community centers
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿซ Language Classes St George's School for Language and Lingua Shire
๐Ÿ“š Libraries & Study Spots Central Library and the Edinburgh Napier University Library
๐Ÿ˜๏ธ Community Centers The Usher Hall and Leith Community Centre
๐Ÿ•น๏ธ Gaming Lounges The Loading Cafรฉ in the city center
๐ŸŽฐ Casino & Gaming Halls Grosvenor Casino Edinburgh

Business

๐Ÿข Studio Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. ยฃ3,800 per mยฒ (e.g., 40 mยฒ = ยฃ152,000)
๐Ÿข Studio Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. ยฃ2,800 per mยฒ (e.g., 40 mยฒ = ยฃ112,000)
๐Ÿ  1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. ยฃ4,000 per mยฒ (e.g., 60 mยฒ = ยฃ240,000)
๐Ÿ  1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. ยฃ2,600 per mยฒ (e.g., 60 mยฒ = ยฃ156,000)
๐Ÿก 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. ยฃ3,500 per mยฒ (e.g., 80 mยฒ = ยฃ280,000)
๐Ÿก 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. ยฃ2,400 per mยฒ (e.g., 80 mยฒ = ยฃ192,000)
๐Ÿ’ผ Corporate Tax 19% currently with plans to increase
๐Ÿ’ต Dividend Withholding Tax 0% up to the dividend allowance, then 7.5%-38.1%
๐Ÿฆ Tax System UK tax system based on residency and domicile
๐Ÿ“ˆ Highest Income Tax Bracket 45% for income over ยฃ150,000
๐Ÿงพ VAT Standard Value Added Tax rate of 20%
๐ŸŒ Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules Yes, applicable rules exist
๐Ÿ  Property Tax Local Council Tax based on property value
๐Ÿ  Property Transaction Tax LBTT (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax) is applied