Despite having lived in the city for over 20 years, Edinburgh still excites me in the same way it did when I first visited as a child on a day trip from Glasgow.
How you arrive in Auld Reekie shapes your first impression. Some are greeted with sheer wonder. Others, with a gnawing sense of regret.
Take the train up the east coast, and you’re rewarded with breathtaking views from Newcastle northward. Arriving at Waverley Station, you step into the heart of a postcard. The Old Town skyline, the castle, and the Scott Monument—all in one sweeping panorama—leave first-time visitors awestruck. But if you arrive by air, particularly from abroad, it’s a very different story.
A Welcome That Feels More 1970s Albania Than Modern Scotland
Sure, the bridges over the Forth offer a spectacular sight. But that hardly makes up for the dismal experience at Edinburgh Airport. International travelers must wonder if they’ve landed in one of Europe’s top tourist destinations or stepped into a time warp.
- The arrivals process is a mess. Passengers shuffle through a maze of staircases and temporary cabins that scream “budget ferry terminal.” No warm Scottish welcome, just bolted-together corridors.
- The immigration hall is barely functional. On Wednesday lunchtime, eight international flights landed within 30 minutes. Only ten automatic passport gates stood between those passengers and their holidays, creating a queue that snaked through a freezing cold warehouse.
- The baggage claim? It doesn’t even have a ceiling. Travelers expecting efficiency are instead met with an unfinished shed, the kind you’d see at a half-abandoned industrial estate.
“Where Scotland Meets the World”—Really?
The airport proudly declares itself the place “where Scotland meets the world.” But what kind of first impression does it leave? If Scotland wants to maintain its reputation as a welcoming destination, its main gateway needs more than just a few cosmetic upgrades. Right now, the world is met not with warm hospitality but with frustration and disappointment.
