EDINBURGH
The Scottish capital is one of the UK's cultural epicentres and attracts homebuyers from far and wide. Great schooling, vibrant by day and night, and stellar architecture make it easy to see why.
Edinburgh has a wonderful range of period property from elegant Georgian townhouses and flats, to large Victorian family homes. There is also a healthy selection of contemporary property scattered throughout prime areas of the city. Just outside the city centre, the market is predominately made up of a mix of Victorian family homes.
With more restaurants per head than anywhere else in the UK, Edinburgh is home to some of the nation's finest eateries and unique dining experiences. There are plenty of markets, local stores and high street and designer department stores, and the city has a lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere with a distinctly Scottish twist – special in comparison to other UK cities.
Edinburgh has a diverse range of sports clubs and adventurous activities on offer, from golf and tennis, to climbing and skiing.
There are a number of great walks in Edinburgh and the Lothians; a wide range of golf courses; and plenty of off-road mountain biking routes are available in the surrounding countryside.
The city attracts buyers from all over. 40% of the properties we sell are to buyers from outside Scotland, while 8% to 10% come from overseas and the remainder comes from the rest of the UK.
As the city is a finance and tech hub as well as having a large legal sector, there is ample employment to attract high-earning professionals to the city.
The choice and quality of schooling continues to excel throughout the city and is a huge factor in why people choose to live in Edinburgh. Excellent transport links also add to the city’s appeal, which includes a fast and efficient train service to London and elsewhere in the UK.
Edinburgh airport continues to expand with routes throughout Europe, North America and the Middle East.
The Scottish capital of Edinburgh has become a modern and dynamic city, sitting atop important historical foundations. Home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it's certainly one of the UK's most desirable places to live.
The annual Edinburgh Festival certainly helps, as it's the largest performing-arts festival in the world and with an audience of more than four million, it's now the second most-visited tourist attraction in the UK. Other festivals include Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
But the city isn't just a destination for culture vultures – the high profile and low key can be enjoyed by its inhabitants year-round. From catching a movie at the indie Edinburgh Filmhouse on Lothian Road to the splendour of the Edinburgh Playhouse theatre on Greenside Place, all entertainment tastes are well catered for, as are those looking for a variety of experience in the city's bars, clubs and restaurant scene. Edinburgh is home to four Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as numerous internationally recognised eateries – several famed for their takes on traditional Scottish cuisine.
Famous for its international festivals, Edinburgh is a popular residential destination to live, thanks to its considerable cultural cache.
Edinburgh in numbers
The average price of a property sold by Knight Frank in Edinburgh year to June 2021
Increase in prospective buyers year to June-21
Increase in exchanges year to June-21
Who lives here?
A true melting pot of people, a significant number of Knight Frank buyers come from in and around Edinburgh, and work in professional sectors. Still, a growing number come from the rest of the UK, in no doubt attracted by the city's burgeoning financial, legal and IT sectors.
Where do buyers come from?
East Midlands
International
London
Scotland
South West
Source: Knight Frank. Average prices is for sales over £700k for the year to June-21. All other metrics are June-18 to June-21.
What are Knight Frank buyers' professions?
Finance
Entrepreneur
Inherited
Other
Professional
Property
Although Edinburgh may seem far away, it is very well-connected to the rest of the UK.
The UK's main arterial road, the A1, links London to Edinburgh, with an average driving time of seven hours. Understandably that might sound off-putting, but fear not, trains from Edinburgh Waverly to London King's Cross cut the journey down to a manageable four hours and 40 minutes. Many workers take this option if only visiting the Capital for a brief trip, with the train running via other major English cities such as Durham and York.
The quickest flight to London from Edinburgh Airport is to London Stanstead, which takes as little as one hour and 25 minutes, and then another hour on the train into London Liverpool Street. The airport has non-stop passenger flights scheduled to 145 destinations in 38 countries. What's more, operators make 18 flights domestically – from the south west of the UK to the Isle of Man, most London airports, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, Southampton and the Scottish Isles – making the city ideally connected for business.
Three universities are situated within city limits, including the prestigious University of Edinburgh, the sixth-oldest English-speaking university in the world.
Early-years education is of a particularly high quality within the city, many of which rank consistently highly with Education Scotland. Independent schooling in Edinburgh is highly regarded, with the proportion of students in the public system averaging 25%. Independent schools include Edinburgh Academy, Fettes College, Merchiston Castle School and George Watson's college, all of which are co-educational and offer day and boarding options.
What types of property are available in Edinburgh?
From city-view apartments to ornate Regency homes, here are some of the properties we’ve sold recently across the city of Edinburgh.
Northumberland Street, EH3
3 bedrooms | 1 bathroom 1 reception room
OIEO: £685,000
Inverleith Row, EH3
5-7 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms 4 reception rooms
OIEO: £1,475,000
Moray Place, EH3
9-11 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms 6-7 reception rooms
Guide Price: £POA
Knight Frank has listed all properties within the past 12 months. The price per square meter shown for all sold property is representative of their appraised pricing and not their final sale price.