Our Edinburgh is a wonderful place to be – even in the rain - Steve Cardownie

Simona and Martin and dog Xaverl on holiday from Munich

​Recent research by Barclays showed that her fans (Swifties to you and me) were expected to inject approximately £185m into the Scottish economy. They were expected to fork out about £848 each on hotels, bars, restaurants, travel, taxis and other expenses.

Visit Scotland estimated that “Swifties” would spend an average of £75 each on gifts and memorabilia, which in itself could raise as much as £7.5m for the local economy.

Research recently published by Scottish Rugby demonstrated that nearly 800,000 people attend events at Murrayfield Stadium with more than 165,000 coming from outside Scotland, boosting Edinburgh’s economy by more than £631m.

The Fringe Festival is worth around £200m to the city’s economy with the Royal Military Tattoo bringing in around £100m annually and the Christmas/Hogmanay Festival responsible for a £48.5m uplift.

It was heartening to see so many expressions of support for events in the city in yesterday’s Evening News section “The Edinburgh Conversation.”

Comments like “Brilliant concert, well done Taylor and her thousands of fans. The crowds have been amazing, so well behaved" and “I think Edinburgh residents should be proud, everyone has coped well with transport and roads in general” demonstrate the kind of support for festivals and events that has been replicated in many City Council surveys of Edinburgh residents.

We are also now witnessing a build-up of regular tourists to the city who must have been bemused to see thousands of young people parading through the likes of Princes Street and George Street in their pink, sequined finery, laughing and singing as they made their way to the stadium over the weekend.

Nor did the rain on Sunday dampen their spirits as the day progressed from dreich to downpours with intermittent sunny spells.

I had occasion to speak to two visitors from our twin city, Munich, who assured me that they were having a great time despite the rain.

Simona and Martin swapped the current inclement weather in their home city for more of the same here as they huddled under their umbrellas while enjoying a drink at The Shoogly Peg in Rose Street.

So, all told, there is much to be delighted with and much to look forward to as the summer festivals approach.

In the meantime, we can visit the city’s beer gardens, weather permitting, particularly with large screens to watch Scotland’s progress to the UEFA European Championship Final at the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, (well we can dream, can’t we?)

Like so many city residents I welcome the influx of visitors who flock to Edinburgh, not just to go to big blockbuster events but to marvel at our scenery and architecture.

Our themed bars and restaurants, our museums, and galleries as well as our theatres, all extend a warm welcome to residents and visitors alike.

So, I am thankful that I live in Edinburgh, a place not without it’s challenges, but still a place to be proud of.