I feel obligated to write an honest review (rare on airbnb these days). If I had seen one, maybe I would have chosen differently for what will likely be my last trip to Scotland.
Usually I can work around a lot of stuff, as long as I get on well with the host. I always look at the host as my first factor in selecting somewhere to stay, as it's so important to feel comfortable with who you're staying with. I was there for electronic music, Richard is into that as well, the listing seemed detail and thorough, I know Leith so I kind of knew what to expect, so I thought all would be okay.
Initially there were some issues with the space - it seemed to me there was a damp problem next to the bathroom which smelled when you came in the front door (it's a small space so if you're sensitive to this kind of thing you can smell it everywhere). I nearly looked to change my stay after a few days because of this but I had booked a long period (3 weeks), had committments on, so wanted to wait and see if it improved.
The smell finally receded (maybe dried out somewhat) but meanwhile other issues were surfacing: nowhere to put clothes (no shelves or anywhere to hang besides one hook on the back of the door) and the mattress was the most basic, a thin piece of foam, so not very comfortable.
It's a three-level tenement so you are lying right under the floor of the above flat and these people were running about early and late...the thudding can be pretty insistent.
Also you are facing out onto the Tolbooth Wynd flats which gets pretty lively some nights - residents yelling at each other etc occasionally. Also some likely lads across the street who I inadvertedly gave a show getting dressed to (the mirror was next to the window). (My bad on this one, I just didn't think, and it's not my habit to get dressed in the dark etc - I don't like drawing curtains much.)
Also it's impossible to move the window on your own which means either insects/noise (no screen) or no air/ventilation.
All that, while not being very comfortable, was dealable with.
What finally made me leave a week early was the host was rude to me during another conversation where I felt like he was just wanting to prove me wrong. He then told me "you don't know what you're talking about!" after I got something wrong about a show on Nettflix (and general opinion of that company). He'd had a beer so this came out quite aggressively, even contemptuously, so I then decided to leave as soon as I could.
My experience was of being talked at by someone who wants to tell you his experiences and beliefs, but isn't open to hearing your different experience in return. This may be a culturally working-class Scottish thing - if you don't fit within a certain political or anti-Monarchy paradigm...look out. (So this experience taught me that, about Scottish men!) I'm Australian, so we don't have a lot of the sectarian/religious stuff, or anti-monarchist paradigm (to this degree), and I think left-wing means something different possibly in Australia)...it's just different, maybe with less bias in some areas, and less tied to religion. However admittedly, I don't understand the intricacies of this.
I'm the sort of person who is happy to engage in discussions if that is how it seems to be flowing with the host. By the time the above exchange happened though, it was obvious I had been written off from previous discussions when I had discussed something a bit alternative and energy-based (It's obvious if you read my profile that I come from an alternative healing background). More fool me, I guess. :-/. (Another lesson learned - Scottish men mostly can't cope with stuff like this.)
I left and stayed at a BnB for my last days there.
However, to his credit, Richard refunded my money for the remainder of my stay; and apologised to me via text. I don't harbour any ill-will to this host, but I feel I have a duty to other travellers to be transparent about what happened, especially for those who are travelling a long way and spending a lot to come there.
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