Meet the local: Mary Skinner
Mary Skinner is an American lifestyle, wellness and travel creator now based in Edinburgh. Across her platforms, she’s built a deeply engaged audience: 1.4 million followers on TikTok, 286K on Instagram, 70K on YouTube, plus a growing newsletter and podcast with more than 1.5 million downloads. Her content blends reflective, journal-style storytelling with themes of mental wellness, everyday fashion, fragrance, beauty and travel. Calm, elegant and quietly honest, her work captures the beauty of ordinary life lived with intention.
1. You've recently moved from the US to Edinburgh. What drew you to the city?
My husband is from Scotland, and we met and lived in the US for several years. When we chatted about moving back to Scotland, Edinburgh was our top choice for our new home. I was drawn to the rich history, green spaces, and architectural beauty, but also to the size of the city. Edinburgh feels large enough to stay busy for a few years, but small enough to feel community-oriented and friendly.
2. What was your first impression of Edinburgh when you arrived?
My first ever visit to Edinburgh was during the Fringe, so I thought it was a loud, vibrant, social, busy city. I moved over the following May, and although I still think it is a busy, vibrant city, arriving at the end of spring really made me appreciate it. I live in Old Town, so I immediately fell in love with my long morning walks through the city centre. Being able to walk to the Meadows or Inverleith Park, grab a coffee or matcha on the way, and watch the sun climbing over structures older than my entire country, it’s stunning.
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3. How does Edinburgh influence your day-to-day lifestyle compared to back home?
I definitely walk a lot more here, and I lived in a pretty walkable city in the States, so that’s saying something. The centre of town has so many hills and long staircases that sometimes just going to get groceries feels like my daily workout. I also feel that I live more seasonally here. Edinburgh, and Scotland in general, experiences much longer summer daylight hours and much shorter winter daylight hours than my home back in Virginia, so I’ve had to learn to live in harmony with the changing seasons. In the summer, that means taking advantage of the extra light by being extra social. I see friends more, stay out later, and say yes to more plans. In the winter, the lack of daylight (which I’m still not used to) means staying in, lighting a fire, getting cosy, and enjoying hibernation.
4. Has living in Edinburgh changed or inspired your personal style?
I guess it is colder here! Virginia gets quite cold in the winter, but Edinburgh is cold for longer, and the wind! I think the biggest difference is how windy it gets. Luckily for me, cold-weather outfits have always been my favourite anyway. My coat and boot collection has grown quite a bit since moving. I love feeling cosy, so I like that living here means always having a few layers. I also wear more wool and cashmere here than I ever did in the States. The biggest way my style has changed has been in how I now consider the weather when getting dressed in a way that I didn’t before. Waxed coats, hats, scarves, boots, sweaters, they need to be stylish and comfortable, but also functional.
5. What is your favourite way to spend a weekend here?
My ideal weekend would look like this: spend Saturday morning at the farmer’s market on Castle Terrace before walking down to Stockbridge for brunch and shopping. Later that day I’d meet up with friends for dinner and drinks in New Town. Dinner at Dishoom, Baba, or the Dome, followed by cocktails at Lamplighters, the rooftop bar at the Gleneagles Townhouse. After that, any of the bars and pubs on Rose St or George St might call my name. On Sunday morning, I would take my dog for a long walk through the Meadows and pick up a matcha from Matcha Sando. Obviously, as this is a dream weekend, the weather is guaranteed to be gorgeous, so we’d take our time in the park before heading home. I’d probably go shopping again (I love shopping), hitting up Kiltane to see the new pieces, St James Quarter for a long browse, and maybe George St just to have a wander. On Sunday night, I would order a takeaway from Chakoo Bombay Cafe and watch a movie at home. Bliss.
6. If a friend came to visit, what spots would you take them to first?
I had friends here all summer, so I got pretty good at playing tour guide. Every guest wants to walk the Royal Mile, so I start there. I’ve memorised a bunch of historical facts about the various side streets and landmarks so I can impress my guests. I take them through Victoria St and Grassmarket, up Cowgate and through Greyfriars’ Kirkyard, down to the Meadows, and back up the Mile. I make sure they walk Arthur’s Seat, or at least walk the base of it if they don’t want to do the full hike, and the Castle tour is a must. Once that’s out of the way, I start branching out of the Old Town and showing them more of my favourite bits in the city. Leith Walk down to Dean Village is a crowd pleaser, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to a day in Stockbridge or a picnic at Inverleith Park.
I’d made sure we got drinks at Spry Wines and Pickles, and we’d eat at Dublin St Social, The Spence, The Basement, and any of the restaurants from my perfect weekend. We might do a whisky tasting at Johnnie Walker and spend an afternoon at the National Gallery or the National Museum of Scotland, as well. So much to do.
