All friendships take a lot of work. It's understandable that the feeling of being 'close' friends fades when you can't communicate in person (whether there is a lot of geographical distance between you or not).
I'd say that friends are still friends in those circumstances, friends I think are forever as long as some form of contact exists. In truth I think friends are still friends even if you lose touch for a couple of years, unless something drastic intervenes it's almost always possible to hit it off once again.
Hi its good to hear from you and that you made it safely to Scotland
To be honest you shouldn't feel overwhelmed by Edinburgh, it's one of the smallest cities in the world. Everything you need is always a 10 min walk away
If theres any thing you have an interest in, let me know and i'll give you directions to it
Meeting up for a coffee sounds good, i actually have a part time job serving coffee on a Sat so next time you come to Edinburgh let me know
There is actually a SG Scotland and SG UK meet this Sat in Edinburgh, if you get the chance you should come along. I've met a few people already and everyone is really cool