It's not near the Royal Mile, but it's an easy bus in. The Inverleith is a small family owned hotel near the Royal Botanic Gardens. I like it because it's a bit away from the tourist crowds, but easily close enough to get to the sights on the Royal Mile or in Newtown. I usually get a day pass for the bus, but often find myself walking back in the afternoon. You can easily get to Leith from here where there are some good restaurants and the Royal Yacht Britannia. Most of the places on The Royal Mile are bigger. You might also look at the B&B's behind Calton Hill. They are closer than the Inverleith, but the one I stayed in a number of years ago wasn't as nice.

Pam

We stayed at Kenvie Guest House in the Dalkeith area [one of Rick's recommendations] and were happy with our choice; nice room, delicious breakfast, and free Internet access so I could email family about our safe arrival. It was about a 10-minute bus ride from the Royal Mile, and in a very pleasant area.

Hi Muriel,

I stayed at another New Town area place: the Dene Guest House, http://www.deneguesthouse.com/. Breakfast was good, the hosts friendly, and the location is great for getting several different bus routes.

One thing to consider about how close you must be to the actual Mile, the museums mostly are not open until 10am (9:30, I think, for the Castle), so there's time to wait before you get in, time useful to bus over or even walk. I think the Dene was 10-15 minutes away by bus.

Cheers.

Thanks for the recommendations, but are there any B&Bs or small guest houses close to the Royal Mile? Or is it really preferable to stay farther away?

My experience is that most of the accommodation on the Royal Mile is hotels. I checked this website. http://www.edinburgh-royalmile.com/accommodation.html and it seems that there are also a lot of self-catering apartments as well, which really shouldn't have surprised me. The B&B's tend to be a big further afield. This is likely because private homes are not on the Royal Mile. There are some results when you google B&B's Royal Mile Edinburgh. I've never stayed in them.

Why do you want to stay on The Royal Mile? If you tell us that, then we might be able to explain the other areas better. Remember as I mentioned that nothing if very far from anything in Edinburgh.

Pam

Good question, Pam, about my interest in staying near the Royal Mile. The last time we were in Edinburgh (two years ago), we stayed far from the center of town. And while the B&B said it was near a bus stop, it wasn't. And the routes weren't clearly marked, so we wandered around in various places where we visited, looking for the stop where our bus back to the B&B stopped. As a result, we spent a lot of time waiting for buses (usually in the rain), didn't have time to go back to the room and wash up before heading out for dinner, and generally vowed that next time we're in Edinburgh, we'd be closer to where we'd be spending days.

P.S. Forgot to add that so many people were so helpful when I asked about a good place to stay in London (before we go to Edinburgh) that I figured I'd tap this generous pool of knowledge again. Present plans are to stay in London for a few days, then take a train to Edinburgh for a few days.

We stayed at the Travel Lodge ON the Royal Mile a couple of years ago. The info is in Rick's book. No included breakfast, but there is a small restaurant on site and LOTS of places to eat nearby. The rooms wee neat and attractive, fairly reasonable and very convenient. Not 'picturesque' but I would certainly stay there again.

the above to read were not 'wee' though the rooms were not spacious.

Hi Muriel,

Great reasoning for being close to the Royal Mile! I'm sorry for answering on a tangent going away from your desired direction. The Dene definitely has bus stops right next to it, though, but you want closer ...

As Pam and Diane ably mention, it's hotels I remember seeing closer. Cost is really what keeps me usually looking a bit further away, though the TravelLodge regularly has specials on its web site, that could make it worth a look.

I'm looking at TripAdvisors page for B&B/Inns for Edinburgh and the map, see if I recognize anything
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g186525-c2-Edinburgh_Scotland-Hotels.html

On the map, I see no numbers are On the Royal Mile, but I recognize #3, not too far off in New Town .. Gerald's Place. I've seen that given as a very good place to stay numerous times (I read threads here and on Fodors).

19 is a bit closer. I have not read of Four Hill Place, but one review makes me think it's newer. Unless you've a huge amount of luggage, you could probably walk from the train station to it. Wow, according to the web site, it's mostly already booked for the year.

Good luck in your quest, but definitely enjoy the trip!

Well yes, standing around waiting for buses would be a pain. I think you could broaden your search to New Town. Royal Mile is within walking distance and many great restaurants are right there.

Also, it truly is possible to stay a bit further afield and not run into the difficulties that you had. Bear in mind that for the last couple of years Edinburgh City Center has been in a real mess traffic-wise as they tore up Princes Street to put the new tram lines in. That could have been part of your problem. I hear that they are either done or just about done.

I suggest that if you do find a place off the Royal Mile that you think is attractive, post on TripAdvisor's Edinburgh Forum and ask specifically about bus access for that address. You'll get good feedback and information from locals.

Pam

Most B & B's are not near The Royal Mile and I think it is a good idea to stay near the Royal Mile. I did love our
B & B but it was too far from anything and while on a bus line, it was a hassle.