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 […]
If there’s one thing we feel passionately about at Factotum, it’s the Edinburgh Festival. When we’re not running about organising Festival Lets, we’re right in the heart of the action recommending our Fringe favourites. Briefs: Close Encounters Natasha: “Absolutely hilarious! They really get the crowd involved and you are guaranteed a good laugh. I’ve been […]
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 […]
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 […]
Nobody ever said that customer service is easy. As a letting agent, our top priority is to keep our tenants happy, keep our landlords happy and in order to achieve that, we always strive to go above and beyond. Sometimes, however… that can prove to be a bit more challenging. From circuses and swimming pools to […]
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. […]
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival (often referred to simply as the ‘The Fringe’) is the world’s largest Arts Festival. Established in 1947, by 2016 it spanned 25 days, featured 50,266 performances of 3,269 shows in 294 venues! Sounds a bit crazy, right? So here is a guest pass into finding out more about these spectacular Fringe […]
When you think of Edinburgh, the first thing that springs to mind may be the amazing festivals in August, or perhaps the incredible architecture of the Old Town, the castle sat on the hill, or even the wide assortment of incredible cocktail bars throughout the city. Once you have spent a little time wandering its […]