Spontaneous move to edinburgh!

Are you northern or southern Irish? I doubt if this makes a difference from your perspective, but its essential to have a national insurance number.

Lothian buses: do go to their shop in Hanover Street (there are various ones around but this is the one I know) and get a weekly ticket (needs your photo on it, but they take it there and produce the card while you wait.) Then, once you get a bank account, get a monthly direct debit ticket. this will further reduce the cost of travel to around £1.40 or so a day, across the whole of the network.

Don't go on an expensive tour to get your bearings. Grab a map book, jump on a bus, and travel it, upstairs at the front so you have a good view, from one end of the network to the other. I recommend the 26 (runs often), the 22, i.e. stays within the city limits (city bus but will give you a good feel) and the 44 for this.

Choosing somewhere to live? Get a route map from Lothian buses and have a good look at it, including online. Buses here are very mixed. Some run all the time, literally, as in every 4 minutes or so (the 22 , the 26) and have night buses (good to have if you don't want to spend a fortune on taxis). In some areas (for instance Powdermills and the Broughton Road area; parts of Marchmont) there are barely any buses at all. Very close to the city, but a long hike to where the buses are. Avoid areas on routes like the 13, the 36, the 45, the 20, the 38. They are either part time buses, or run a horrible every half an hour or so and are not likely to go where you want to go.

Places to live? I like Leith, but a word of warning; it's an acquired taste. Too rough for a lot of people's liking. If you are having children at some point, I would recommend the Boroughmuir or James Gillespie High school catchment areas. Not too far south though - as in not above the dreaded snowline. That's a cold in winter that doesn't get experienced close to the city or on the north side.

One really good thing. If you like movies, I would recommend a visit to Cineworld and the area around it (near Lothian Road, Bruntsfield is nice. Gorgie and Dalry road area not so good) AND getting a monthly Cineworld Unlimited card. means you can go to the movies for free, whenever you want. Well, not free, but a nominal fee of around £15 a month or so. Well worth the investment. Particularly if you live in walking distance. AND it's in the Boroughmuir high school catchment district.

On the north side, Stockbridge is a nice place to live. And Comely Bank.

To the West, if you prefer houses with Gardens and a bit more room, Corstorphine is good, plus it's on the 26 bus route.

To the south west abd south, beware of nice areas like Balerno and Currie (if they get snowed in during winter, that's you with a long trek over snow and ice, as in three or four blocks, to get to the main road and public transport. The council is atrocious at clearing minor roads and side roads).

Areas I don't recommend; Craigmillar, Niddrie, Muirhouse, Oxgangs, Gorgie/Dalry, Granton/Pilton (these are on the sea. Best to take a look. I like those areas, but an awful lot of people in Edinburgh wouldn't live there), Leith (which I love, BUT you need to be careful around Leith. Lots of gangs, and they are territorial. They wouldn't bother me; I walk around those areas freely, but a foreigner, especially a young one, might find it a challenging area to live in), the Cowgate area in the old city, Dumbiedykes, also in the old city, Abbeymount, the Easter Road Area.