Born and raised in Milan, Irene moved to Scotland in 2009. She achieved a PhD in Art History at the University of Edinburgh in 2015. Her doctoral thesis looked at the artistic patronage of the Vespucci family in fifteenth-century Florence. Irene currently works at the University of Edinburgh. She loves art, coffee, yoga, and the sun – not necessarily in this order. Despite her reluctance to sit on planes, she is a travel addict and she hopes to tour the world one day. Edinburgh stole her heart and it is now her home.

Hugh was born in Scotland, and raised on his father’s farm in Perthshire. He was educated at Cambridge University, where he read French and German literature. After completing his doctoral thesis in German, he joined the British foreign service, and spent over 25 years travelling the world as a diplomat, ultimately with the rank of ambassador.

Born in Edinburgh, brought up in Edinburgh, Edinburgh through and through, David’s studies at university for an honours degree included Scottish, British and European history. He has a lifelong familiarity with the history and architecture of his native city but still constantly wonders at its ability to change. Before learning how to explain and interpret the history and culture of his native land by training to become a professionally qualified Scottish Tourist Guide, he practised Scots law. His interests lie mainly in history, law - and perhaps the odd whisky! Nowadays he combines passing on knowledge through guiding across Edinburgh (and Scotland generally) with passing on knowledge through teaching trainee lawyers and trainee tourist guides.