For Physics?
I can only give advice on Manchester (I know a lot of people there). Are you from the UK (that'll make talk of finance easier due to student loan differences), accommodation - everywhere in Manchester is very expensive. Think ~£150+ a week expensive if you stay in the centre, which is a pain. However cost of living (food etc) is much cheaper than other places (but I'm from Oxford where everything is stupidly expensive so was shocked when coming up and seeing how cheap food was) If you decide to live in a house/ flat away from the city centre I'd advise this - I pay £77 bills-included for my room in Salford (which is just outside Manchester city). Manchester is a great city otherwise with many great places. I don't go to Manchester University but many friends do - it has it's many upsides and downsides. Upside - one of the best universities (league tables wise), the research is world leading and I've heard good things about certain lecturers, however downside - not that much support for students if they have problems. It's the worst university in the UK on free speech so if you plan to say anything negative about it - prepare to be reprimanded! I find that quite a few students on the Physics course drop out and switch to my university (Salford) or Leeds as they can't handle the stress or expectations of Man Uni Physics.
TL;DR - if you can handle it, Man Uni can be an excellent time.
As for Edinburgh, I have no clue, hopefully someone else can tell you about it.