Edinburgh's embarrassing lack of modern sports, concert event venues

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Really like Edinburgh and Glasgow.

 

Can separate football from my opinion of a City.

[rossthejambo]

 

 

 

Mine are tainted by 'issues' I've had there, which I've never had in any other city I've visited in the world, and all my friends from the West, who now live through here, saying they couldnt wait to get out, for 'issues' similar to the ones I had experienced.

 

Dont get me wrong though, some parts of Glasgow I quite like. A bit like Edinburgh. Some of its nice, some of its a shitehole.

 

As an aside, when I've discussed the lack of an arena for Edinburgh, I'm told from people on both sides on the fence, 'Well there isnt need for one if the other has one, due to the distance between the two'. That 'difficulty' didnt stop Liverpool and Manchester....

 

 

Some massively presumptuous sweeping assessments there, Ross.

 

I may have been being facetious with the Rangers/Celtic thing, but there's no doubt it plays a part in some peoples opinions on Glasgow.

 

Other than that I don't think there was any other sweeping statements, going on personal experience I've had as many incidents of bother in Edinburgh as I ever have in Glasgow.

 

[Chester™]

 

 

 

 

 

I may have been being facetious with the Rangers/Celtic thing, but there's no doubt it plays a part in some peoples opinions on Glasgow.

 

 

It does. No question. I was detailing why it wasnt for me.

[boredwaitin]

ive worked for edinburgh council for nearly 3 years now. some services are ran well.the majoraty are a joke. the money and time wasted is unbeilvable.will this change no. reason for no change to many managers/supervisors picking up huge wages for doing next to nothing.having worked in the private sector for many years before witnessing how councils are ran,not many would last in private sector as the would be sacked for not doing there job correctly.work for the council =i think im unsackable mentallaty.try and sack me and i will take you to court.worst of all they get away with it.a lot of council employes are hard work working,a lot drain the system and give everyone else a bad name. will it change,no because the people in charge are like a gang.all that money wasted, people doing jack ***** will continue. because anyone higher up chain is scared to rock the boat .edinburgh council is as corrupted as the mafia. big bosses will always take there wage.

[stuart500]

 

 

Nut.

 

Wish I could remember the name.

 

Sounds like The Clubhouse on the way into Dalgety Bay. Right next to petrol station.

[Chris Benoit]

 

 

Sounds like The Clubhouse on the way into Dalgety Bay. Right next to petrol station.

 

 

I thought that had closed?

[JALBO]

I love Edinburgh, and am so glad I raised my family here. I can't imagine another city in the UK that I'd rather live in. I can't imagine living in Glasgow, That said, Glasgow does get things done. If it needs a new venue, it get's a new venue. Our council seems to take forever just to find an answer to the question, never mind move ahead and get something planned and built. Maybe that's the price we pay for living in city that looks great (in general) - we tend to think long and hard about what it should look like and whether it fits in with what we've already got. Glasgow's more - "that looks great, that'll do - let's get going." Arts-wise, there's no doubt the Glasgow-based media 'sells' Glasgow. You hear about everything that's going on through there, and not a lot of what's going on here, even if there is.

 

I wonder too if Glasgow folk are more likely to stay in Glasgow for just about everything bar summer holidays. I'm often in Glasgow for this or that, but 2 recent conversations from Glasgow folk got me thinking. One was with a colleague who came through for a meeting, and he told me he hardly ever came to Edinburgh. (although he thought Edinburgh looked fantastic "It looks like a capital" were his words when we met). And the other, at a conference in Glasgow, a guy next me was saying he'd only been in Edinburgh 4 or 5 times in his life,- and he must have been about 50. I wonder if we're a bit more ready to travel to do things like concerts, shopping, or whatever - so we're good at helping fill venues in the west, but we'd probably have to work harder to get crowds coming through for events in Edinburgh. Also got a friend who's recently moved to Edinburgh from Clydebank, and he had no idea about the Fringe, or the size and scale of it. When I told him nearly 2 million tickets are sold each year just for the Fringe (Glasgow Commy Games just over a million), he really didn't believe it, and didn't know any one who came through for it.

[queensferryjambo]

There's no need to get all pernickety. I genuinely can't understand the seethe from the East anytime Glasgow gets positive coverage. It's 45minutes down the road for you. Enjoy it!

 

Sorry man - I wasn't trying to be pernickety I was trying (very poorly obviously) to be humorous.

 

My rubbish sense of humour doesn't always come across that great on the interweb

[stuart500]

 

 

 

I thought that had closed?

 

Dont know. Ive only ever been at the petrol station. Been in The Bay further down and it was pretty good.

[argyjambo]

ive worked for edinburgh council for nearly 3 years now. some services are ran well.the majoraty are a joke. the money and time wasted is unbeilvable.will this change no. reason for no change to many managers/supervisors picking up huge wages for doing next to nothing.having worked in the private sector for many years before witnessing how councils are ran,not many would last in private sector as the would be sacked for not doing there job correctly.work for the council =i think im unsackable mentallaty.try and sack me and i will take you to court.worst of all they get away with it.a lot of council employes are hard work working,a lot drain the system and give everyone else a bad name. will it change,no because the people in charge are like a gang.all that money wasted, people doing jack ***** will continue. because anyone higher up chain is scared to rock the boat .edinburgh council is as corrupted as the mafia. big bosses will always take there wage.

Work for the council eh? However did you pass the literacy, punctuation & spelling test?

[Paolo]

Another stupid policy (either deliberate, or a consequence of rates etc) of Edinburgh Council is their reluctance to allow restaurants at ground level on Princes Street, yet they hae allowed a McDonalds, and previously a Burger King. This along with tartan tat shops, and American Candy shops.

[Shanks said no]

Were there not plans to have an outdoor walkway at first floor level above the shops on Princes Street and another idea was to use the basement to reach under towards the Gardens?

[FWJ]

Were there not plans to have an outdoor walkway at first floor level above the shops on Princes Street and another idea was to use the basement to reach under towards the Gardens?

Yup - and you can still see parts of what would have been the 1st floor walkway on some of the 60's builds on the west end of Princes Street. There was, too, a plan to build under the roadway of Princes Street and have underground shops there opening onto the gardens. (Horrendous, IMHO). There have also been plans for a huge underground carpark under George Street.

[merseysidejambo]

Were there not plans to have an outdoor walkway at first floor level above the shops on Princes Street and another idea was to use the basement to reach under towards the Gardens?

 

That would be incredible - at least the way I've just imagined it! There does seem to be a paucity of ideas as how to develop the city whilst highlighting the beauty that is there already. As Simon Says mentioned I've often wondered how these Tartan tat etc shops can afford the rates if real shops struggle. The council should be making sure that Princes Street is the foremost shopping street in the country.

[Shanks said no]

Well they will never build this now with the tram track in place

 

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1664100

[FWJ]

I love Edinburgh, and am so glad I raised my family here. I can't imagine another city in the UK that I'd rather live in. I can't imagine living in Glasgow, That said, Glasgow does get things done. If it needs a new venue, it get's a new venue. Our council seems to take forever just to find an answer to the question, never mind move ahead and get something planned and built. Maybe that's the price we pay for living in city that looks great (in general) - we tend to think long and hard about what it should look like and whether it fits in with what we've already got. Glasgow's more - "that looks great, that'll do - let's get going." Arts-wise, there's no doubt the Glasgow-based media 'sells' Glasgow. You hear about everything that's going on through there, and not a lot of what's going on here, even if there is.

 

I wonder too if Glasgow folk are more likely to stay in Glasgow for just about everything bar summer holidays. I'm often in Glasgow for this or that, but 2 recent conversations from Glasgow folk got me thinking. One was with a colleague who came through for a meeting, and he told me he hardly ever came to Edinburgh. (although he thought Edinburgh looked fantastic "It looks like a capital" were his words when we met). And the other, at a conference in Glasgow, a guy next me was saying he'd only been in Edinburgh 4 or 5 times in his life,- and he must have been about 50. I wonder if we're a bit more ready to travel to do things like concerts, shopping, or whatever - so we're good at helping fill venues in the west, but we'd probably have to work harder to get crowds coming through for events in Edinburgh. Also got a friend who's recently moved to Edinburgh from Clydebank, and he had no idea about the Fringe, or the size and scale of it. When I told him nearly 2 million tickets are sold each year just for the Fringe (Glasgow Commy Games just over a million), he really didn't believe it, and didn't know any one who came through for it.

 

I can well believe this. People from Edinburgh are happy to allow that Glasgow has better shopping, gigs, concerts etc but you'll be hard pushed to find a Glaswegian to say that their city is second at anything and certainly not second to Edinburgh. It's that conceit of their city that I find tiresome.

 

And certainly BBC 'Scotland' is incredibly Glasgow-biased (even allowing for the fact Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland). I'm enjoying the CG coverage - but the run-up to it? I don't believe it would have got a fraction of the coverage it did had it been in Edinburgh.

[jamboinglasgow]

You've touched upon something that has always held Edinburgh back here... the utter spangles who would see us never modernise and improve anything, for fear of change. The Ross Band Stand is well overdue a replacement but too many complete arseholes in our city are worried that it will diminish the look of the gardens... sometimes the people in our city are its own worst enemy.

 

Was going to say the same thing. The difference between Edinburgh and Glasgow in relation to this is that Edinburgh people (and council) generally hate change, Glasgow people (and council) embrace change. When anything big is suggested in Edinburgh it is deemed to be not good and people knock it. Or they will go "whats wrong with what he have already." Looked at Calton Gate development, as proposal after proposal after proposal is knocked back as it "wont be in keeping with the local area." So we keep a vast area empty look out of place until they can get the mythical development that will look like buildings from the past. We have groups and acdemics all swining at any new development. So what chance has any new development got and an incentive to invest in Edinburgh. I understand that we need to protect the unique look of Edinburgh but not to the fact that anything modern is seen as evil.

 

We need to not fear change, we need to embrace it, yes you can protect your heritiage but just because it is new does not mean it's bad.

 

As others have said, I love Edinburgh, I love Glasgow. Each have its unique points, so to write one off is wrong. Not everyone likes the same thing, so the clubbing scene in Glasgow is better, but I prefer the pubs in Edinburgh as I prefer pubs to clubs. But others are the other way round.

[Diego10]

I'll happily stick up for Glasgow but anyone who thinks the council here is any better than Edinburgh has rocks fot brains. They're both hopeless. Look at the shambles that the George Square redesign became.

[Nookie Bear]

Of course, a city is largely defined by its people.

 

Make of that what you will...

[MacDonald Jardine]

I love Edinburgh, and am so glad I raised my family here. I can't imagine another city in the UK that I'd rather live in. I can't imagine living in Glasgow, That said, Glasgow does get things done. If it needs a new venue, it get's a new venue. Our council seems to take forever just to find an answer to the question, never mind move ahead and get something planned and built. Maybe that's the price we pay for living in city that looks great (in general) - we tend to think long and hard about what it should look like and whether it fits in with what we've already got. Glasgow's more - "that looks great, that'll do - let's get going." Arts-wise, there's no doubt the Glasgow-based media 'sells' Glasgow. You hear about everything that's going on through there, and not a lot of what's going on here, even if there is.

 

I wonder too if Glasgow folk are more likely to stay in Glasgow for just about everything bar summer holidays. I'm often in Glasgow for this or that, but 2 recent conversations from Glasgow folk got me thinking. One was with a colleague who came through for a meeting, and he told me he hardly ever came to Edinburgh. (although he thought Edinburgh looked fantastic "It looks like a capital" were his words when we met). And the other, at a conference in Glasgow, a guy next me was saying he'd only been in Edinburgh 4 or 5 times in his life,- and he must have been about 50. I wonder if we're a bit more ready to travel to do things like concerts, shopping, or whatever - so we're good at helping fill venues in the west, but we'd probably have to work harder to get crowds coming through for events in Edinburgh. Also got a friend who's recently moved to Edinburgh from Clydebank, and he had no idea about the Fringe, or the size and scale of it. When I told him nearly 2 million tickets are sold each year just for the Fringe (Glasgow Commy Games just over a million), he really didn't believe it, and didn't know any one who came through for it.

 

I suspect it's more a function of there being less reason to come to Edinburgh for entertainment.

In the 80s when the Apollo closed there were a lot of folk from the West at gigs in Edinburgh.

Funnily enough the atmosphere got better too.

[stuart500]

I love Edinburgh, and am so glad I raised my family here. I can't imagine another city in the UK that I'd rather live in. I can't imagine living in Glasgow, That said, Glasgow does get things done. If it needs a new venue, it get's a new venue. Our council seems to take forever just to find an answer to the question, never mind move ahead and get something planned and built. Maybe that's the price we pay for living in city that looks great (in general) - we tend to think long and hard about what it should look like and whether it fits in with what we've already got. Glasgow's more - "that looks great, that'll do - let's get going." Arts-wise, there's no doubt the Glasgow-based media 'sells' Glasgow. You hear about everything that's going on through there, and not a lot of what's going on here, even if there is.

 

I wonder too if Glasgow folk are more likely to stay in Glasgow for just about everything bar summer holidays. I'm often in Glasgow for this or that, but 2 recent conversations from Glasgow folk got me thinking. One was with a colleague who came through for a meeting, and he told me he hardly ever came to Edinburgh. (although he thought Edinburgh looked fantastic "It looks like a capital" were his words when we met). And the other, at a conference in Glasgow, a guy next me was saying he'd only been in Edinburgh 4 or 5 times in his life,- and he must have been about 50. I wonder if we're a bit more ready to travel to do things like concerts, shopping, or whatever - so we're good at helping fill venues in the west, but we'd probably have to work harder to get crowds coming through for events in Edinburgh. Also got a friend who's recently moved to Edinburgh from Clydebank, and he had no idea about the Fringe, or the size and scale of it. When I told him nearly 2 million tickets are sold each year just for the Fringe (Glasgow Commy Games just over a million), he really didn't believe it, and didn't know any one who came through for it.

 

I agree with your comments on Glasgow people being less than informed about Edinburgh. "One street and a castle" was how one put it to me.

 

Fair bit of it is down to envy so they tend to talk themselves up quite a lot.

 

Deep down there's an inferiority complex there and most choose just to ignore us.

 

Lets be honest. Most of us feel smugly superior because we come from Edinburgh.

[superjack]

The Playhouse is an excellent venue for largish gigs but its owners won't use it for those purposes, preferring musicals and shows.

i was always wondering why you never got gifs there anymore. I've been to 3 great gigs there in the late 80s, as well as seeing a comedian or 2.

when did they stop using it for bands?

[marquis]

 

i was always wondering why you never got gifs there anymore. I've been to 3 great gigs there in the late 80s, as well as seeing a comedian or 2.

when did they stop using it for bands?

Was quite a few years ago. There are one-offs but for the most part it's musicals, which do attract people from all over.

[Diego10]

Lets be honest. Most of us feel smugly superior because we come from Edinburgh.

 

Do you own the Castle like?

 

[manaliveits105]

The (tourism) league table doesn't lie .

The weegies trumpet about themselves and the city - I give you Mr Matheson - empty vessels etc

The only country in the world where the TV stations base themselves outwith the capital city and seat of parliament

Most of the BBC Scotland drama budget wasted on River City

Glasgow fashion capital - ie if you are going out dress from head to toe In black

People make Glasgow - aye slavery made Glasgow .

Mcintosh stuff is shoite

The ugly sisters . FTGFA

[2NaFish]

I agree with your comments on Glasgow people being less than informed about Edinburgh. "One street and a castle" was how one put it to me.

 

Fair bit of it is down to envy so they tend to talk themselves up quite a lot.

 

Deep down there's an inferiority complex there and most choose just to ignore us.

 

Lets be honest. Most of us feel smugly superior because we come from Edinburgh.

 

Yes, if there's one thing this thread has shown it's that the people of edinburgh have a well-considered, nuanced view of glasgow.

[Nookie Bear]

Do you own the Castle like?

 

Eh?

[Tommy Walker]

Well they will never build this now with the tram track in place

 

http://www.skyscrape...d.php?t=1664100

 

had a wee look at that and noticed (on the same thread) Tynecastle Stadium Redevelopment !

 

http://www.skyscrape...=1664100&page=4

 

Best

 

TW

 

ps was going to say send this to the Shed but now it's relevant

[Diego10]

 

 

Eh?

my point is even if Edinburgh were vastly superior to Glasgow, which it isn't, I hardly think being born there gives anyone anything inherent to be smug about.

 

 

[Nookie Bear]

my point is even if Edinburgh were vastly superior to Glasgow, which it isn't, I hardly think being born there gives anyone anything inherent to be smug about.

 

I see, I just didn't understand the castle bit.

 

I'm sure both cities have their good and bad points (is it me or is Glasgow more suited to the younger crowd, maybe?) but when it comes to people there is a massive deficit on on the Glasgow side unfortunately. Just in my experience but most Weegies come across like swaggering d1cks who think they are funny but have an undercurrent of violence and aggression about them - a bit like the Scousers and Irish.

 

(imo)

[FWJ]

 

 

my point is even if Edinburgh were vastly superior to Glasgow, which it isn't, I hardly think being born there gives anyone anything inherent to be smug about.

And it works the other way too - how often do we hear from Glaswegians that they are funnier, friendlier and more generous?

[Guest Bilel Mohsni]

 

my point is even if Edinburgh were vastly superior to Glasgow, which it isn't, I hardly think being born there gives anyone anything inherent to be smug about.

 

Societal issues? I would say those are a direct reflection on the inhabitants of any given city.

[jamboinglasgow]

Yes, if there's one thing this thread has shown it's that the people of edinburgh have a well-considered, nuanced view of glasgow.

 

The whole rivalry between the two cities is tiresome. Both cities people have a sense that they are superior to the other, its boring.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

The problem with Edinburgh is that as soon as anything is proposed, especially in the city centre, you will get the Cockburn Association or groups of local nimbys wading in with objections without looking at the big picture, ie what will benefit the whole city. The new Rugby ground down at Raeburn Place is a prime example which will bring trade to an area but might spoil someone's view of a few trees. The picture House loss is a blow but I have sometimes noticed that Edinburgh is the place that tour tickets don't sell out, so maybe the city public need to get out and prove a demand exists. Ingliston is often Quoted as a site for a Hydro type venue but is too far out and it is a shame that the Haymarket site was not used for that purpose. Glasgow leaves us trailing but the public there let their city fathers just get on with improving their facilities and don't get hung up with preserving everything in aspic.

[Thomaso]

 

The problem with Edinburgh is that as soon as anything is proposed, especially in the city centre, you will get the Cockburn Association or groups of local nimbys wading in with objections without looking at the big picture, ie what will benefit the whole city. The new Rugby ground down at Raeburn Place is a prime example which will bring trade to an area but might spoil someone's view of a few trees. The picture House loss is a blow but I have sometimes noticed that Edinburgh is the place that tour tickets don't sell out, so maybe the city public need to get out and prove a demand exists. Ingliston is often Quoted as a site for a Hydro type venue but is too far out and it is a shame that the Haymarket site was not used for that purpose. Glasgow leaves us trailing but the public there let their city fathers just get on with improving their facilities and don't get hung up with preserving everything in aspic.

 

They also let their Council slash a motorway with ugly concrete flyovers right through the middle of the City....

[Thomaso]

 

 

 

The whole rivalry between the two cities is tiresome. Both cities people have a sense that they are superior to the other, its boring.

 

 

Especially as Edinburgh is FAR superior.....

[jamboinglasgow]

Especially as Edinburgh is FAR superior.....

 

In what way? Edinburgh is better in some aspects, Glasgow is better in other aspects.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

They also let their Council slash a motorway with ugly concrete flyovers right through the middle of the City....

Mostly built in the 70s though. I think nowadays they would tunnel underneath given their forward thinking.

[Seymour M Hersh]

Mostly built in the 70s though. I think nowadays they would tunnel underneath given their forward thinking.

 

Too pricey no?

[Seymour M Hersh]

They also let their Council slash a motorway with ugly concrete flyovers right through the middle of the City....

 

That probably improved the place to be honest.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Too pricey no?

Glasgow would probably qualify for more EU development cash so maybe not so unthinkable.

[JALBO]

Outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow, no-one cares about the so-called rivalry between the two. It's parochial stuff really in the scheme of things. If there's one good thing to come from it, both cities probably do far better than they would if the other wasn't on their doorstep - I think there's a sense that one provokes the other to keep doing better than they would otherwise, and in that sense, the rivalry has some worth.

 

The Commy Games have been great - on the whole, well supported and run, and a credit to Glasgow and the rest of us for pitching in with half a billion pounds. If Glasgow media types can stop sticking microphones under athletes/visitors noses and saying "Glasgow's great, isn't it? Go on, tell us Glasgow's great!" it would be a bit less cringy.

[Thomaso]

 

Outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow, no-one cares about the so-called rivalry between the two. It's parochial stuff really in the scheme of things. If there's one good thing to come from it, both cities probably do far better than they would if the other wasn't on their doorstep - I think there's a sense that one provokes the other to keep doing better than they would otherwise, and in that sense, the rivalry has some worth.

 

The Commy Games have been great - on the whole, well supported and run, and a credit to Glasgow and the rest of us for pitching in with half a billion pounds. If Glasgow media types can stop sticking microphones under athletes/visitors noses and saying "Glasgow's great, isn't it? Go on, tell us Glasgow's great!" it would be a bit less cringy.

 

Spot on. Listened to Radio Scotland on the radio coming in to work this morning gushing away on how Glasgow has now suddenly become THE top UK city destination.

[Debut 4]

I'm done with the city rivalry thing, I did years ago.( as in what each other has)

 

The only thing that annoys East Coast or folk of Edinburgh is the "we are great at everything" Glasgow attitude in it's people.

 

I've worked with people from everywhere and got on well with everyone. I've particularly worked with alot of West coast people.

 

In respect of Glaswegians , I've worked with many good lads but as many irritable. East Coast people are just far more at ease with themselves but Glaswegians are always out to impress, out to feel wanted , out to criticise the rest of Scotland as Teuchters as if they are a chosen people.

 

It's embarrassing but there's just some things you have to live with. But go further down the West coast to Ayrshire and you meet people more similar to Edinburghs inhabitants. And at least they say "ken" aswell.

 

Glasgow just has a relentless drive to be appreciated. Their boaking self praise is cringey also.

 

Edinburgh just gets quietly on with it. People know where we are.

[Diego10]

 

 

And it works the other way too - how often do we hear from Glaswegians that they are funnier, friendlier and more generous?

no doubt. That's a crock as well.

[OmiyaHearts]

A lot of jealousy that us Glaswegians are funny, appreciative, friendly, generous, sporting and are great at just about everything.

 

You shouldn't be jealous. Edinburgh has plenty of people with the same traits, probably as many as Glasgow. So you don't have to pretend to dislike us or the city.

 

I love Edinburgh but you can't get Buckie for ?5.99 like you can down my way in Partick and that's what edges it for me :-)

[queensferryjambo]

A lot of jealousy that us Glaswegians are funny, appreciative, friendly, generous, sporting and are great at just about everything.

 

Friendly Glaswegians who approach you in the street or the pub IMO are just putting on a friendly act to suss you out as they are scheming nosey arseholes looking to rob or murder us Edinburghers.

 

As for being generous - For Gods sake the don't even offer brown sauce for your chips.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

A lot of jealousy that us Glaswegians are funny, appreciative, friendly, generous, sporting and are great at just about everything.

 

You shouldn't be jealous. Edinburgh has plenty of people with the same traits, probably as many as Glasgow. So you don't have to pretend to dislike us or the city.

 

I love Edinburgh but you can't get Buckie for ?5.99 like you can down my way in Partick and that's what edges it for me :-)

 

 

/thread

[Watt-Zeefuik]

Edinburgh and Glasgow are nothing very special if you've spent much time abroad.

 

This is just familiarity breeding contempt. I know of no one from the states who's visited either and come away with a bad impression. Don't get me wrong -- I prefer Edinburgh between the two, and for a casual tourist it's certainly a far easier city to manage, with a huge number of places and sights worth visiting in a compact area. I also love Edinburgh's literary scene, and once you get off the Royal Mile there are plenty of wonderful places to stroll. My wife lived there for four months while studying at New College and loved the city, and obviously I have an affection for one of its sport clubs.

 

That said, we visited Glasgow two years ago, and had a wonderful time. It took a bit more effort than Edinburgh, but there wasn't a bad part of our experience. We ended up staying at the Grand Central Hotel and walking extensively in the surrounding area. It had a bit of the feel of Chicago, a city that's far underrated as a place to visit. We only had a limited amount of time, so it's not like we explored the whole area, but I would absolutely go back. A friend who spent the term in Glasgow during college also loved it and had a great time. The assertions that Glasgow is a bad city because it has social problems are absurd. Any city undergoing post-industrial decline is like that, and that's hardly the fault of the citizens or the local council.

 

If I have any problem with Edinburgh, it's that it seems to be the hub of that bit of Scotland that wants to hold on to historically fictive notions of nobility and justify the pathological concentration of huge portions of Scotland in the hands of a tiny number of individuals. Glasgow has the nod there in that (in my experience at least) it's largely devoid of that festering nonsense. But there's so much more to Edinburgh to like that I don't get hung up on that.

 

I get the city rivalry -- this happens everywhere. But if we're not just being petty, both of the cities have plenty to recommend them. Let the rivalry take the form of football. After all, Glasgow has two great clubs with a fantastic history and likable support with whom a good-natured football banter is always enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

I am of course referring to Partick and Queens Park. Outside of banter, all respect to those historic clubs!

[Guest Bilel Mohsni]

 

 

This is just familiarity breeding contempt. I know of no one from the states who's visited either and come away with a bad impression. Don't get me wrong -- I prefer Edinburgh between the two, and for a casual tourist it's certainly a far easier city to manage, with a huge number of places and sights worth visiting in a compact area. I also love Edinburgh's literary scene, and once you get off the Royal Mile there are plenty of wonderful places to stroll. My wife lived there for four months while studying at New College and loved the city, and obviously I have an affection for one of its sport clubs.

 

That said, we visited Glasgow two years ago, and had a wonderful time. It took a bit more effort than Edinburgh, but there wasn't a bad part of our experience. We ended up staying at the Grand Central Hotel and walking extensively in the surrounding area. It had a bit of the feel of Chicago, a city that's far underrated as a place to visit. We only had a limited amount of time, so it's not like we explored the whole area, but I would absolutely go back. A friend who spent the term in Glasgow during college also loved it and had a great time. The assertions that Glasgow is a bad city because it has social problems are absurd. Any city undergoing post-industrial decline is like that, and that's hardly the fault of the citizens or the local council.

 

If I have any problem with Edinburgh, it's that it seems to be the hub of that bit of Scotland that wants to hold on to historically fictive notions of nobility and justify the pathological concentration of huge portions of Scotland in the hands of a tiny number of individuals. Glasgow has the nod there in that (in my experience at least) it's largely devoid of that festering nonsense. But there's so much more to Edinburgh to like that I don't get hung up on that.

 

I get the city rivalry -- this happens everywhere. But if we're not just being petty, both of the cities have plenty to recommend them. Let the rivalry take the form of football. After all, Glasgow has two great clubs with a fantastic history and likable support with whom a good-natured football banter is always enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

I am of course referring to Partick and Queens Park. Outside of banter, all respect to those historic clubs!

 

Interesting assessment. Cheers.

 

Edinburgh is the Capital City though. It's only natural that it would have a residue of this part of the country's history around it. We still refer to Fife as the Kingdom in Scotland, so that's to be expected, I reckon. No harm in it really, it's a part of its identity.

 

As for the places in Scotland where the most land is owned by the fewest rich people, that is and always will be The Highlands... for obvious geographical and contentious historical/political reasons.