Living & working in Edinburgh by Reece Cockburn

Our intern Reece has written a blog on what it’s like to live and work in Edinburgh! We’re really enjoying having Reece working with us as part of the Career Ready mentor programme, and as his summer internship is nearing an end we put him to work as our guest blogger!

Reed more about Reece and our part in the Career Ready mentor programme here.

 

 

Living and working in Edinburgh

Are you still contemplating which city you’d like to work in? Are you not sure if Edinburgh is the right place for you?

Edinburgh has many advantages and so many different reasons to want to work there. As one of the fastest-developing and most ambitious cities in the UK, there’s never been a better time to kick-start your career in Scotland’s capital.

Life in Edinburgh

Not only is Edinburgh an attractive place to work but it’s also “been voted the fourth most beautiful city in the world”. Wondering where to go on your lunch break? Edinburgh has so many shops, cafes and bars to choose from and we can’t forget the world famous Princes Street Gardens where you can chill out on a pleasant sunny day.

Transport

Worried about getting to and from work? Edinburgh offers easy transport links into and across the city. It has an excellent bus service combined with first class rail links. The city is packed with taxis, complimented by the tram service that runs right through the heart of Edinburgh. There is clear evidence that the city’s transport is rated highly when the Edinburgh Evening News said “Report finds Edinburgh’s transport network is one of the best in the world”. Even Uber has made itself available in Edinburgh and they are fierce competition for the Edinburgh taxi service.

Cost of living

With competitive salaries on offer, Daily Business reported that, “Edinburgh now offering among UK’s top paid tech jobs”. The people that work in the digital tech sector are now on salaries almost 15% higher than the average tech salary. If you are trying to make a decision on whether to work in Edinburgh or Glasgow, just have a look at the salaries – Edinburgh’s average tech salary is £57,500 meanwhile Glasgow’s average is £55,000.

Investment in companies

Scotland’s capital is the best location in the UK for establishing a technology company, according to the Tech Nation 2018 Report.

Edinburgh plays a massive part in technology investments, with ambitious plans to establish the City Region as the “data capital of Europe” and Edinburgh recently received an investment of £791 million into data and robotics. Tech leaders are also embracing the tech expansion, as quoted in the website FutureScot.com, Calum Smeaton, CEO and Founder of TVSquared said “I’ve been a part of the Scottish tech community for almost 25 years, and can confidently say there’s never been a better time to be a Scottish tech company.”

If you’re looking for enviable offices to start up a business or to just move from your current space, have a look at the lovely quarter mile. It is almost like a small business village where colleagues and different companies can socialise.

What’s going on around town?

Don’t worry about what you are going to do when you are not working! There is plenty of places to go and sights to see here in Edinburgh. In the summer we have the Edinburgh Fringe – this is a world famous arts festival which lasts a month and starts in August https://www.edfringe.com/.  Or, if it’s a lovely warm day, you could take a quick bus from town down to the two mile long Portobello beach and cool down with an ice cream from one of the many stalls along the promenade. Maybe if you are up for an adventure you could visit the famous Arthurs seat, visit Edinburgh Castle or take a walk around the colourful Botanic Gardens. You cannot be bored living in Edinburgh!