Where to Stay in Edinburgh: Old Town, New Town, Leith and More

For a first trip, stay in the New Town, or on the stretch where the Old Town and New Town meet around Waverley station and Princes Street. You’re a short walk from the castle and the Royal Mile and you sleep on flatter, quieter streets. Stay in the Old Town itself if you want to wake up under the castle and don’t mind slopes, cobbles and weekend noise.

Roam Edinburgh read 15 area guides in English and counted which areas they name. Old Town, New Town, Leith and Stockbridge come up in 13 or more of them, and trams and the airport link in 10 or 11. Every transport fact on this page comes from an official page, and no hotel prices are quoted. Prices move with the festivals, so check dates before you compare areas.

Then see what’s on during your stay. The events page lists festivals, gigs and markets from the organisers’ own pages, and the map shows where they are. For the sights themselves, read things to do in Edinburgh. If you’re stuck between the first two areas, Old Town or New Town compares them head to head.

The short list

Old Town

The Old Town is named by 14 of 15 guides read.

The Old Town runs from the castle down the Royal Mile to Holyrood, and it is the classic first-trip base. UNESCO lists the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh as one World Heritage site, describing a medieval Old Town dominated by a fortress. Most guides call it the best base for sights. The same guides warn about the other side, with steep closes, cobbles that suit a small bag, and a busy street at night.

New Town

The New Town is named by 13 of 15 guides read.

The New Town is the Georgian grid north of Princes Street, built from the 18th century on. UNESCO describes it as neoclassical, and it has the broad, level streets the Old Town doesn’t. Guides send you here for shops, restaurants and a calmer night. Waverley station is on its edge, and the castle is up the slope to the south.

West End and Haymarket

The West End is named by 8 of 15 guides read, Haymarket by 6.

The West End sits at the western end of the New Town, around Charlotte Square. It’s quieter than the centre and still walkable to Princes Street. Edinburgh Trams lists West End and Haymarket stops on the line from the airport to Newhaven, with trams running from every 7 minutes.

Haymarket is the second main railway station, to the west of Princes Street. The guides that favour it do so for trains and the airport tram.

Stockbridge

Stockbridge is named by 14 of 15 guides read.

Stockbridge is a village-sized pocket north of the New Town, on the Water of Leith. Guides recommend it for cafes, small shops and a more local feel. Guides pitch it at return visitors and longer stays.

Leith

Leith is named by 14 of 15 guides read.

Leith is the old port, on the waterfront north of the centre. Guides rate it for restaurants, bars along the Water of Leith and the waterfront. The tram line ends at Newhaven, on the Leith side, and runs through the centre to the airport.

Southside, Marchmont and Bruntsfield

The southern districts are named by 11 of 15 guides read.

South of the Old Town, Newington, Marchmont and Bruntsfield are tenement streets around the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links. They suit students, longer stays and a stay on a lower budget. Guides mention them for local cafes and parks, and for buses into the centre.

Getting around from your base

Edinburgh Castle’s own page puts the airport tram at about 30 minutes to Princes Street, with trams leaving every 7 minutes, and the Airlink 100 bus at 25 minutes to Waverley Bridge, next to Waverley station. Both run to the middle of town. Eleven of the 15 guides mention the tram.

Which area for which trip

• First trip: the New Town, or the Old Town and New Town border.
• Sights and atmosphere above all: the Old Town.
• A quiet night near the centre: West End or Stockbridge.
• Food and the waterfront: Leith.
• Lower prices and a local feel: Newington, Marchmont or Bruntsfield.
• Early trains and the airport: Haymarket.

Places in this guide

Photos show the actual places, licensed under Creative Commons and credited to their photographers.

Princes Street Gardens New Town Photo: Matt Kieffer Edinburgh Playhouse Leith Photo: Dancewear Central Water of Leith Walkway Stockbridge Photo: Tom Parnell Surgeons' Hall Museums Southside Photo: Neil Turner Usher Hall West End Photo: Daniel Scottish Parliament Holyrood Photo: Rob Oo Starbank Park Newhaven Photo: gnomonic