Edinburgh Festival Rooms

Neighbourhood guide

Staying in Leith during the festivals

Edinburgh's working port, now its food capital. Cheaper than the centre, with a 25-minute commute trade-off.

01

The honest version

Leith

Leith spent the 1980s as a rough docklands neighbourhood. Twenty-five years of regeneration later, it's home to The Shore (Edinburgh's strongest food scene, including Michelin-starred Restaurant Martin Wishart), restored Victorian tenements, and converted warehouse apartments. Walking distance to nothing Fringe-related. Tram to Princes Street is reliable; bus is fine until midnight. After that you're paying for a taxi back.

02

Stay here if, look elsewhere if

Stay here if

  • You care about food
  • You're staying a week or more
  • You want lower rates and don't mind a commute
  • You're a performer or crew member who doesn't need to walk home after midnight

Look elsewhere if

  • You're here for three nights or fewer
  • You want to fall out of the venue and into bed
  • You're going to lots of late-night Fringe shows and don't want to wait for night buses
03

Properties in Leith

All 1 places →
Living area of the Leith Shore apartment Example listing
Leith

Leith Shore waterfront apartment

Quiet waterside flat in Leith, 25 minutes by tram or bus to the city centre.

Whole 2 bed Sleeps 4
Layout preview — not a real booking
04

Other areas to consider

All neighbourhoods →

Marchmont

Student tenements south of The Meadows. Performers love it.

1 listing · Mid band

Old Town

The medieval centre, the highest concentration of Fringe venues. Expensive and never quiet.

1 listing · Premium band

Bruntsfield

Family-friendly, independent shops, a 20-minute walk to most venues.

0 listings · Mid band