With the rising cost of living in London working professionals both in the UK and abroad are reaping the rewards of exploring opportunities in other cities. Equally, more and more companies are moving out of the big smoke and into surrounding cities such as Birmingham and Bristol. However there remains a gem that has received little attention, Edinburgh.
By no means has Edinburgh been completely forgotten, Edinburgh is after all the seventh most populous city in the UK and home to some world-renowned firms such as RBS, Standard Life and SkyScanner. These companies say a lot about Edinburgh’s economy which is primarily made up of Financial Services and Technology firms, however Edinburgh also benefits from a large tourism sector and was recently rated as the Best City in Western Europe to visit in a report by PwC.
The cost of living in Edinburgh is substantially lower than that of London with typical rental prices starting at £700 for a 1-bedroom city centre apartment compared to London whereby similar sized city centre location apartment prices start upwards of £1,500. Transport is relatively easy to use with a fixed rate tariff for Edinburgh’s much loved bus-service, and of course there is the tram, however the true benefits of this mode of transport are highly disputed among the local population. Public transport is unnecessary in most areas of the city given the relatively small size of the city.
When you find yourself with some spare time there are plenty of activities to do within Edinburgh. The arts scene in Edinburgh is particularly exuberant and the city itself plays host to the largest arts festival in the world featuring over 3000 shows in a 25-day period. Should the arts not be your scene then you might want to leave the city and go for a hike…up an extinct volcano. A five minute stroll out of the city you will find yourself ascending Arthur’s Seat which is an 822ft mound providing magnificent panoramic views across the city (it is also where Robert Barker was given the idea for the first panoramic picture). For those looking for a more difficult hike then the infamous and breath-taking Scottish Highlands are a couple of hours out of the city and as well as hiking are home to a selection of ski resorts.
Transport links to and from Edinburgh are ever increasing, there are regular flights to London and the train journey time is a surprising 4hr 30mins. In addition Glasgow airport, at less than 1 hour away from Edinburgh has recently announced some exciting new routes to the US, Middle-East and an imminent announcement about a new flight route between Scotland and China.
With an affordable cost of living, a fantastic work/life balance and excellent transport links both to the countryside and other major cities it is no wonder than Edinburgh is increasing in popularity. If you too are interested in opportunities outside of London and want to keep up-to date with Finance, Legal, IT as well as other sectors in Edinburgh then be sure to follow FPSG and FPSG International on LinkedIn.
