Oluf Marshall

Scotland's magnificent capital city of Edinburgh hosts a wide range of sites and stories that have long been popular with the locals and the many visitors we welcome every year. So many amazing people have been born in our great city, whilst a story can be found on every street. Whilst there is alot to see and do in Edinburgh, some of the lesser known landmarks are both beautiful and fascinating to any traveller. Below i've compiled a small list of 5 of the hidden gems that I recommend to any visitor.

March 1997. The handover was fast approaching, and Hong Kong’s long history of British rule was coming to an abrupt end, for the worse or better? Who knows! Mainland China was itching to replace what they deemed colonialism with yet more colonialism. But China was more interested in Hong Kong being a key financial sector and they wanted and needed the wealth of the region so they could then claim to the world that communism was actually working in an era where the Russians had finally got bored, bottled it and embraced Capitalism once again (well they did kinda fuck it all up).

As the United Kingdom draws closer to closer to Brexit due in March next year, the last few months have been dominated by demands for a second vote, scaremongering and a no-deal scenario. Too little has been said about the idea of a CANZUK agreement, a movement which is gaining popularity in all countries involved. Many on the "remain" side have called Brexit "insular" or "isolationist." I and many others, on the other hand, see it as an opportunity to open ourselves up to the rest of the world and reforge alliances with old friends who we have long forgotten and neglected.

Uber has undoubtedly changed the way we get around. Nobody would have thought five years ago that it would become a common occurrence for us to hail a minicab by the click of a smartphone screen and not have to ask the driver to take you via a cash machine en route to your destination. Without a doubt, Uber is a cheap and highly convenient way to get around. Back in the day, I sometimes waited up to 15 minutes at Edinburgh's Taxi ranks trying to get a ride home in the pouring rain. Those days are over now that we hit our screens and boom!—a ride in five minutes that's a lot cheaper than any of the local private hire or black cab firms.

Steve was lost. He had no idea where he was or where he was going. All he knew, was that he was a traveler, a long way from home wandering around this continent aimlessly. The train stopped. A conductor said something to him in a tongue unknown to him. Looking out the window and onto the platform, he realized that this was the end of the line. He picked up his backpack and walked out onto the platform looking around him. Scattered around the place, were other travelers. His eye caught one of them. A young, blonde girl he had seen at the station before boarding the train in Bangkok the previous evening. He had assumed by her appearance that she was either American or Canadian. Nervously, he decided to ask her where he was.

To give some background, I should note that I am an anxiety sufferer. I am also something of an introvert who values time to myself. I think it’s partially to do with an onset of depression I had when I received word as a teenager that my older brother, who was in The British Army, was killed by an IED in Afghanistan.