The name’s Bond, James Bond. That well-known catchphrase of the 007 franchise was first said by Edinburgh’s one and only Sir Sean Connery, the first ever, and some say definitive, actor to portray the fictional secret agent. Believe it or not, the extraordinary actor had a humble beginning in life. Being born and raised in […]
We all know that Edinburgh is a legendary city, and we’ve all heard a myth or two. It never stops raining, the Royal Mile is a mile long, and rubbing Greyfriars Bobby’s nose is a sure way to bring good luck. But how many of these so-called facts are actually true? MYTH 1: It […]
We make it no secret that we love dogs at Factotum. Our office Springer, Sam, is often joined by other staff dogs including Jackson the Jack Russell, Hanks the English Bulldog and Chica the Cockapoo. We’ve written about our favourite dog walks, our favourite dog-friendly places to eat and drink. Now it’s all about our […]
Factotum is our name, our brand, our everything – but what does it actually mean? The origin of Factotum is from medieval Latin: • ‘Fac’, the imperative of ‘facere’ meaning ‘do’ • ‘Totem’, the neuter of ‘totus’ meaning ‘the whole thing’. ‘Do the whole thing’, translating roughly as ‘master of everything’. In modern English, Factotum […]
Edinburgh just wouldn’t be the same without its colourful history. Steeped in myth, folklore and legend, our fair city would be nothing without the interesting characters that built it. Here’s Factotum’s list of Edinburgh’s most interesting former residents. Deacon Brodie The Deacon Brodie name is now known as one of the Old Town’s […]
As a life-long resident of Edinburgh with a spell of study and work in London, I am always amazed by the words and local sayings we use here and take for granted, that leave the good visitors to our Fair City baffled as to their meaning, wondering whether we do indeed share a common language. Here’s […]
Easter Egg rolling has been a tradition since the 19th century. Symbolic of rolling away the rock in front of Christ’s tomb, the egg is also supposed to signify the rebirth of land during spring. Being amongst the UK’s hilliest cities, Edinburgh is “eggactly” the right place to find the perfect Easter egg rolling spot. […]
August in Edinburgh. That bittersweet month that every Edinburgh resident loves and hates at the same time. We have the world’s biggest arts festival on our doorsteps. It’s fun, it’s exciting, there’s so much going on… you can’t get a taxi anywhere, the streets are heaving and GET ME OUT OF HERE! It’s a wonderful […]
There are many reasons to move to Edinburgh. The streets are steeped in history. The vibrant culture that comes to a world-class peak in August. Restaurants. Attractions. It’s the perfect place to live as far as I’m concerned. While these are all fine and well – there’s another biggie I’d be barking mad not to tell […]
You may think you know the city, but do you really know Edinburgh? Check out our fun facts below – we didn’t even know all of them! 1) Edinburgh was the first city in the world to have its own fire service in 1703. However, it was a volunteer fire brigade! 2) Princes Street gardens […]