I wanted to practice my spoken English before taking up my studies at university - so I thought, hey, why not go to Edinburgh this summer? I want to share my experiences with al of you because it's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to, and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to be there.
Hey everyone! My name is Meike and this August 2015 I spent two weeks in Edinburgh with a lovely host family. I'll try to include as much as possible in here, but there are so many things I could talk about that it would take up several pages!
Okay, so first of all: Scottish English is relatively easy to understand and therefore good for speakers of other languages. I stayed with a host family, and they were two of the loveliest people in this universe. We sent each other mails before I even arrived and I told them a little about myself - I would advise you to do the same, because it takes away a lot of the anxiety you'll probably experience, not knowing with whom wou'll be staying the next weeks. They told me which bus I should take from the airport and we exchanged photos so we'd have a first impression on who to expect :) There were two other exchange students from Japan staying at my host family. We got along well, even though we sometimes had communication problems because we all speak English on different levels, but you rise for the challenge! :)
Edinburgh has a very well developed public transport system. It's a little overwhelming at first, but once you understood the logic behind it, you can get easily from A to B. I had to take the bus every day to and from school - if you are in the same situation and are staying longer than one week, I'd recommend buying a Ridacard. You can get one at the Lothian Travel Shops, e.g. at Waverley Station, and it really saves you a lot of money - and time, because otherwise you'd always need the correct change to buy a ticket from the driver, which is very annoying.
The city of Edinburgh consists of the Old Town and the New Town. The Old Town has countless streets and Closes and little shops, and it's almost impossible to see everything. (If you've read Harry Potter: It's just like Diagon Alley! Victoria Street in OT was JKR's inspiration for it.) The Royal Mile and the North Bridge and the George IV Bridge are bigger streets where the Fringe Festival takes place every August. There are thousands of artists, just choose what you like! You can get tickets for almost everything at The Hub, which sounds like a little pub but is actually a giant house where all tickets are sold.
The Old Town is divided from the New Town by the Prince's Street Gardens and the National Galleries. It's a wonderful place, especially when the sun is shining (which actually happens sometimes!)
New Town is full of Malls and big Shopping Streets, especially the Prince's Street where pretty much everything is, and George's Street, where e.g. Hollister and the Hard Rock Café are located. You can find everything from several Starbucks, Waterstones and KFC to McDonalds, Next, Gap, Topshop, HMV, Boots, and anything you can think of in a radius of 2km.
The Edinburgh Language Centre (our school!) is in the middle of George's Street, which means that 1. it's easy to get there, especially with the Airlink100 Bus, and 2. you can get everything you need during lunch break because you dont have to walk far. If you're hungry and in dire need of cookies, Coke, chocolate, a sandwich or crisps, I recommend the Food Cooperative in Frederick's street, like 2 minutes walking distance from the school, just as Starbucks, a post office, Waterstones, the HRC, several restaurants and Pret A Manger.
The school is very nice. On your first day you'll have to do an oral exam (and a written exam if you didnt already do it at home.). The teachers will show you around; the school has 3 floors, but there's an elevator. You'll be assigned to a class and then the routine begins. Everyone has two morning classes, and depending on which course you chose, you might have one or two afternoon classes as well. I had the super intensive course, which meant I was in school from 9am to 4pm - it was never boring and all my classmates were awesome. I met people from all over the world, studying and working in all kinds of fields, aged 16 to 60! In my class, we had people from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Canada, France, Sweden, Taiwan, the Czech Republic and Spain.
If you like books (as I do), Edinburgh is perfect for you. There's a great literary history you can discover! Practically every famous British author was in Edinburgh at some point. I recommend the Writer's museum, where you can see an exhibition about Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. If you're more one for modern literature: The Book Festival is taking place every August, with many readings and signings and big tents full of books! I myself went to a reading by one of my favorite authors, he also signed my book - it was an amazing experience! I bought 24 books in total - keep in mind that you have a baggage limit on your flight back home!! It's not only a matter of space, but also of weight. I wish I'd thought of that.
Probably the most famous example of modern literature is Harry Potter by Joanne K Rowling, which probably everyone has read or seen. She lived in Edinburgh and started and finished the series in this city. Look it up on the internet if you're interested, there's lots of places you can visit on that topic!
Maybe some extra helpful advice:
If you need medicine, hygiene articles, adapters/plugs, cosmetics etc., Boots is your friend. Nearest one is on Prince's Street, but there are shops all over the city.
For food, cheap books, general medicine, sweets and everything you get in a supermarket, I recommend Tesco. There's a big one in Corstorphine that's open 24 hours/7 days a week!
For books & games, go to Waterstone's in George's Street or Prince's Street, and/or Blackwell's on the North Bridge. I've been to Blackwell's like 7 times and their selection is just amazing, especially if you want educational books, secondary literature, foreign languages, reference or YA!
You can pay everywhere with British Pounds, but don't be surprised if you get Scottish banknotes for change. They look really different, but in a nice way! There are like 6 banks giving out their own Scottish money in different designs. Keep in mind that you can only use that in Scotland - they probably won't accept it in England!
You need adapters for your chargers if you're from Europe. One probably won't suffice; take 2 or 3.
All in all, Scotland is wonderful, Edinburgh in particular! The people are very helpful and open-minded, and if they notice you're a foreigner, they'll be patient and explain everything you want to know. If you have the chance, stay with a host family - it's just a whole other experience of the country if you really get to know the people and maybe leave your comfort zone. You'll make friends in no time!
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask me! I'll be happy to help. I'm sorry for any mistakes in grammar etc., I tried my best and I hopefully didnt embarrass myself. Just send me a message if you want to known anything else! :)