Does Edinburgh’s Royal Mile need 72 gift shops?

Royal Mile is the old backbone of Edinburgh, which is visited by five million tourists every year. The collective name for the four streets passing through the old city of the city is home to a 900 -year -old castle, palace and a parliament.

But people living there claim that they see excessive vaccination problems. Experienced throughout Europe.

Tourist shops come with tourists and BBC Scotland News walked the length of Royal Mile to count a total of 72 stores by selling everything from KILTS to the Highland Cow refrigerator magnets.

It is part of an industry that supports more than 40,000 jobs in Edinburgh.

However, the locals say that having too many similar shops somewhere is a symptom of the difficulties of mass tourism.

Every Scottish or Edinburgh themed product sells, most of which can come to mind from postcards and soft toys to clothes, most of which are operated by three main operators.

It includes two stores that sell gifts about Christmas only.

Royal Mile also hosts 42 cafes or restaurants, 13 bars, eight jewelers and three kilt retailers.

This is in addition to museums, cathedrals, courts, primary schools and houses along the upright and narrow sidewalks.

Jimmy Robertson is a 77 -year -old man, almost uniquely qualified to understand the effect of tourism on the Royal Mile.

Canongate has lived since birth since Royal Mile, and proudly refers to as a Canongotian.

Jimmy, who lived in five different houses, can list the “useful shops” with a stone beat.

Hairdressers, butchers, markets and now a doctor with a whiskey shop contains surgery.

He said it was a “normal area” where people will live and work.

“You probably saw that many people were moving in the 1980s and the street began to change.”

Jimmy was now working in the beer factory, the location of the Scottish Parliament.

The 17th century Canongate Kirk, who had inscriptions to the deceased mother of one of the stalls, has long enjoyed sitting outside of Kirk.

Jimmy added: “I would sit on that bench and watch the world by saying hello to the people you know.

“Now I’m sitting there, and it’s just like tourists passing me.

“I’m not against tourism, I just think it’s too much to affect people living here.”

Jimmy said he had to get out of the area to get shopping now, or he should trust his relatives to bring him.

He said the council would be accused of allowing too many tourist shops to be opened in a field.

It is a point where some critics were released by the data published by Edinburgh last year and claim that they have 35 shops along the Royal Mile and that many of them have 35 shops rented to tourism enterprises.

Hanna Wesemann lived in Royal Mile, and both children attended the Royal Mile Primary School.

In 2004, there were 165 students of the Victorian school built, but now it fell to 118 students, but well below the capacity of 210.

The 29% decline to students does not surprise Hanna, who says that the old town is increasingly “does not feel like a good space to bring a family”.

Hanna leaves this to the burning of anti-social behavior by problematic drugs and alcohol users who require regular calls to the oppression of tourism and the police.

He said: “The only thing staying here is like tourists, tourists and shops for people with multiple and complex needs.

“IT [the Royal Mile] In front of our door, but we never go there because there is nothing for us.

“In the past, there were some useful shops, even help shops, but now all of them are gone and the only thing I can see is the gift shops that sell the same things.”

Only London beats Edinburgh in terms of the most popular places to visit in the UK.

Domestic visitors constitute a large part of the city’s tourists at least one night – a total of 2.6 million from 2.47 million in 2015 in 2023.

However, overseas visitors who increase Edinburgh’s increasing popularity.

After a dramatic decline in Covid years, Edinburgh attracts one million more international visitors than ten years ago.

Together with domestic visitors, a total of 4.98 million night trips by all visitors in 2023.

These tourists, especially in heavy periods such as Edinburgh festivals, have been hosted in the city for years.

Edinburgh has returned to holiday permits in the previous decade, a well -documented increase in housing properties.

Airbnb’s number number in the city In 2014, he jumped to 9,000 three years after 1,900.

New laws required Short -term operators provide licenses Reduced this gang but data In Airbnb – A independent website that collects data about Airbnb’s operations – today there is still a list of under 6,000 list for Edinburgh Properties.

The BBC Scotland News counted 96 switch boxes of the kind used for a holiday for Royal Mile at the beginning of this month.

The impact of the holiday on people living in the most popular tourism fields is very familiar to Hanna and his family.

“They are not bad people, but they do not see it as an area where people live as normal residents.

“You can’t have a relationship with someone for three days, and I’m really tired of going upstairs every few days and saying,” Can you be quiet, we should go to work in the morning. “

Most of the focusing on the places where tourists stay, while discussing during the holidays, now there are 181 hotels in Edinburgh – twice as much more in 2005.

There is no doubt that tourism plays a key role in the city economy.

Hosting the world’s largest art festival every August is a major part of this, but tourism is now an industry all year round.

It is estimated that the visitor spent £ 435 in 2023 over an average night.

This filters from coffee shops to a series of businesses from taxi companies and supports thousands of jobs.

The Gold Brothers Group spokesman, who has 16 shops in Royal Mile and employed 340 people in the most intense season, said that there are nothing new claims about tourists.

However, in August, more visitors are still capable of capacity outside the festivals.

The spokesman said: “Our opinion is ignored by a number of priority problems due to a fixation in the number of tourists.

“Urgent priorities for residents, business owners and visitors to the old city are cleaning because it is guilty, including anti-social behaviors; violence and serious ‘theft’.

“Maybe Edinburgh’s local population can come and visit, and with the shops that Royal Mile has never invested or have never invested at all, he may think about the quality of the sales points without prejudice years ago.”

The spokesman called on the Council of Edinburgh City by cleansing the old city more frequently and “to step into a game” by making a safe and a pleasure to be seen. ”

Council leader Jane Meagher said that the local authority is sure that Royal Mile is “clean and well -groomed”.

BBC also told the Scotland News that Old Town High Street has developed.

Meagher added: “Shops are open, supporting local affairs and economy, with a large mixture of business in the region from independent cables to homemade crafts.

“As one of the biggest hosts in the region, we encourage this mixture and work to ensure that the property is occupied.”

The Council leader admitted that anti-social behaviors were concern, but the local authority said that the police were working with Scotland to address problems.

Tron and Hunter Square were established in addition to CCTV.

Meagher said: “At the same time, while making Royal Mile a safer place for pedestrian and cyclists, we make sure it is clean and well -groomed.

He continued: “Renewing the North Bridge, this year, this year, we invest in our communities to fight the garbage and graffiti, such as the extra £ 1 million pounds, the region to remain in the heart of the city is a visible commitment.”

Finance contains additional resources for pavement and closing in the old city.

Meagher said: “When Edinburgh’s visitor Levy is released, we hope to deposit more money to manage the effect of tourism, to ensure that our city has a great place to live and visit.”

The latest Scottish census shows that more than 9,000 people live in the Royal Mile and the surrounding areas.

This covers the long circle blocks of Dumbeedykes, which have both sides of the Royal Mile and about 600 houses but built by the nearby council, but covering the Dumbeedykes property, but There is no store, GP surgery, a pharmacy or post office.

All these residents think that printing tourism can bring directly, but there are wider pressures in the city.

A leap of 8.4% of the city population in 10 years by 2023 Deepening of the Housing and Homelessness Crisis.

Next year Edinburgh will introduce tourism tax This is common around Europe and city leaders.

This was mostly welcomed, but he is afraid that Edinburgh may not be enough to help him adapt to the increasing demands of tourism.