A local's guide to Edinburgh

Break away from the Royal Mile and discover everything you need to know about the vibrant capital – from a Scotsman

The city skyline with Edinburgh Castle in the background
Edinburgh: full of diversity and wonder
(Image credit: John Kellerman/Alamy Stock Photo)

I spent roughly the last quarter of my life living outside my native Scotland. The number of people I met, from all over the world, who told me they had visited my home country made me proud. The percentage of them who told me they had seen Edinburgh Castle and Edinburgh Airport was wearying.

I get it. The castle is incredible – the views, the history, the romance… it's all great. If you’ve never been, you should go. But it takes half a day at most. There is so much more to Edinburgh than just the theme park approximation of Scottish culture that gushes down Castlehill. It's a living, breathing international capital, full of diversity and wonder; of delectable grime and obnoxious beauty. It's like any other capital city in the world and it's utterly unique at the same time. Since I returned to Scotland at the start of the year, I've been compiling these tips to help more people discover the real Edinburgh.

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