I've lived in both Glasgow and Edinburgh so people are always asking me which one was a better experience. I thought it only right to write this list of the eight biggest differences between two of Scotland's biggest cities.
Glasgow vs Edinburgh is an age-old debate - as old as the cities themselves no doubt.
The old tired idea is that Glasgow is more authentic and raw, whereas Edinburgh is seen as a lot more prim and proper - on a surface level this can be construed as true, but there's so much more to both cities than that.
It's my hope that when some starry-eyed young person with their life ahead of them is considering moving to Scotland, whether it be to work, visit, or study, that they can find this article and decide which city is for them.
That being said, you can always visit both - a train is just 45 minutes and old reliable, the 900 bus, runs regularly all through the night between the two cities.
Take a look below at 8 of the biggest differences between Edinburgh and Glasgow - as described by someone who has lived in both cities.
1. Architecture
The architectural styles of Glasgow and Edinburgh are radically different - while Edinburgh has some incredible structures as old as the city itself like the castle and the cathedral - Glasgow is much younger in terms of surviving buildings. There's a real magic to the surroundings of Edinburgh in my opinion that isn't quite matched by Glasgow - but I still prefer the dark gothic Victorian city that makes up much of Glasgow. In terms of influential architects, I couldn't name one from Edinburgh - but I could easily name a couple of structures around Glasgow by Charles Rennie Mackintosh or Alexander Greek Thomson. Photo: Picture: TSPL
2. Nightlife
There are so many more clubs and late-night bars in Glasgow than there is in Edinburgh that this is hardly a competition. The quality of the clubs and pubs in Glasgow is undoubtedly better in my opinion also. With all that being said, you can actually go out clubbing until 5am at places like Hive in Edinburgh - whereas the latest club license in Glasgow to our knowledge is 3am, scandalous. Edinburgh also has a pretty late live music scene down on the Cowgate in the city centre - I still prefer a night out in Glasgow, but Edinburgh has its charms.
3. The people
It's hard to say one cities population is better than another - the cliché would be to say that the people of Glasgow have better craic, whereas folk from Edinburgh are a bit more uptight. This is an overgeneralisation - there are so many great characters from real Edinburgh locations like Leith, Gorgie, and other spots outside of the city centre tourist traps. Anecdotally I can say I've had a much easier time making pals in Glasgow than I did in Edinburgh though.
4. Tourism
Edinburgh really have Scottish tourism down to a T. It's frustrating having lived around Glasgow my whole life - knowing just how much culture, history, and heritage we have that is worth celebrating and sharing with people outside of the city, but for whatever reason we just can't do it. Of course Edinburgh has the cobbled streets, the gift shops, and the castle - but Glasgow has the cathedral, the necropolis and the barras, surely it wouldn't take a marketing genius to lure in some tourists out of that? That being said, maybe it's a blessing, living in Edinburgh I must have ground my teeth down a good few centimetres trying to get past tourists who would just stop in the middle of the pavement to chat or take photos - particularly during the Fringe. Photo: Third Party