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Edinburgh or Glasgow?

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  1. #1

    Edinburgh or Glasgow?

    Hi guys,

    Newbie here, though I’ve been lurking in the shadows for quite a while.

    I’d like to seek advice from the Scottish contingent (or anyone who has ever lived in Scotland) of the GeoExpat community on a few things related to life in Scotland.

    I’m planning to move to Scotland at the end of the year and will most likely live in either Edinburgh or Glasgow. I was wondering if anyone could give me the lowdown on what it’s like to live in these cities.

    I’m a semi-retired ESL teacher who’s originally from HK but spent my formative years (high school and college) in North America. Obviously, language will not be a problem for me and I feel totally comfortable living among foreigners of all nationalities and ethnicities. As a matter of fact, I prefer to live among the “locals” and would rather NOT live anywhere near Chinatown or in districts where there’s a large Chinese population (no offense to the Chinese and other Hongkongers!).

    I’m in my mid-50s so a vibrant nightlife is NOT a priority for me when it comes to choosing a place to live. I’m not into sports, but I love music and the arts. From what I’ve gathered on the Internet, Edinburgh’s more artistic and Glasgow is more athletic, is that correct?

    Since I’m a single female and will be living alone so a low(er) crime rate is really important to me. I understand both Edinburgh and Glasgow are urban/cosmopolitan cities so a certain degree of crime is expected.

    Good public transport will also be essential as I don’t relish the prospect of driving on the “other” side of the road (I learned to drive in North America but have never driven a car in HK).

    Please understand that I’m NOT asking which city is BETTER, only that which city is more suitable for me to live in based on my background.

    Any advice and insights will be much appreciated!

    misshappy26 likes this.

  2. #2

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    Edinburgh would seem to be the better fit. Edinburgh festival and all that.

    Language - the Glasgow accent can be difficult to understand for many people. The Edinburgh accent is easier on the ear.

    Climate: cold and wet, dark.

    hullexile, TaD_LaLa and markranson like this.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by drumbrake:
    Edinburgh would seem to be the better fit. Edinburgh festival and all that.

    Language - the Glasgow accent can be difficult to understand for many people. The Edinburgh accent is easier on the ear.

    Climate: cold and wet, dark.
    Both Glaswegian and whatever they speak in Edinburgh are impossible to comprehend after a few pints.. Or after about 1pm..

    (sorry I have nothing constructive to add here)
    drumbrake, bak875 and irisboards like this.

  4. #4

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    Do you see yourself living in the main area of a city, in suburbs or small villages outside a city? If you plan to be a city dweller but are happy with a quieter type of city that has more stress on cultural aspects, than on the margin you might prefer Edinburgh

    I personally find Edinburgh a much more walkable city, designed on a more human scale, than Glascow. And visually it is more beautiful.

    However, each person has their own preferences, and it's often hard to be sure until you've spend time living somewhere. Have you considered renting somewhere for your first year, and then seeing if your first choice is really as appealing as you think, while you're living there? You can spend a fair bit of time in either city to see how you react to each one.

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  5. #5

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    I grew up in Edinburgh and was there for 20 odd years, so here is my biased answer. EDINBURGH!

    Glasgow I know have a stronger accent and parts of it can be rougher. It is a lot larger and dominated by football with Celtic and Rangers. Most of my friends who live in Glasgow are relatively young and are there for the nightlife more so than Edinburgh.

    Edinburgh has many parts to it. I grew up in Cramond which is considerably far from the Town Centre. Buses are the main source of transport in Scotland, but there is a tram system (that everyone hates and is STILL under construction) in Edinburgh. Public transport I do not advise personally, as it is slow and not convenient. Everyone pretty much drives as it is not like Hong Kong with everything a short distance away. You drive to the supermarket to pick up groceries for the week for example.

    Location is everything. Anywhere near council estates (lower income areas) there is more crime. I do not know the stats, but there is a saying you are more likely to get stabbed in Glasgow! Though the thing in the UK, youths are the complete opposite of Hong Kong. They like to cause trouble when in their groups but are majority harmless. Just mouthing off. Cramond where I grew up is more middle/upper class and it is very peaceful.

    As mentioned, Edinburgh has many different parts to it (east lothian, midlothian, queensferry, west lothian etc). I say you need to visit each to get a good feel for it. It depends on what you want in a home. A garden? Close to the city centre? Modern or more traditional with high ceilings?

    The asian community is large in Edinburgh. I know you said you want to blend with the locals, but the 50s crowd is either playing lawn bowling (bowls) or in the pub!

    Any questions feel free to PM me

    shri, TaD_LaLa, Mrs. Jones and 3 others like this.

  6. #6

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    Edinburgh

    markranson likes this.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by drumbrake:
    Edinburgh would seem to be the better fit. Edinburgh festival and all that.

    Language - the Glasgow accent can be difficult to understand for many people. The Edinburgh accent is easier on the ear.

    Climate: cold and wet, dark.
    That's what I thought, and the Edinburgh Festival seems right up my alley!

    I did work for a Glaswegian back in the 90s and it took me 3 months of working alongside him EVERYDAY to get used to his accent. He was an awesome guy - tough and fair as a boss, funny as hell, and very direct and plain-spoken. My kind of people!

    I'm a homebody so the cold, wet and dark climate doesn't bother me one bit!

    Thanks for the advice!
    TaD_LaLa likes this.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    Both Glaswegian and whatever they speak in Edinburgh are impossible to comprehend after a few pints.. Or after about 1pm..

    (sorry I have nothing constructive to add here)
    I worked for a Glaswegian at a British pub in HK back in the 90s and during the first month on the job, every time when he spoke, I had to ask my English coworkers to "translate" for me. It was hilarious!

    I actually found it easier to understand his accent after a few pints of Boddingtons!

  9. #9

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    Original Post Deleted
    Clearly never been.

    To the OP, for me - and having lived in both as an outsider, although much longer in Glasgow - Glasgow is hands down is the better place to live.

    There is a reason Anthony Bourdain said it was his favourite city in Europe.

    However, given your circumstances, it's a difficult call. But don't write off Glasgow's cultural scene. Yes Edinburgh has the festival (which most locals avoid) but Glasgow has a very decent arts scene and a very good live music scene. Some great places to eat as well. The city's west end has a nice vibe - the university, Kelvingrove Park and Museum, Byers Road. Easy access to Loch Lomond and the national park (less than an hours drive)

    But more than anything it's the people. Warm, funny and friendly. Possibly the best in the UK. My brother in law is there right now, working away. He called me to tell me how amazed he was by the friendly locals. I do miss the Glasgow spirit a lot.
    jimbo and RDB14 like this.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by z754103:
    Do you see yourself living in the main area of a city, in suburbs or small villages outside a city? If you plan to be a city dweller but are happy with a quieter type of city that has more stress on cultural aspects, than on the margin you might prefer Edinburgh

    I personally find Edinburgh a much more walkable city, designed on a more human scale, than Glascow. And visually it is more beautiful.

    However, each person has their own preferences, and it's often hard to be sure until you've spend time living somewhere. Have you considered renting somewhere for your first year, and then seeing if your first choice is really as appealing as you think, while you're living there? You can spend a fair bit of time in either city to see how you react to each one.
    I'd definitely like to live in the city - near the city center if it's not too expensive to rent a studio or one-bedroom apartment there. Ideally, I should pay a visit to both cities before making a decision and putting down roots, but with this God-awful Delta variant running amok in the UK (and the rest of the world), it's really hard to just hop on a plane and make a quick trip to the UK.

    As you suggested, I might live in one city (I'm leaning toward Edinburgh) for the first year and see how I like it. While I'm there, I can make a trip to Glasgow and get a feel of the city.
    z754103 likes this.

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