Ideal Edinburgh neighborhood

The many historic sites along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile are the focus of many visitors to Scotland’s capital. Waverley Railway Station, just to the north, provides convenient rail access, and nearby is Waverley Bridge, the nexus of various tour bus routes and the express Airlink buses to the airport.

Unfortunately, the hotels nearby are pricey, and, while staying in the center of the sightseeing area is convenient, it can be tiring to be constantly in the center of tourist turmoil. Rick Steves recommends lodging and restaurants in the Dalkeith Road neighborhood, a short bus ride south of the Royal Mile.

During our May 2014 visit, my wife, Paula, and I didn’t want to pay a lot, nor did we want to be dependent upon buses. Luckily, with help from our Lonely Planet guidebook, we found a guest house on the northern edge of Edinburgh’s New Town. Located between the Stockbridge and Broughton neighborhoods, this neighborhood is relatively quiet.

There are several restaurants nearby, including the Pierre Victoire Restaurant (18 Eyre Place, Edinburgh EH3 5EP, U.K.; phone 0131 556 0006, www.pierrevictoire restaurant.co.uk). We had dinner there twice and recommend it. In addition, there’s a Tesco supermarket just a few blocks away.

This area is a 20-minute, one-mile walk from Waverley Station. The first three blocks from the station are uphill, but the remainder of the walk is downhill. If that’s too long a walk for you, city bus lines 23 and 27 regularly travel up and down Dundas Street between Princes Street and the neighborhood. We were told that the one-mile trip by taxi would cost £6 (near $9).

We stayed in the Dene Guest House (7 Eyre Place, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH3 5ES, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 131 556 2700, www.deneguesthouse.com). For a room with facilities en suite, including a great breakfast, we paid £95 (near $148) per night for three nights.

Dene Guest House is adjacent to the Eyre Guest House (5 Eyre Place; phone +44 [0] 131 556 3025, www.eyreguesthouse.co.uk) and the Ardenlee Guest House (9 Eyre Place; phone +44 [0] 131 556 2838, www.ardenlee.co.uk). Each is located in one of the townhouses lined up on Eyre Place, just east of Dundas Street.

Depending upon which source you check, these are either Victorian or Georgian townhouses. (I vote for Georgian.) Other guest houses can be found a few blocks to the east and to the southeast. The Dene Guest House, managed by the efficient Simone, is pleasant and quiet.

I would definitely recommend staying in this area (especially at the Dene Guest House), if you don’t mind the walk.

We found the walk a good way to burn off the typical hearty Scottish breakfast and a good excuse to enjoy a not-so-wee dram of the local whisky each evening. 

In addition, walking a few minutes to the north will take you to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (www.rbge.org.uk), a great place to decompress from the city’s hubbub.

STEPHEN O. ADDISON, Jr.

Charlotte, NC