Perched on a hill in southeastern Scotland, just a few miles from the Firth of Forth, sits Auld Reekie, the Edinburgh old town. Now a monument of Victorian imagination, the city has seen many permutations since the castle was erected in 1103. If you plan to visit this layered, fascinating gothic city, here are the things to know before going to Edinburgh.

Key Similarities Across the UK

Because Scotland is part of the UK, there are quite a few similarities between Edinburgh and London. It actually reminds me a lot of being in the American south, in that announcements and such are in the Queen’s English, but all of the locals have totally different accents, mannerisms, and customs. Ordering at a pub, preparing your tea, and taking the train all hold true, however! Check out my guide to London before you go to Edinburgh for some of the basics of travel in the UK.

Things to Know Before Going to Edinburgh

Scottish is Not the Same as English or Irish

I cringed many times overhearing American tourists make allusions to distinctly Irish folklore or cultural practices. You see, Scotland has quite a bit of overlap with Ireland, and is one of the places where Celtic is still spoken today. But Scotland also has its own language – Scots – that’s completely distinct from English and Celtic (more on that later).

In the same vein, Scotland has had a very separate culture from England for centuries upon centuries. As a relatively inhospitable place, Scottish people have grown both tough and insular. Scottish people are so famously fierce that the Romans could not conquer Scotland, but rather built Hadrian’s Wall to keep the Scottish out. This later provided inspiration for George R.R. Martin’s Wildlings in A Game of Thrones.

Despite their ferocity, Scottish people have a deep respect for the lore which ties their cultural binds. Famous writers like Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Robert Louis Stevenson all drew inspiration from the cobbled streets of Edinburgh. Thanks to John Knox’s campaign for public education during the Reformation, the University of Edinburgh is one of the most famous institutions in the world, producing great scientists and inventors like Alexander Graham Bell, Elsie Inglis, and Thomas Stevenson.

Be Prepared for Tempestuous Weather

We associate Scotland with wool for many reasons. 1. Animal husbandry proves easier on rocky soil than cultivation. 2. Wools are naturally waterproof, windproof, anti-bacterial, and generally awesome. You see, thanks to its famously bad weather, wool ends up being the best option in Scotland.

We got quite a bit of luck thrown our way; for October, the weather mostly cooperated. In fact, we had 2 days of full sun! But weatherproof garments are a must in your suitcase, regardless of the time of year. Wind and rain are always a possibility, and the wind in particular can be brutal. It’s actually not particularly snowy in Scotland, though it does snow at least a few times per year. Unlike places like Oregon, where people simply wear a rain coat all the time, most people in Edinburgh carry umbrellas all the time, the better to quickly pop over your head for a few minutes.

Pronunciation is Easy; Words are Not

Unlike England or Wales, Scotland has very few pronunciation traps for native English speakers. You may be tempted to pronounce “Leith” (LEEth) like “Layth” but it’s not so bad if you do. Many neighborhoods in Edinburgh have names like “Stockbridge” or “Haymarket” which are pronounced exactly as they look. Scottish naming isn’t terribly creative, but it is simple!

However, one thing that may catch you off guard in Scotland is how easily Scots gets peppered into conversation. As I said before, Scots is one of the languages spoken in Scotland, and while the pronunciation is similar to English, the meanings of words are not.

Take Edinburgh’s nickname, Auld Reekie. It translates to “Old Smoky,” because before it was modernized, Edinburgh’s old town contained wooden structures as high as 14 or 15 stories tall. All those people crowded around alleys (or “closes”) only 5 feet wide or so produced a LOT of smoke that could be seen for miles around. Reading Scots can spin your head, because it seems so close to English that you can mostly, but not quite, understand it.

A Note on Robert Burns

Scotland’s emblematic poet, Robert Burns, is widely credited with popularizing, romanticizing, and therefore preserving, Scots. Not only did he write in his own amalgam of Scots and English, but he traveled around preserving Scottish folk songs and lyrics as well. This work was especially important given that Scotland had recently come under England’s mantle, and Queen Victoria was performing a dogged campaign to convert Scottish culture into something more palatable for an English audience.

Read this excerpt of the Burns poem “Tam O’ Shanter” and see how much you can pick out:

When chapman billies leave the street,
And drouthy neebors neebors meet,
As market-days are wearing late,
And folk begin to tak the gate;
While we sit bousin, at the nappy,
And gettin fou and unco happy,
We think na on the lang Scots miles,
The mosses, waters, slaps, and stiles,
That lie between us and our hame,
Whare sits our sulky, sullen dame,
Gathering her brows like gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.

Public Transportation is a Bit of a Tangle O’ Noodles

My longstanding advice to take the train in Europe still stands in Edinburgh. Though not as narrow and confusing and London, driving in Edinburgh is not worth the headache. You can easily (and cheaply!) take the train to just about anywhere you’d like to go.

However, much like the organization (or lack thereof) of city neighborhoods, you may find yourself taking a bus, tram, or train in equal measure. To add to the confusing, there are many, many companies that operate buses at the same stops. If you take the bus, make extremely sure that you know the company, route number, and destination. Since many different bus lines use the same (such as the bus from St. Andrew’s to the nearest rail station, Leuchars) that it is very easy to get on the wrong bus if you aren’t 100% certain. If you’re nervous about it, you can ask the driver, “is this the bus to x?”

One way Scotland is VERY unlike their southern counterparts is a more lax attitude towards train ticketing. At larger city stations like Haymarket and Waverley, you’ll scan a ticket in order to enter the platform, much as you do at stations in the south. However, at smaller country stations, the attitude towards ticketing is…lax. On several lines, we were never asked to show a ticket. Also, unlike train tickets from big cities on long routes, you can purchase tickets that last for a certain time period rather than a specific departure time. If your itinerary can swing it, I recommend that route.

The City is Not as Old as You Think

Despite the aggressive gothic vibes and rain-washed stone of many of the buildings in Edinburgh, the vast majority of the city is newer than the United States. This is due to two factors: safety, and the formation of the UK.

Before the 18th century, Auld Reekie could be a very, very dangerous place to live. You see, buildings on the Royal Mile could be up to 14 stories tall. While the lower levels were often made of stone, upper levels were often shoddily built of wood, and would frequently collapse. Like many places in pre-modern Europe, public wastewater systems did not exist and ran through the streets and closes. Many poor people lived either in the top-most of the terrifying wooden structures, or in underground closes with no access to light or ventilation. One such place, St. Mary’s close, was famously closed up with no one the wiser for centuries.

The English Are Coming

When the English strong-armed the Scottish into becoming part of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, Queen Anne’s government gained territory (and, crucially, bodies to help ward off the French) while Scotland gained access to the financial benefits of England’s trade networks.

Despite this merging, many English still viewed Scots suspiciously. Though it birthed great Enlightenment and Reformation thinkers, Scotland as a whole had a reputation for being somewhat…feral. Throughout the 1700s, the British Crown therefore began a huge renovation process in Edinburgh. They built the Georgian-style “New Town” in the accessible lowlands underneath the castle, and replaced all but one of the residential and commercial buildings on the Royal Mile with buildings that looked appropriately old, but were much more stable and clean.

Queen Victoria also campaigned to sanitize Scottish culture in the same way, romanticizing Scotland into a place of plaid and gentle bagpipe tunes, a place of scholarship thanks to the recently expanded University of Edinburgh. Her sanitization only partly worked, as Scotland (and Edinburgh in particular) has clung to a romantically gothic reputation. Edinburgh is a beautiful city, but look beyond the outside and dig into her underbelly.

Make a Plan for Accessibility

Because it is built on a huge hill, the oldest part of Edinburgh is one of the least accessible cities I’ve ever been to. Steep hills and stairs are often the quickest way to navigate, and while they’re terribly romantic for the able-bodied, they do nothing for the disabled. Some public museums aren’t accessible at all, as they require visitors to navigate narrow spiral staircases before entry.

The newer parts of Edinburgh are much more disabled-friendly. While the sidewalks are made of paving stones, they are very well-maintained. Public transportation and crosswalks have lots of built-in accessibility tools for the blind, deaf, and physically disabled.

If you require accommodations, I recommend contacting everywhere you plan to go – seriously. Larger landmarks may be reached by private transportation, and locals may have a better idea of alternate entrances to help your trip go more smoothly. Unfortunately, certain things (like Princes Street Gardens or Dean Village) simply cannot be fully explored for those with mobility disabilities.

Make Sure to Interact with Locals

One of the biggest difference between England and Scotland? In my experience, Scottish people are far friendlier than English people. The concept of ceilidh (pronounced KAY-lee) is huge in Scottish culture – it’s a time at night when people gather to drink, sing, chat, and just generally enjoy each other’s company. Ceilidh can be had most places most nights, with well known bars like Sandy Bell’s, Ryrie’s, and Captain’s Bar all famously providing live music. (Side note, Ryrie’s has the best wallpaper I’ve ever seen).

Lots of Scottish people are chatty, especially when they can tell you’re from out of town. Older Scottish people in particular love to have a bit of a chat. I became the most hungover I’ve ever been after we befriended the bartenders at a pub and they invited us back after hours. Don’t force yourself on locals, but don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation!

Try Scottish Food!

Food from the British Isles has an…unfavorable reputation. I think about the tweet where a British man called ketchup “spicy”… a lot. I hope it’s a joke. Scotland, however, is the home of many delicious foods, both fancy and not. The vast majority of oysters in France are shipped in from Edinburgh. Obviously, high-quality whisky is a huge part of Scottish cuisine.

Ironically, the fanciest parts of Scottish cuisine come from the same source as their most inscrutable food: necessity. As a rocky, chilly, mostly grey country, the Scottish have had to get creative with whatever food was available to them. Many think of haggis (the intestines of a sheep, finely chopped, spiced, and cooked) when they think of Scottish food. I’m here to tell you: if you’re a meat eater, it’s delicious! It basically just tastes like ground beef! Scottish food also incorporates a lot of seafood and native plants, and I encourage you to try it!

Because you are reading this article, I assume you have access to the Internet. Lots of traditional Scottish foods are called by their traditional Scots names, things like cullen skink (haddock, potato, and leek soup) and partan bree (creamy rice & crab soup). At least look it up before you give up and order fish and chips.

Get Out of the City

While Edinburgh is a modern, bustling city, it’s not quite as crammed with things to do as a place like London or Paris. That’s fine! If you want to take a quiet literary sojourn to Edinburgh, so be it! But if you long for novel sights, you can easily find many things to do relatively easily (especially by US standards).

Thanks to the robust rail system in the UK, you can cheaply travel just about anywhere you want to go. Scotland is not a large country; many famous sites are quickly accessible! St. Andrew’s (the oldest golf course in the world), Loch Lomond, Inverness, Glasgow, and more are all just an hour or two away by train. Watching pastures of sheep dotted by white stone cottages roll by your window is a quintessential Scottish experience.

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When you go to Scotland, embrace it! From the bracing air to the old stone buildings, the country emits a kind of rustic charm that permeates everything. Roll up to a peat fire with a warm blanket, a glass of whisky, and a Robert Louis Stevenson novel, and you’ll find exactly why Scotland has charmed the world.