TOURING EDINGBURGH

I travel across the UK fairly regularly now, and Edinburgh has quietly become one of my favourite cities to spend time in. There's something about the contrast of the old town's grandeur against such a genuinely warm atmosphere that I find completely disarming.

If you're based in or near Edinburgh and curious about meeting while I'm touring, here's a little of what I love about the city, partly so you know what to expect, and partly because I enjoy sharing it.

For dinner, I lean towards the smaller, candlelit restaurants tucked into the closes off the Royal Mile rather than anywhere too grand. There's an intimacy to those tiny dining rooms that suits a first meeting beautifully. Good food, quiet conversation, nobody paying attention to anyone but each other.

For drinks beforehand, a calm hotel bar in the New Town does the job perfectly. Edinburgh does understated elegance extremely well, and I appreciate a city that doesn't try too hard.

If our evening allows for it, I genuinely love a walk up towards Calton Hill in the evening. The view over the city at dusk is one of those moments that makes conversation easier somehow, looking out at something together rather than directly at each other.

When I'm touring a city, I always prefer staying somewhere with genuine character rather than a generic chain. It tends to set the tone for the whole visit.

If you'd like to arrange a meeting while I'm next in Edinburgh, do reach out with your preferred dates and I'll let you know my availability. I keep my touring diary fairly considered, so the earlier you enquire, the better.