Our home was built in 1901 and is a spacious stone built Victorian villa with many period features including a sunny, secluded garden. It is located in a quiet residential area of one of Edinburgh's most exclusive districts and yet is within 3 miles of the city centre. It is located on the South side of the city and has wonderful views of the Pentland Hills .

There are original fireplaces in the lounge and bedrooms. All rooms retain the original decorative plaster cornices and high ceilings. The lower floor doors and lounge window panelling have been restored to the natural wood finish. The entrance vestibule retains the original hand painted Victorian stained glass door and screen and opens onto the hallway and staircase. On the ground floor there is a spacious lounge, dining kitchen, utility room, toilet and cloakroom. On the upper floor there are four bedrooms and a bathroom.

The lounge is comfortably furnished and faces South making it very light and airy. It has a large open fireplace with a living flame gas fire. The kitchen is large and well equipped with central island and breakfast bar. There is also a circular dining table at the French window overlooking the garden.

The master bedroom has a king size bed from which you have spectacular views over the Pentland hills. Bedroom 2 has a double bed and large wardrobe. Bedroom 3 and 4 both have single beds.

We have high speed broadband and there is a computer here available for your use.

Morningside is a thriving local community with many shops, restaurants, cafes, cinema and theatre. There are several parks close to the house and at least three golf courses within a mile of the house. There are excellent transport links from Morningside to the centre of the city. There is a bus service every 20 minutes no more than 100 yards from the house which will deliver you into the heart of the city within 40 minutes.

The stunning Pentland Hills are only a mile away, where you can enjoy wonderful walks with great views across the city and beyond. The foothills of the Pentlands are easily accessed from the house and we regularly enjoy walking in the hills.

Edinburgh’s stunning cityscape is one of dramatic contrasts. From the refined elegance of the Georgian New Town to the Old Town’s tangled web of medieval streets, these two complementary parts of the city offer visitors an ever-changing perspective alongside countless fascinating historical and cultural attractions.
Wander Edinburgh medieval Old Town’s labyrinthine network of narrow alleyways and cobbled streets amazingly preserved, Walk down the Royal Mile from the top of Castle Rock where Edinburgh Castle sits, to the grand Palace of Holyroodhouse. See the magnificent vaulted ceiling and ornate tombs of St Giles' Cathedral and view priceless artifacts in the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street.
The neat and ordered grid of the New Town provides an elegant contrast to the jumbled design of the Old Town. Inspired by the lofty ideals of the Scottish Enlightenment, Admire the spectacular neoclassical architecture as you wander down its broad streets, and get a glimpse of how life was lived by the city’s upper classes in the 18th century on a visit to the beautiful Georgian House in Charlotte Square. You can also view paintings and photographs of Scotland’s most iconic figures, from Mary Queen of Scots to Sean Connery, at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street. Afterwards, browse the sophisticated boutiques on George Street before settling down to a drink or meal in one of its chic bars and restaurants.
The city also boasts superb theatres and art galleries and of course the city really comes to life during August and September, although there are events and festivals throughout the year too numerous to mention here.
The Edinburgh International Festival (12th August 2012 – 4th September 2012) features classical music, opera, art exhibitions and theatre productions. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival runs concurrently with the International Festival and hosts more spontaneous and cutting edge events in which anything can happen. There are poetry readings, cabaret, student revue, comedy, there are literally thousands of fringe events. There is also the Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival (20th – 29th July 2012) and the Book Festival (11th to 27th August 2012). There are also the Film, Winter Festivals, Hogmany celebration and Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Edinburgh is an ideal base from which you can explore Scotland. Glasgow is only 50 minutes away by train, Loch Lomond and St Andrews, 90 minutes and the Highlands and Islands, 2 hours.

http: //www. edinburgh. org/
http: //www. edinburghfestivals. co. uk/
http: //www. edinburghshogmanay. org/

We would prefer longer term exchanges of at least one month.

We are in France during the summer and are looking for exchanges between November and March. Your exchange can be non-simultaneous if you wish to visit Scotland in the summer.

We would like to spend the winter months in a warm climate. We now have all our exchange partners in place for our Australian trip 2012 / 2013 and are in the process of planning our trip to Western USA between November 2012 until March 2013.

We would be pleased to hear from anyone in the California area who is keen to visit the Scottish Capital City.

Exchanges can be simultaneous or non-simultaneous.

Lindsay is a retired IT manager and Colin is a retired surveyor. We have lived our current home for 25 years. We have a daughter who has now left home to study at university. We have no pets. We also have a house in France and tend to spend most of our time there in the summer. We appreciate most people will wish to visit Edinburgh in the summer. Having a second home we are open to non-simultaneous exchanges in the summer or if you are keen to experience Scotland in winter a simultaneous exchange is possible. We are looking for exchanges during our winter between November and March. We would prefer somewhere where the weather is warmer than Scotland in winter and are particularly interested in long term exchanges of more than one month. We will respect your home as if it were our own. We will give careful consideration to every offer and to get back to you in a timely manner.

English