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.
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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