City Guide to life in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Overview
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and also widely recognised as one of the most beautiful European cities.
It’s rich in history, with the medieval Edinburgh Castle dominating it’s centre, surrounded by a network of tiny alleyways, then as you move out these are replaced with wider Georgian streets, constructed in the 1800’s.
The Edinburgh Legal Scene
In Scotland many of the larger law firms have offices in both Edinburgh and Glasgow (and often Aberdeen as well). Both cities are dominated by the ‘Big Four’ (see next section).
The legal scene in Edinburgh has placed much reliance on providing services to the financial sector which has itself suffered recently with companies such as RBS and the Bank of Scotland having to make cut-backs and also become more centred on London.
Despite these knocks some law firms, such as Eversheds, have made a positive move to open financially-focused offices.
Legal 500 firms in Edinburgh
The ‘Big Four’, who have feet in both of Scotland’s major cities are made up of:
- Dundas & Wilson CS LLP – working primarily for clients in financial services, energy, utilities, real estate, and infrastructure. Also involved with national and local governments.
- Maclay Murray & Spens LLP – main areas are banking and finance, capital projects, commercial dispute resolution, construction and engineering, corporate, employment, pensions and benefits, EU, competition and regulatory, IP and technology, planning and environmental, private client, property and tax.
- McGrigors LLP – they specialise in a range of sectors including energy, infrastructure, house-building and regeneration.
- Shepherd and Wedderburn – they offer a full range of legal services, including property, construction, planning and environment, corporate finance, funds and financial services and many more.
The past couple of years have seen several mergers, including Anderson Strathern LLP’s ‘double’, with Glasgow firm Kerr & Co and private client firm McVies, plus Morton Fraser acquiring the Edinburgh private client firm Skene Edwards.
Living in Edinburgh
In contrast to the rich history of the city, there are now also a number of contemporary and highly fashionable modern developments, so accommodation is available for all tastes.
There is a population of around 450,000, who live in and around the various districts of the city. These are: New Town, Central Edinburgh; Portobello, East Edinburgh; Stockbridge, North Edinburgh; Marchmont, South Edinburgh; Corstophine, West Edinburgh; and South West Edinburgh.
The waterfront areas of Granton and Leith are receiving special attention from architects, who are creating some exceptional developments just a short commute from the main city centre.
Entertainment, Shopping & Sights in Edinburgh
Probably one of the things most associated with Edinburgh is its world-famous festival, which takes place every August.
A mass of ‘live’ entertainment abounds and is available nightly across the city in the form of music, comedy, dance and more.
Film fans can enjoy two art-house cinemas – the Film House and the Cameo – plus several multiplex cinemas.
Culture lovers can take in the museums and galleries, including the Museum of Scotland and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
It’s a great city for shopping, with mainstream shops along Princess Street and more individual, quirky ones hidden around the city. There are also some larger malls, so if you like to shop you are truly spoilt for choice.
The sights of Edinburgh are a pleasure to explore, including the impressive castle, Scott’s Monument, Dungeons and open gardens and parks.
Socialising & Eating in Edinburgh
It’s a bit of a clichéd phrase, but Edinburgh has developed a real “café culture”. There is also a wide range of excellent bars and restaurants, plus plenty of nightclubs for late night dancing and entertainment.
The restaurants in the city are excellent, with a huge variety of food from across the globe on offer, plus those focusing on Scottish produce and cuisine.
