Bristol vs Edinburgh
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Edinburgh leads 4–2. Character is a different question: Bristol is the merchant harbour; Edinburgh is the old town and the new.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Bristol
42
Edinburgh
55
Edinburgh leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Bristol
347
Edinburgh
254
Edinburgh leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Bristol
9
Edinburgh
13
Edinburgh leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Bristol
38
Edinburgh
20
Bristol leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Bristol
19
Edinburgh
16
Bristol leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Bristol
2
Edinburgh
4
Edinburgh leads
| What we measure | Bristol | Edinburgh | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 42 | 55 | Edinburgh |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 347 | 254 | Edinburgh |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 9 | 13 | Edinburgh |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 38 | 20 | Bristol |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 19 | 16 | Bristol |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 2 | 4 | Edinburgh |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Bristol in orange, Edinburgh in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Bristol scorecard
The merchant harbour
Edinburgh scorecard
The old town and the new
