Edinburgh is a vibrant city with a reputation for fun, culture and often-gruesome history. It is the capital city of Scotland, second only in size to Glasgow.
Edinburgh is a major tourist destination with numerous galleries, museums, theatres, cinemas, parks, and historic sites. A UNESCO World Heritage Site at the heart of the city combines the medieval Old Town, the Georgian New Town and award winning modern architecture. Many of the galleries and museums are free to enter and within easy reach on public transport. Shoppers will find high-end designers in George Street, high street chains on Princes Street, and more quirky offerings in Cockburn Street and Grassmarket. In the evening you’ll find hundreds of cafés, bars and restaurants to choose from. There are several sightseeing bus tours of Edinburgh www.edinburghtour.com
For more information see
www.edinburgh.org / thisisedinburgh.com / www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk
About Portobello
Portobello is a beach resort located five km to the east of Edinburgh city centre on the coast of the Firth of Forth. It is now a suburb of Edinburgh.
Its heyday as a resort was almost certainly in the late 19th century, and there was in slow decline throughout the 20th century. The last few years have seen a revival of Portobello's fortunes and it is a popular destination for locals. There is a promenade fronting on to a wide sand beach which is only a short walk from the training school venue.
Weather
The weather in Edinburgh is changeable. Typically, the temperature at this time of year reaches a
maximum of 13°C. Prepare for rain at any time, but if you are lucky the weather could be clear and dry.
Money
Scottish banknotes are different from the Bank of England notes you may be familiar with. They are printed by three different retail banks (The Bank of Scotland, The Royal Bank of Scotland and the Clydesdale Bank) and so come in several different designs. They all, however, represent the currency known as the British Pound (GBP) or Stirling. Due to their unfamiliarity outside Scotland they can sometimes be hard to change. The ATM machines at Edinburgh Airport issue Bank of England notes, but everywhere else you will get Scottish ones.
Electricity
The UK uses three pinned ‘Type G’ electricity plugs, which provide a 230-240 Volt AC supply so you will need to bring a suitable adapter. If you forget there are many places throughout Edinburgh that will be able to sell you one.Safety
Edinburgh is generally a very safe city and there are not any definite ‘no-go’ areas. However, as the night wears on drinkers can get rowdy and potentially violent, particularly around the nightclubs on Lothian Road, Tollcross and Grassmarket.
The emergency number in the UK for ambulance, police or fire services is 999 but the EU standard emergency number 112 also works.
