Edinburgh has been voted the UK’s best city to visit for the fifth year in the row to the presumed delight of Scots across the land.
I say presumed because this poll was conducted by The Telegraph, and its readership were the ones who voted, so this achievement doesn’t really mean anything but in the grand scheme of things, what does?
Anyway, my Scottish girlfriend said she was proud of her homeland’s achievement, despite being from Aberdeen and having spent most of her life living in the Midlands, so that’s good enough for me.
According to The Telegraph, Edinburgh was given this prestigious honour because the Scottish capital is one of the most compelling and beautiful cities in the world.
I probably would have voted the same as Telegraph readers because I visited once and it was lovely to be fair. I might have mentioned the nightlife rather than the sweeping Georgian architecture a bit but it is a cracking looking city.
Mind you it is worth noting that in my opinion (my editor has stressed that I repeat this is the writer’s opinion and not that of UNILAD) this list is b*llocks because Manchester’s not on the list but Durham is.
I spent three years of my life living in Durham (three I’ll never get back, thank you very much) and while Durham’s undeniably pettier than Manchester you can’t compare the two because Manchester is in a completely different league.
In terms of architecture, Manchester has the weird old orange Arndale centre, that greying Premier Inn at the end of Market Street, and the Beetham Tower which looks like a PlayStation 2 on its end.
What does Durham have? A cathedral that’s used as a stand-in for Hogwarts and Asgard? A castle on a hill? A medieval town centre with a rich history?
Look at the difference in culture, here in Manchester there’s a restaurant that’ll serve you fish and chips on a pizza, Durham doesn’t even have a city centre McDonald’s anymore.
Furthermore, Manchester’s got its cool symbolic ‘Worker Bee’ while all Durham has is the legend of the Dun Cow and everyone knows bees outrank cows in the animal kingdom.
Check and mate Durham.
Jokes aside, the list’s pretty spot on to be fair, especially the top five, which are made up of the aforementioned Edinburgh, York, Bath, London and Cambridge.
All of which I’ve visited and all of which I’ve liked with the exception of York. I’ve never quite got over the time I visited and the dungeons were closed because I hear they’re ace.
Also, I’d probably bump London to fifth just because of the price of beer down there, it’s just too expensive.
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More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.