Edinburgh

Visitors come for the castle and the Royal Mile, for museums and galleries, for walks over hills and along the Water of Leith, and above all for the festivals that fill the city every August. Edinburgh suits history lovers, culture seekers, families and walkers, and it works well for short breaks or longer stays. Vacation rentals range from flats in tall Old Town tenements and Georgian New Town terraces to homes in Stockbridge, Leith and the Southside, all under Scotland's short-term let licensing rules.

Where to stay in Edinburgh

The Old Town puts you on the Royal Mile, close to the castle, the closes and the main festival venues, but it is steep, busy and noisy in August. The New Town, north of Princes Street, has elegant Georgian streets and squares, many shops and good transport, and suits most first visits. Stockbridge, just beyond it beside the Water of Leith, was once a separate village and keeps a relaxed, local character that families and couples enjoy.

The Southside, including Marchmont, Bruntsfield and Newington, is residential and green around the Meadows, popular with students, families and anyone wanting a quieter base within walking distance of the centre. Leith, the old port to the north, has a waterfront, a strong food scene and a tram link to the centre. Portobello, about 5 km east, is a seaside suburb with a promenade and a wide sandy beach.

The Old Town, the castle and Holyrood

Edinburgh Castle stands on the plug of an extinct volcano, and there has been a royal castle on the rock since the 11th century. It holds the Honours of Scotland, the crown, sceptre and sword of state, and the One O'Clock Gun is fired from its battery every day except Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day. From the castle, the Royal Mile runs almost exactly a mile downhill past St Giles' Cathedral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch's official residence in Scotland, and the modern Scottish Parliament.

Narrow closes and wynds lead off the main street, and the National Museum of Scotland and Greyfriars Kirk lie just to the south. Behind Holyrood rises Arthur's Seat, an ancient volcano 250.5 m high in Holyrood Park; it is relatively easy to climb, and the view takes in the whole city, the Firth of Forth and the hills of Fife.

The New Town and the Enlightenment

In the 18th century Edinburgh was at the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment, when thinkers such as David Hume, Adam Smith and James Hutton were familiar figures in its streets. To relieve the crowded Old Town, the city held a competition for a new town, won by the 26-year-old James Craig, whose simple grid linked two garden squares along a ridge. Built in stages from 1767 to around 1850, the New Town keeps much of its neoclassical architecture.

Princes Street faces the castle across the gardens that replaced the drained Nor Loch, and The Mound carries the Scottish National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy. Calton Hill, at the east end, is crowned by monuments including an unfinished copy of the Parthenon, part of the reason Edinburgh was compared to Athens. Dean Village, in a gorge below Thomas Telford's Dean Bridge, completed in 1831, is a quiet walk from the West End.

Festivals and events

Every August, several festivals take over Edinburgh at once and the city fills with performers and visitors. The Edinburgh International Festival, held for about three weeks in August since 1947, presents opera, theatre, music and dance. The Fringe began the same year when eight theatre companies arrived uninvited, and it is now widely described as the world's largest performing arts festival, with thousands of shows in venues across the city. The Military Tattoo fills the Castle Esplanade on most evenings through August, and book, art and film festivals add to the programme.

Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year, has grown into several days of processions, concerts and fireworks around 31 December. If you plan to visit in August or at New Year, book accommodation well ahead and expect higher demand across the city. The rest of the year has its own events, and spring and autumn are calmer times to enjoy the museums.

Getting there and day trips

Edinburgh Airport (EDI) is at Ingliston, about 9 km west of the city centre, and the tram, which opened in 2014, runs from the airport through the centre to Leith and Newhaven, extended there in 2023. Edinburgh Waverley, in the valley between the Old and New Towns, is the main railway station, with trains to Glasgow, the rest of Scotland and England. Buses cover the whole city, and a car is not needed for a city stay.

Day trips are easy. The Forth Bridge, the red cantilever railway bridge completed in 1890 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, is reached by train to Dalmeny near South Queensferry. The Pentland Hills offer walking on the city's southern edge. Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, and Stirling, with its castle, are popular by train, and coach and car trips continue to the Highlands.

Weather and short-let rules

Edinburgh has a cool maritime climate that is milder than its northern latitude suggests. Summers are mild rather than hot and winters are cool and damp, with short days. Weather changes quickly, east winds can bring a cold sea fog called haar, and layers and a waterproof are useful in any season. May to September brings the longest days.

Short-term lets in Scotland need a licence from the local council, and in Edinburgh it is a criminal offence to operate one without it. The whole City of Edinburgh Council area has been a short-term let control area since 5 September 2022, so letting a whole home that is not the host's main residence may also need planning permission. Since 24 July 2026, overnight stays in paid accommodation in Edinburgh carry a visitor levy of 5 percent on up to the first five consecutive nights. Rules can change, so check the council's current guidance.