The West End is one of Edinburgh’s most desirable neighbourhoods, it borders the UNESCO-listed conservation area of the New Town, sharing its environment of Georgian architecture and garden squares. The West End is renowned for being the city’s financial powerhouse and owes much of its vibrancy to this connection. There’s upscale shopping, culture hotspots and some of the city’s best bars and restaurants to enjoy.
You’re minutes away from Edinburgh’s City Centre. Splash out at the popular retail zones of Princes Street and George Street, take in Edinburgh Castle, the city’s many excellent galleries and museums, not to mention the cosy bars and restaurants and Medieval splendour of the Old Town.
An easy downhill stroll away sits the charming village of Stockbridge, an area packed with dozens of independent boutiques, restaurants, cafés and pubs. Nearby the Water of Leith walkway makes for a really pleasant stroll or bike ride along a twelve-mile walkway with green-fringed banks carpeted by wild flowers and ancient woodlands. The historic Dean Village is another oasis of calm on your doorstep. The old watermills, bridges and Thomas Telford-designed St Bernard’s Well lending the lush greenery here extra character and history.
With independent galleries, such as the West End’s Gallery TEN, both established and emerging artists are represented and supported throughout the town. Besides easy access to the city’s art galleries and museums, there are plenty of diversions on your doorstep. Edinburgh is a city of festivals and the West End holds its own arts festival each April.
The magnificent St Mary’s Cathedral is one of the area’s architectural gems. Designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and erected in 1874, it hosts concerts and also accommodates the writer Sir Walter Scott’s personal pew.
The area is home to a range of international cuisines, hosting Swedish artisan bakery Söderberg alongside Argentinian steakhouse Gaucho. Nearby you can also visit Affogato Ice Cream Bar, a local institution where you can treat yourself to an Irn Bru gelato made from the celebrated Scottish soft drink, among other delights.
Coffee lovers will be delighted to have the stylish Cairngorm Coffee just around the corner on Melville Place, the perfect place to start your day.
Watering holes of choice range from the likes of the style-conscious dining bar Teuchters on William Street, popular with the fun-loving after-work crowd, to more refined and historical bars such as Whighams Wine Cellars and Le Di-Vin. There is also the Edinburgh Gin Distillery on Rutland Street where you can take a tour, distil your own gin or just pop in for a bottle.
The West End of Edinburgh is a smart, upmarket place to live and work, with some of the city’s best independent shopping. Besides the prime retail areas of Princes Street, George Street, St James Quarter and Multrees Walk within easy walking distance, there’s William Street, one of Edinburgh’s most pleasant places for idle wandering, with no shortage of interesting boutiques and cafes to browse around.
The urban village of Stockbridge, just a ten-minute stroll from the West End, retains an arty, Bohemian vibe, thanks to its cluster of galleries, wine bars, coffee shops, artisan delis, upmarket charity shops and independent food stores.
The naturally wild banks of the river the Water of Leith are always a joy to stroll or cycle along, as is the Union Canal. Slightly further afield, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Inverleith Park offer a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the capital’s main shopping streets.
Alternatively, you can splash around at the Drumsheugh Baths Club, one of the oldest private swimming clubs in the UK.
Melville Crescent is ideally situated for bus, train and tram services. The local tram connects quickly to Edinburgh Airport together with Murrayfield stadium and both ends of Princes Street in the city centre.
Edinburgh Haymarket Station is a 12-minute walk, providing direct trains to Glasgow (50 minutes), Aberdeen (2 hours 10 minutes), Inverness (3 hours 35 minutes) and London (4 hours 25 minutes).
Edinburgh Airport is only a 20-minute drive or a 30-minute train journey, with connections to hundreds of destinations worldwide.
A modern tram connects the city centre with a reliable service running between the West End (the nearest tram stop is just a two-minute walk away), York Place, Murrayfield Stadium and Edinburgh Airport.
