Edinburgh stories

Beneath the Royal Mile: Edinburgh's Underground Vaults and the City That Lives Below

Below the South Bridge lies a second Edinburgh — a sealed labyrinth where the city's poorest once lived in total darkness, and the honest history down there is stranger than any ghost story sold at the door.

Margaux Sinclair26 Jul 2026

Forged in Fire: The Volcanic Bones Beneath Edinburgh

A grounded, boots-on walker's guide to the extinct volcanoes, crags and plugs the city was built on — from the summit everyone climbs to the gannet-white rock you reach by boat.

Margaux Sinclair26 Jul 2026

Monsters, Lochs and Glens: The Highland Escape That Starts in Edinburgh

An honest, unhurried field guide to the best Highland day trips and multi-day runs from Edinburgh — which earn the early alarm, which suit a coachload and which you should stop pretending you can do in a day.

Margaux Sinclair25 Jul 2026

The Best Day Trips from Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands

Twelve honest, road-tested escapes from the capital — from the Loch Ness classic to Highlands-lite lochs an hour away — with the timings, prices and group realities the brochures leave out.

Margaux Sinclair24 Jul 2026

West End, Edinburgh: the city’s civilised pocket of wine, theatre and quiet streets

A stroll through Edinburgh’s West End, where William Street, the theatre quarter and Dean Village make a compact, grown-up neighbourhood with real local rhythm.

Stockbridge, Edinburgh: the village that keeps its own clock

A walk through Edinburgh’s most likeable pocket, where the Water of Leith, Sunday market, serious food and old stone streets make a local life feel almost conspiratorial.

Southside & Newington, Edinburgh: curry counters, Fringe courtyards and a very walkable city edge

Edinburgh’s Southside and Newington trade postcard polish for student energy, cheap excellent food and a Fringe-season buzz that can carry you from Nicolson Street to Arthur’s Seat without ever feeling like you’ve left the city’s pulse.

Portobello, Edinburgh: the seaside suburb that runs on tide time

A walk through Porty’s beach, high street and sauna-steamed prom, where Edinburgh loosens its collar and heads for the Firth of Forth.

Old Town, Edinburgh: closes, castles and the long shadow of the Royal Mile

Edinburgh’s medieval core is all steep stone, whisky warmth and stories underfoot — a place where the castle, the closes and the Cowgate still set the city’s rhythm.

New Town, Edinburgh: Georgian order, proper eating and late drinks

A walk through Edinburgh’s New Town, where straight streets, serious restaurants and basement cocktail bars make the city feel beautifully composed.

Leith, Edinburgh: the waterfront neighbourhood where the city eats and drinks best

A former port with Michelin stars, whisky towers and a stubbornly local streak, Leith is Edinburgh at its most lived-in, and its most delicious.

Bruntsfield & Morningside, Edinburgh: the southside that lives like a local

A leafy, shop-rich stretch of Edinburgh where free golf, serious coffee, old-school pubs and quiet streets make a convincing case for staying south of the centre.

Abbeyhill & Easter Road, Edinburgh: football, hills and a proper local high street

A lived-in slice of Edinburgh where Arthur’s Seat is five minutes away, Hibs rules the weekends, and the food strip is quietly getting interesting.