Is Edinburgh safe to walk around at night for a solo traveller?

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the answer depends a lot on your particular situation.

Edinburgh is safe. By “city centre” you mean the old town? Yes - safe.

BUT… YMMV. Do you present as young? Female? Or do you present as a grown up male who looks like he can take care of himself? I loathe wading into the thorny thickets of age/gender etc., but as someone who has traveled as a female - both very young and medium old - I know these things make a difference.

That said, “safe” can mean “I won’t be jumped or robbed” or it can mean “I won’t be followed and cat-called.” Which do you mean?

:-)

Hi Fausti, I am a female older solo traveler and was in Edinburgh about 2 years ago staying on York Place in New Town. I felt completely safe no matter where I was. In fact one night I went to meet a friend at Baba, which was about a mile from my hotel. Our reservation was at 9 pm as that was the only reservation we could get, so it was already dusk by the time I started walking there and it was dark around 10:30 pm by the time I walked back.

But the streets were lit up, it was a lovely night and the walk was wonderful. There were still people out all over and it was just a really nice experience to be enjoying the evening breezes, and looking at some of the cafes and restaurants that were still open at that time. I should also note that there were a lot of people still out on the streets even at 10:30 at night. They were just walking around like me, enjoying the evening. I made it a point after that to go out in the evening and walk around and really enjoyed seeing all the sights at dusk or even after dark. And as I said, I never felt unsafe.

Again this was the city center, so I can't speak for areas outside of that. But it sounds like you are staying in the city center as well, so it shouldn't be an issue for you. No matter what, you will really enjoy Edinburgh. It's a really lovely city.

Volva is right that definitions matter and your experience will be your own.

That said, my experience as an older solo female traveler who was out late at night (including a walk and a bus ride and a walk in crowds after an evening Tattoo) was that I had no trouble. While there can always be circumstances, in general I would say it is fine.

I used to live in Edinburgh and generally felt very safe walking around in the evening, especially around the busy central areas. I don't know if I'd want to be walking around on my own especially late (like early hours of the morning), but the main thing you will find is loud drunk students.

As a solo female of over 50, I have always felt pretty safe walking the streets of Edinburgh alone till maybe 11pm. That’s with the proviso that I’d avoid the various narrow alleyways and wynds, and stick to major roads where possible. Edinburgh also has a good bus service - and of course taxis if you feel unsure.