Guide to Edinburgh Property

Introduction - on this page you will find links to details of property for sale, rental accommodation, shared housing in Edinburgh...  Edinburgh is Scotland's capital city and is rich in history and culture. Once the home of Scottish parliament Scotland and England finally came together under the Act of Union in 1707. The famous castle, Edinburgh castle stands proudly atop volcanic rock, overlooking the Royal mile and Grassmarket, which are all in the old town. The Scottish Crown jewels are on display within Edinburgh castle. Modern Royals today, and in particular the Queen, will reside at the Palace of Holyroodhouse when they visit Scotland. In Ocean Terminal, a modern addition to the City, the Royal Yacht Britannia is berthed which once saw the Royals voyage around the world where many commercial trade negotiations have been undertaken and successfully won by Great Britain.

Property in Edinburgh - Buying property in Edinburgh is not inexpensive, with most property prices reaching similar levels as found in parts of London and the South East of England. The method of purchasing a house or flat in Edinburgh differs to that of England and Wales in that offers are made by way of sealed bids, and the winning bid will win the right to purchase the property. Once a winning bid has been made, the prospective purchaser is contractually bound to buy the house or flat in question, unlike in England and Wales where purchasers can withdraw their offers, leading to sellers to put their property back on the market.

The prospective purchaser in Edinburgh centre, will in the main be searching for apartments and flats from converted Georgian town houses terraced closely together in wide streets, behind black iron railings. However further afield and out of the centre of the City such as Bathgate, Blackburn, Eastside and Humbie, families can locate more affordable housing that is more suitable to family life. Humbie is a rural village with its own Primary school and is therefore appropriate for young families with transport. In many parts of Edinburgh and not far from the centre, there are modern housing estates built in the 1950's and 1960's. Not far from Edinburgh airport, this sort of housing is found easily and although not attractive from the outside, inside the houses are spacious and offer open plan living style.

History - The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583, setting in motion the City as being a centre for learning and education, as well as finance and commerce later in the 1600's when the Bank of Scotland was set up. More and more people lived in Edinburgh, which as a capital city is not a huge place, and this led to crowded conditions with many poor people living in the same buildings as the wealthy people of Scotland. Ultimately, the rich Scottish people moved away from Edinburgh and had to be coaxed back when Edinburgh was re-developed and the streets of Princes Street and Queens Street were named in the city's new layout. This development took place in Georgian times and as such, the streets that were developed are lined with wide pavements, and high 3 or 4 storey Georgian town houses that are distinctively grey stone.

Shopping - In terms of shopping facilities the city centre department store, Jenners, is an independent retailer, that has stood in Princes street in Edinburgh for many years. A shopping trip in Edinburgh is not complete without a visit to Jenners, although much smaller than London's Selfridges or Harrods, Jenners boasts a family feel, and stocks many famous and designer brands along with more unique brands. In addition, is John Lewis department store, which is much the same as many other John Lewis store