Through a Local's Lens: Exploring Edinburgh on Google Maps
Updated: Aug 29
There's a difference between visiting a city and knowing it. Tourists see the Castle, the Royal Mile, and the queue for the Witchery. Locals see the pocket parks, the hidden closes, and the moment the blue poppies bloom at the Botanics.
I've been documenting Edinburgh — and Scotland more broadly — through Google Maps for a while now. Not the kind of documentation that belongs in a guidebook. The kind that lives in a 15-second video, a quick photo at golden hour, a capture of the John Muir Way when the light hits just right. The kind that helps a guest decide yes, this is the city I want to wake up in.
What I Share and Why
My Google Maps contributions are snapshots of the Edinburgh I actually live in. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in May, when the Himalayan blue poppies are out — that vivid, impossible blue you can't quite believe until you see it. The Kelpies at dusk. Scottish Canals on a still morning. The kind of moments that don't make it into the official tourism brochures because they're too small, too personal, too much about just being there.
I'm a Level 6 Local Guide with 320 photos and 83 reviews on Google Maps, with over 3.1 million views. That's not a vanity number — it means over 3 million people have looked at a place through my eyes when deciding where to go, what to eat, whether a spot is worth the walk. When I review the Kebab Club on Blackfriars Street or the Gritti Palace bar in Venice, I'm not just rating a place. I'm helping someone else find it.
You can see my video from the Botanics here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Vg4nLPQSHNRohNTC7
And my full Google Maps profile — all my photos, reviews, and videos — is here:
https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/110901189836150962567
Why It Matters for Hosts
If you're hosting guests in Edinburgh, your job isn't just the flat. It's the city. When someone books your place, they're booking an experience — and the more you can show them the real Edinburgh, the more they'll remember their stay.
I use my Google Maps contributions as a resource. When a guest messages asking what's nearby, I don't just say "the Botanics is lovely." I send them the video. I show them the poppies. I show them the actual walk along the Water of Leith I take on a Sunday morning. It makes the recommendation real in a way that words alone can't.
My bio on Google Maps says "A photographer, writer and presenter. I love food." — and that's what I bring to hosting too. The food reviews matter. When I rate Nauticus in Leith or Sotto Enoteca in Stockbridge or Potions and Rations on Broughton Street (yes, the Lord of the Rings-themed bar — it's brilliant), I'm building a curated guide that guests can actually use.
How to Use Google Maps as a Host
Start contributing. Photos, videos, short reviews of your favourite local spots. It builds your profile and helps future guests find you.
Share your contributions with guests. A Google Maps link is more convincing than a typed list.
Tag your neighbourhood. When you upload content from around your rental, you're building a visual guide to your area — one that guests can explore before they arrive.
Be authentic. Don't stage it. The blue poppies aren't special because they're filtered. They're special because they're real and they're there for two weeks a year and you have to know when to go.
The Botanics in Spring
If you're planning content around spring hosting, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a goldmine. In 2027, the Botanics celebrates its 350th anniversary with Flower Power — a major exhibition at Inverleith House Gallery running from 19 March to 31 October 2027. Sculpture, photography, fashion, music, and floral installations drawing on the Botanics' living collections.
For hosts, it's a perfect thing to flag for spring guests. And if you want to help them explore the gardens themselves, the Botanical Path Edinburgh app is a lovely companion — it guides you through the collections with stories and context that you won't get from the signage alone.
Find Me on Google Maps
If you're a host in Edinburgh — or just someone who loves this city — come find me on Google Maps. I'm Sharon McMenemy Khan, a Level 6 Local Guide with 320 photos, 83 reviews, and over 3 million views. You'll see Edinburgh the way I see it: not as a postcard, but as a place that's alive, blooming, and worth sharing.
My Google Maps profile:
https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/110901189836150962567
THE TEAM
Sharon McMenemy Khan — Creative Director & Editor. Sharon sources design inspiration, develops content ideas, and oversees editorial direction. She's a photographer, writer, and Google Maps Local Guide documenting Edinburgh and Scottish locations.
Christine Lorimer — Publishing & Community. Christine manages content scheduling, guest feedback, and the day-to-day running of the workspace.
Koda — Writer & Researcher. Koda handles research, drafting, and publishing. Written by Koda, edited by Sharon McMenemy Khan.
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