Edinburgh

Leith & The Shore

Edinburgh's port, two miles and a world away from the castle. A cobbled quayside of merchants' houses and old bonded warehouses along the Water of Leith, three Michelin stars within a few streets of each other, and behind it a long, scruffy, genuinely multicultural high street. It was the roughest part of the city within living memory and is now the best place in Scotland to eat. Both of those facts are still visible.

Who it's for: Eaters, unambiguously — this is the densest concentration of serious restaurants in Scotland, at every price point from a £4 pie to a twelve-course tasting menu. Drinkers who want proper pubs rather than tourist bars. Anyone who wants to see a city that isn't performing for visitors. Royalty enthusiasts, for the Britannia.

Things to know

  • The tram runs from Princes Street to Newhaven via Leith and takes about 20 minutes — remember to tap on AND tap off at the platform validators, which is not how the buses work.
  • 'Leith' covers a lot of ground. The Shore is the pretty quayside; Leith Walk is the long high street running down from the city; Newhaven is the old fishing harbour at the far end. They're a 20-minute walk apart.
  • This is where the Michelin stars are: The Kitchin, Restaurant Martin Wishart and Heron are all within a few minutes of each other on or near The Shore. All three need booking weeks ahead.
  • Leith Market runs Saturdays 10am–4pm at Dock Place; the first Saturday of each month adds a Vegan Quarter section.
  • The Royal Yacht Britannia is entered through Ocean Terminal shopping centre — go to the second floor. It is not obvious from outside and people waste a lot of time looking for a ship entrance.
  • Newhaven at the end of the tram line has the best fish and chips in Edinburgh and a working harbour with a view across the Forth to Fife. Almost no visitors get that far.
  • The Water of Leith Walkway ends here. You can walk the whole way from Stockbridge or even Dean Village and arrive at The Shore, which is the best way to approach Leith.
  • Leith is safe, and the older safety warnings you may read about it are decades out of date — but it is a real neighbourhood, so ordinary city sense at night applies as anywhere.