FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EDINBURGH (not what I expected)

Join us as we dive into our first impressions of Edinburgh, Scotland's vibrant and historic capital! After traveling around Scotland in our van, we finally made it to this iconic city, and it was nothing short of epic. From the picturesque beauty of Dean Village and its charming waterway to the panoramic views atop Carlton Hill, Edinburgh captivated us at every turn. We also indulged in some amazing local food and got a taste of the world-famous Fringe Festival, making our visit truly unique and unforgettable. Whether you're a fellow traveler or planning your own trip to Edinburgh, this video is packed with tips, highlights, and hidden gems that you won't want to miss!

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⤈ VIDEO CHAPTERS ⤈
0:00 – 00:30 – Intro
00:30 – 04:00 – The Plan with Coffee
04:00 – 07:11– Portabello Beach Fail
07:11 – 09:50 – Bus Into The City
09:50– 12:24 – Carlton Hill First Impression
12:24 – 13:54 – Rosetta Stone
13:54 - 16:06 – Edinburgh Fringe
16:06 - 17:30 - Best Coffee In the City
17:30 - 19:44 - Waterway Walk
19:44 - 20:58 - Deans Village
20:58 - 22:11 - Best Vegan Food in CITY
22:11 - 24:10 - High on Life (and sugar)
24:10 - 25:55 - This is a Social Experiment
25:55 - 28:08 - Wild Swim

⤈ WHO WE ARE ⤈
We are Philly and Keely and we live full time in our tiny home on wheels Martha. After building our DIY home in a Citroen Relay camper we spent a year living on the streets of London before quitting our jobs only to be met with lockdown. Then we took our van further than she had ever been before to the very beautiful Turkey. Enroute, we stopped off in Spain for a few weeks where we experienced every van lifers worst nightmare, we were robbed and they stole all valuables in our van. But then we were back on our feet, fully MOT’d and back on the road through Europe before we experienced another vanlife nightmare... our van caught fire!! After the trauma of that we had a massive change of plan and made our way to Japan. We enjoyed a three-month Japanese Adventure and then got back to Martha for some new European Adventures. After an incredible three-month Scottish road trip, we have now packed up our van and are heading to Australia for a new van life adventure!

[MRmUIREND]

Quite possibly the happiest most in love couple on the internet. Good people for sure.

[jackierichards]

Both my children went to university in Edinburgh so I spent about 12 years visiting several times a year for a week or so and I still have things that I haven’t seen in Edinburgh, places I haven’t been to. It’s the city that just keeps on giving. One of things I love about Edinburgh is how you are able to walk from one area to another so easily and each of the areas have a completely different vibe. Also the bus service is brilliant. You never need a car in Edinburgh. The last time I was there earlier this year they had finally put trams in to the city as well, they take you right out to NewHaven port at the far end of Leith walk. My son worked in Dean’s Village & the Water of Leith is just an incredible oasis of peace to find in a city center. Thanks for the aerial view of Leith water. That’s obviously something I have never seen, and I was amazed by it. Arthur’s seat is another must to climb for a view of the city from on high. Festival time in the summer is amazing. There are shows to watch in the street everywhere you go, people everywhere, smiling, and enjoying themselves. There are evening venues that you sometimes have to book& pay a little for. I’ve never been disappointed by the festival. Even if it’s raining in Edinburgh, which I have to admit is fairly often, there are so many places to visit, like the castle and the museum of Scotland, the Royal Yacht Britannia. I could go on and on, but suffice to say I am a real fan of Edinburgh and on a sunny day in The Meadows it is the best.

[andybrown]

Edinburgh during the fringe can be pretty crazy.
Back when the part known as the new town was being built laws were put into place to prevent buildings going above a certain height so the skyline hasn't really changed since then.

[scotmax]

Edinburgh is such a beautiful city, no matter which way you look . Scotland is such a beautiful country. and such lovely people.

[alanbobbymcguire]

Thank you very much for loving my home city. I was born here 60 years ago and lived here all my life.

[Russ_Keith]

So glad you enjoyed dipping into Edinburgh. There's a lot more for you to see. I used to come back from holidaying abroad with the thought it would be dull compared to those sunny places but every time I was freshly reminded of the beauty of the city.
I lived in a flat in the middle of the Dean Village from 1984 till 2019. Then I realised I missed the tourist season. Because it became all year round. Visitors don't seem to grasp that people actually live there so the days became filled with groups of loud people led by a loud tour guide that were an all day, all year occurence. Also by the time I left I was the only remaining owner-occupier in my stair as air B&Bs took over. So I sold up and moved further out of town to a terraced house with my own garden front and back.
I loved living there before that. It was a real little community and a dog walker's paradise because the river walk extended through the Dean Village all the way to where I live now and beyond, opening up into wider open spaces. But at 69 (at the time) I realised I was out of step and surrendered the place to the tourists. I'm grateful for the decades of living in that beautiful little oasis in the middle of a busy city. It was a fairytale place for someome who grew up in a post-war prefab on the outskirts and thought I could only dream of living there.
I'm happy now living in a quieter place with greenery surrounding me whichever way I look and easy access to the Water of Leith walkway and the Union Canal towpath but with 3 superstores within 10 minutes walk while not actually on my street. The best of both worlds. Edinburgh's bus service is very good and I can be at the West End in the heart of the city in 20 minutes. Yay for the pensioner's bus pass.
Haste ye back. You'll enjoy Edinburgh much more outwith the Festival crowds although you might enjoy the Christmas Market and/or the New Year's celebrations which also attract crowds but smaller, more centralised and with a different atmosphere. Also significantly colder (the weather, not the atmosphere).

[hughtempleton]

We absolutely love Edinburgh. It's an absolutely amazing city .❤

[johnpatterson]

Oh your staying beside my old allotment at Telferton, that red brick building with the arched windows used to originally be a chocolate factory.that was my old top floor flat on the corner as you headed down to the beach, great views across Edinburgh and down the coast.I used to drive a black taxi in Edinburgh for 17 years on the night shift never got tiered of the views the city has 😍my friend has a flat just at the bottom of the steps heading up to Calton hill down that steep cobbled stone street.and I did the leadwork on the old round jailhouse up there on Calton hill👍.✊🙏❤️👌👊😎

[BeverleyCulham]

“Ok guys”…”I can’t lie”…my jumper was right side out. But…my bathing suit was inside out…”you never regret a swim”! Love your channel…it’s the only one that makes me laugh out loud, every time.

[kaikito]

That was a helluva long walk for a cup of coffee!!! My mum lives there; Stockbridge - home of Shirley Manson!! Practically ever second shop in Edinburgh is a coffee shop! ( Now I mean this!! ) my two favourite YouTuber couple on my favourite YouTube channel experiencing my all-time favourite city. Loved this from start to ending.

[lomilomi]

Im Scottish and it is awsome to see my Home country this way being enjoyed so much by yourselves...love your vids 😊

[jeffreyskinner]

Philly & Keely & Coffee & Laughs!! You two crack me up! Edingurgh is sooo great, spend more time there...and RIGHT SIDE OUT Always!!!

[islandgirl]

Jumper -right way out !
Ive had a few cold swims lately, but you know what....you never regret a swim !

[VanessaChats]

I'm not a coffee drinker and I enjoy your coffee montages. It's "your thing"! I also saw an old video of yours pop up in my feed and saw your OLD coffee montage hahaha so I love that you kept that consistency in your channel.

[bigwill]

Absolutely LOVE Edinburgh...apart from the fact that it's the city where my youngest daughter lives (I'm from northern Ireland like you two dudes) . Every time I visit there it's an experience....from the trams running from the airport to the city center to museums and loads of cool stuff like places to eat and entertainment in the city...it's absolutely lovely! "Is this it" the title of your video really doesn't do it justice and I know you two really loved it. Love you dudes...love the vid....Philly said it all when he said it was his favourite too! 😎😎😎👍

[ismailozdemir]

I Traveled alot, maybe over 45 countries. The memories I had of Edinburgh and hospitality of the scotish people was amazing. They are very nice people.

[susanmullen]

What a gorgeous video! ❤ I've lived in Edinburgh for 22 years, & the novelty still hasn't worn off! I drive to work past the Castle, & always marvel at how stunning it is. Thank you for showing off our beautiful city in the best way! (You guys covered so much in the time you had...Fortitude really does do one of the best coffees!). I also can't believe how perfect a park-up that was! The climbing centre is a fairly new addition to the city, but it's peaceful there, & so close to Portobello for a wee wild swim! (You can also see my home town directly opposite Edinburgh, on the other side of the sea...that made me smile!) 😊 Looking forward to welcoming you back 🥰

[fionadavidson]

Inside out. Edinburgh my home town but would never go in town during the festival, but it has to be experienced. You learn to say no to flyers very fast.

[markgraham]

My beautiful home city - I was born there in 1974 and absolutely LOVE going back as often as I can. Anyhoo, right way out is the way to go!! A bit like reversing into a parking space - be prepared up front!! Luv ya!! 👍😃

[colinwilkinson]

Absolutely love your videos .Thanks for all the work you both put in with the editing and shots/camera work.❤