Worth the Walk Commercial Street, Leith

Leith. Aye, you've chosen well.

You're a minute from the Shore, Edinburgh's old port: three Michelin-starred restaurants within a five-minute walk, pubs with centuries of history, and a tram into town when you want it.

Drink

Old smugglers' taverns, a riverside beer garden and a cold pint with your legs over the water.

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Eat

Leith punches way above its weight. Three Michelin-starred restaurants and some of the best seafood in Scotland, all a few minutes apart.

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Coffee & brunch

One roastery, one brunch institution, both within two minutes.

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See & stroll

A royal yacht, a whisky distillery and a riverside path that runs all the way into town.

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The map

Tap a pin to see what it is and how far it is from the front door.

You're here

The dark pin is the flat on Commercial Street. The Water of Leith runs just to the east, with the Shore's pubs and restaurants lining the far bank. The docks and the Royal Yacht Britannia are to the north.

A simplified map. Walking times are from the flat and rounded to the nearest minute.

Getting here & about

Leith has had its own tram line to the city centre and the airport since 2023, which makes life very easy.

Into town: the tram

Walk to The Shore tram stop on Constitution Street, about seven minutes away. St Andrew Square is roughly 15 to 20 minutes from there. Trams towards the airport run every seven minutes through the day and every 10 minutes early and late. Tap your contactless card on the platform reader before you board.

  1. The ShoreGet on here, heading towards the airport
  2. Foot of the WalkThe bottom of Leith Walk
  3. Up Leith WalkSeveral stops of cafés and shops
  4. St Andrew SquareGet off for Waverley station, the New Town and a short walk to the Old Town

From the airport

The tram runs direct from the airport to The Shore in roughly 45 to 50 minutes. No changes, and there are proper racks for big suitcases.

From Waverley station

Walk up to St Andrew Square (about five minutes) and take the tram towards Newhaven, or grab a taxi from the rank, which takes around 15 minutes.

Buses

Lothian Buses run all over the city from Leith. Tap on with a contactless card; a day ticket covers buses and trams in the city zone.

Late nights

The last trams back towards Leith run in the late evening, so check the Edinburgh Trams timetable before a big night. Lothian runs night buses, and black cabs and Uber are easy to find in the centre.

Walking into town

Straight up Leith Walk takes about 45 minutes to the east end of Princes Street. Or take the prettier route along the Water of Leith walkway.

Bring a jacket

Even in summer, the haar (sea fog) can roll in off the Forth and drop the temperature in minutes.

Further afield

The rest of Edinburgh, and a couple of places beyond it.

Speak a wee bit of Scots

You'll hear most of these before your first pint's finished.

AyeYes. Also "aye right", which means absolutely not.
WeeSmall. Used for everything: a wee dram, a wee walk, a wee minute.
BrawLovely, great. A braw day is a rare and precious thing.
DreichGrey, damp and miserable weather. You'll get at least one.
HaarThe cold sea mist that swallows Leith on otherwise sunny days.
ScranFood. As in: "Fancy some scran on the Shore?"