Coined the ‘Athens of the North’, Edinburgh is a city famed for its beauty, culture and rich history. Bursting with independent eateries, spectacular medieval architecture and more green space than any other UK city, Scotland’s capital is a popular destination for those wishing to experience city living at a slower, more relaxed pace.
Dubbed the UK’s ‘most walkable city’ in 2017, Edinburgh is small and compact without compromising on adventure. Overflowing with museums, galleries and monuments for culture vultures and history buffs alike, its famed Fringe festival welcomes up to 400,000 tourists each year, making it the world’s biggest arts festival and the beating heart of the city every August.
With so much to see and do in Edinburgh, it’s no wonder people flock to its streets in droves to live and work — but where should you settle down? Read on to discover some of the best places to live in the Scottish capital.
Stockbridge
One of Edinburgh’s most popular city-centre neighbourhoods, Stockbridge boasts elegant Georgian architecture, green space and an abundant mix of independent shops, boutiques and eateries.
A short walk from busy Princes Street, Stockbridge is a central location with a distinct village air, feeling a million miles away from the hustle and bustle with its cosy cobbled streets, quiet residential nooks and the babbling sounds of the water of Leith River cutting through its centre. Residents enjoy Stockbridge’s weekly Sunday market, quaint watering holes and ample gardens, making it an excellent location for families and young professionals alike.
As of writing, the average price of a home in Stockbridge is £511,793.
Morningside
Another favourite city-centre borough among the locals of Edinburgh and home of the popular children’s book character Maisie the cat, Morningside is teeming with culinary delights, boutiques and the city’s famous independent luxury cinema, The Dominion.
Lying to the south, this leafy suburb has plenty of green spaces, with sprawling parks, rolling hills and city hotspot, The Meadows, only a short walk away. With plenty of charming pubs, quirky shops and mouth-watering cuisines to try, Morningside is a great destination for those who like the finer things in life. Edinburgh’s lively city centre is just a short walk away, too, with plenty of reliable transport options to get to and from in a flash.
The average house price of a Morningside home at the time of writing is £444,973.
South Queensferry
Nestled on the coast with breathtaking views over the Firth of Forth, this charming burgh sits in the shadow of the impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site Forth Bridges, with easy connections to stunning Fife and a 20-minute drive to Edinburgh’s city centre.
With captivating coastal views, fantastic places to eat and drink and plenty of water sports for adrenaline-seekers, South Queensferry is a popular tourist town with ample things to do. Take a boat ride to Inchcolm, home to a 12th-century abbey and historical defence remnants from WWII, or explore the wildlife and history of the nearby islands. Pop into Scott’s on the water for a well-earned drink or watch the sunset from the beautiful marina. Perfect for families, South Queensferry is a quiet town with an abundance of natural charisma.
At the time of writing, the average house price for a home in South Queensferry sits at £296,416.
Portobello
Sitting just three miles outside the capital’s city centre, Portobello is a gorgeous coastal suburb lying east of Edinburgh. With three miles of golden sands and ‘The Seaside Award’ (won in 2013), Portobello beach’s clear waters are a popular leisure destination among locals and tourists alike — and the perfect spot for sunbathing (weather permitted), water sports and wild swimming. Along the promenade, you’ll find a host of independent eateries and local pubs, while gift shops and boutiques abound in town.
Residents spend their free time at the local golf course, walking or biking Portobello’s many coastal walks and travelling to neighbouring seaside towns such as Musselburgh, Port Seton and North Berwick.
The average house price in Portobello at the time of writing is £310,231.
Thinking of Selling Your Property?
Fill in MOV8’s free online home valuation form here
Call us on 0345 646 0208 (Option 1)
or email valuations@mov8realestate.com to organise a free valuation of your home or to get a full, transparent breakdown of the costs of selling your home.
Thinking of Buying?
Get a quote for buying online here
Call MOV8 on 0345 646 0208 (Option 2)
or email purchasing@mov8realestate.com, and they’ll be happy to help.
This article is brought to you by MOV8.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article