Expat Advice: Living in Edinburgh, Scotland
What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?
Edinburgh
How long have you lived there?
4 years
What activities, clubs and organizations would you recommend to newcomers to help them meet others?
There's the American Women's Club, but generally you meet people through work/volunteering or if you're a mom, at the gym or creche (day care).
In terms of religious, racial, economic and cultural diversity, are the people of this city or town diverse? Are they accepting of differences? Describe.
Edinburgh is a truly cosmopolitan town. Although English is the common language, you will also hear Urdu or Hindi along with a host of European languages from travellers.
What are the main industries in this city? What types of career opportunities commonly exist? How do most people find new jobs?
The main and fastest growing industry here is Finance & Banking. With Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Halifax/Bank of Scotland (HBOS) based here, quite a few British people move up from London for a better life balance.
That being said, the property market has ballooned up here and is still strong now, even when London is starting to dip. It can be very difficult to buy a property at the moment.
Most people find jobs through the newspaper Scotland on Sunday (scotsman.com); s1jobs.com, or monster.co.uk.
If a friend of yours was thinking of moving to this city or town from far away, what other advice would you give them.
I always describe Edinburgh as: As Boston is to New York, so is Edinburgh to London. In other words, Edinburgh is London's smaller, more genteel cousin. Most Americans would call it quaint. It's a compact city and you can walk almost anywhere.
For Americans, the UK can be quite expensive. This can be exaggerated in Scotland, as they tend to pay about 10 - 15% less in salaries than in London.
Moving to Scotland soon?
More Expat Advice about Living in Scotland
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Comments about this Report
guestScottish salaries may be 10-15% less than salaries in London, but the cost of living in Scotland is less than London, so it evens out.
ediswbI am seeking an unfurnished 2 bedroom flat and want to move "lock, stock, and barrel" 90% of my belongings-- for both practical and sentimental reasons. Is this foolish fantasy that will prove cost prohibitive? Shipping plus duties to be paid? Will most electronics work with a good adapter? Is there an up to date reference on pet requirements? My car? Thanks for any help and direction.
