Another day, another headline about an Edinburgh mansion. It seems every other week I’m hearing about some grand house, tucked away behind electric gates, going on the market for what they call an “eye-catching fee.” To me, that fee usually catches my eye because it’s so astronomical it makes my own mortgage payments look like pocket change for a bag of crisps.
I’m just a man from Scotland, you see, and I’ve got my opinions about everything. This latest news, about a millionaire’s pad in an exclusive gated community, well, it just gets me thinking. Edinburgh is a bonnie city, no doubt about it. The history, the architecture, the sheer dramatic beauty of the place, it’s all there. But sometimes, I wonder who it’s really for these days.
Gated communities, now that’s a phrase that always sits a bit oddly with me. It’s not very Scottish, is it, the idea of building walls to keep folk out? We’re more of a ‘come on in, mind the step’ kind of people, I always thought. There’s something a bit… well, detached about it. Like they’re building their own little kingdom, away from the hustle and bustle, and maybe, away from the realities, of the rest of us.
I understand people want their privacy, of course. And if you’ve worked hard, or been lucky, enough to accumulate that kind of wealth, then fair play to you. But when I hear about these exclusive enclaves, it makes me think of the growing divide. You’ve got families struggling to find an affordable flat, maybe even just a room, in the city, while these sprawling estates sit there, often empty for half the year, waiting for some international buyer to swoop in.
Edinburgh’s always had its posh bits, mind. Morningside, the New Town, places where the gentry lived it up. But it felt different then, somehow. More integrated, perhaps. Now, it feels like a whole different world is being carved out, one where the average wage earner couldn’t even dream of getting their foot in the door, let alone buying a whole house.
The capital is a draw, I know. Folks come from all over the world for the Fringe, for Hogmanay, for the sheer majesty of it all. And that’s a good thing, mostly. But I worry about what it’s doing to the soul of the city, turning it into a playground for the rich, rather than a home for everyone who loves it. When a house price is described as “eye-catching,” it usually means it’s so high it’ll make your eyes water and your wallet scream.
So, another mansion hits the market. Good for them, I suppose. But for me, it’s just another sign of the times, a wee reminder that Auld Reekie, the city I know and love, is becoming a place where some are very much in, and many more are increasingly out.