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Quiet local areas in Edinburgh

going From London to Edinburgh on may 6th - staying for a week
looking for an Airbnb - is it better to stay in old town versus new town -
we love to walk and willing to take public transport - and also okay walking to sites -
just wanted t osee if anyone had any thoughts - also not invested in AIR bnb - we will love to stay with locals
to completely immerse ourselves with the culture - - maybe B&B - price not an issue
Any suggestions ok - we want our own bathroom though -

Posted by
11 posts

Vee,
I don't have any Scotland advice...heading there in May for the first time...but I would recommend you look at VRBO instead of Air B&B. I've had some ...iffy stays in a shared residence through AB&B. The wife and I did Wales (and a bit of England) in September of 2019 (dodged a virus there) and stayed at 3 separate VRBOs. Fantastic! We had entire apartments to ourselves...all the bathrooms you'd like. Excellent customer service and usually a variety of places to choose from. We were on the water in Tenby, high on the Orme in Llandudno and over a bookshop within spitting distance of Yorkminster in York. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Happy travels.
Mike

Posted by
1306 posts

You might like this B&B, which is run by a lovely couple. We stayed in their previous house but their new location gets excellent reviews. 2 Cambridge Street Neither fully in the old or new towns, but an excellent location and walkable to both. Also near good bus routes.

AirBnB's in Edinburgh often get a bad reception from locals, as investors have bought up entire apartment blocks, essentially blocking locals from being able to afford to buy or rent in their own city. It was one reason for the new Short Term Let legislation which requires AirBnbs (and traditional B&Bs) to be licensed. In addition to AirBnBs you will also find apart hotels, which might fit the bill for you. Personally I'd prefer to avoid the old town area near the Royal Mile as it will be very noisy.

Posted by
8157 posts

I stayed in New Town and really enjoyed—much more than I would have staying in Old Town. The New Town area has a much more residential feel to it with lots of trees, and gardens and people strolling along, as opposed to the more touristed areas of Old Town. Can't help you with AirBnbs, though (although Skyegirl's B&B link looks very nice!).

Posted by
52 posts

thanks all for the replies - i was able to secure a place on the south side of the city - a lot quieter - thanks all for the time you took to answer my questions and offer advice - cannot wait for my trip

Posted by
146 posts

I have stayed 5 times at Kingsway Guest House. Lovely home and hosts Lizzie and Gary. The breakfasts are hot and fresh each morning excellent choices and a daily special. Bus stop at end of quiet street takes about 6 min to get to Royal Mile.
Have a wonderful time!
Kathleen

Posted by
613 posts

I agree completely with Kathleen. Kingsway B&B was perfect for our five night stay last December.