Edinburgh/West: Difference between revisions

Most people get their first impressions of Edinburgh travelling through this district to the city centre. Many will visit the Zoo or Murrayfield Rugby Stadium. There are other great places here. There is a good walkway between Crammond and Silverknowes with expansive views of the Forth. Out past the city, a quarry was roofed over at Ratho and is now a climbing centre.

55°56′24″N 3°18′18″W

Map of Edinburgh/West

55.9486-3.36411 Edinburgh Airport (EDI ^IATA) is at the west edge of the city, see Edinburgh#Get in for flights and facilities. The tram and Airlink Bus 100 run downtown with stops in the west city, and Skylink Bus 400 runs through the west and south city fringes.

55.9453-3.21872 Haymarket station is the west transport hub. All trains from the north, west and southwest stop here on their way to the main station at Waverley; so do the trams, Airlink Bus 100 and many city bus routes. The station is modern behind its Victorian facade, with ticket offices, machines, shops, toilets and waiting areas; lots more facilities in the streets outside. There is lift access to all platforms, including the mysterious Platform 0.

55.9366-3.29983 South Gyle station is a halt for trains from Fife.

Local trains serving Edinburgh from Stirling and Glasgow (Queen Street Low Level) also stop at 55.9276-3.30774 Edinburgh Park station. There are also stations at 55.9265-3.24415 Slateford, 55.919-3.26426 Kingsknowe, 55.9144-3.28387 Wester Hailes and 55.9006-3.31858 Curriehill served by stopping trains on the Edinburgh-Glasgow Central line.

Lothian Buses have a comprehensive service throughout the west of the city. Many services depart from Princes Street in the New Town. The Airlink 100 passes through the area between the airport, the zoo and Haymarket.

The tram runs every 10 min from the airport to Ingliston Park & Ride, Gogarburn, Edinburgh Gateway station, Gyle Park shopping centre, Edinburgh Park central and station, Bankhead, Saughton, Balgreen, Murrayfield Stadium, Haymarket, West End, Princes St, St Andrews Square (for main bus and railway stations), then away down to Leith and Newhaven. See Edinburgh#Get around for times and fares.

• Donaldson's School or Hospital is the grand mock-Jacobean building (pictured at top of page) on the main road a quarter mile west of Haymarket station. Completed in 1850, it was a school for pupils with communication difficulties. But it became impractical and the school moved out to Linlithgow in 2008; the building has been converted to luxury flats.

• 55.9424-3.26931 Edinburgh Zoo, 134 Corstorphine Road EH12 6TS (Bus 12, 26, 31 or Airlink 100), ☏ +44 131 334 9171. Daily Apr-Sep 9AM-6PM, Oct & Mar 9AM-5PM, Nov-Feb 9AM-4PM. The pandas have returned to China but there's still plenty here. Penguins include gentoo, rockhopper and king, most famously Major General Sir Nils Olav III, Baron of the Bouvet Islands and mascot of the Norwegian King's Guard. Budongo Trail leads through the troupe of 15 chimpanzees. The only koalas in the UK are here, and there are some beautiful tropical birds. The zoo is on the slopes of Corstorphine Hill and some paths are steep but all attractions are wheelchair accessible. Check the website for cheaper online offers, and temporary closures eg in harsh weather or avian flu outbreaks. Adult £26.70, child £16.80, conc £24.25, parking £3. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9427-3.20812 Lochrin Basin is the east terminus of the Union Canal. When completed in 1822 it continued a little further to Tolcross at the edge of Old Town. It fell into disuse and was closed in 1965, but re-opened in 2001 and is fully navigable, with a firm towpath for strolling or cycling. The canal courses west to Slateford, vaulting over the Water of Leith by an aqueduct, and out to Kingsknowe, Wester Hailes and eventually to Falkirk, where a wheel hoists boats into the Forth and Clyde Canal.
• 55.9414-3.28193 Corstorphine Old Parish Church, Kirk Loan EH12 7ST. The present building is a collegiate church of 1429, becoming a parish church in 1646, and re-modeled in 1828. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9712-3.27844 Lauriston Castle, 2 Cramond Road South EH4 6AD, ☏ +44 131 336 2060. Sa Su 11AM-3PM. This 1590s tower house was extended in the 1820s and housed a series of prosperous families. It passed into council ownership in 1926 and the interior has been preserved in its last occupants' plush Edwardian style. Visit by pre-booked guided tour. There is free entry to the gardens (daily 8AM-4:30PM), where the centrepiece is the Japanese garden. The castle is also used as an event space. Tour adult £8, conc £6. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9803-3.30035 Cramond is an attractive little village at the outlet of the River Almond, popular with amateur painters. It may be older than Edinburgh itself, as there are Mesolithic remains from 8500 BC, and the Romans built a fort later called Caer Amon, fort on the Almond, hence Cramond. There's a little sandy beach behind the breakwater but the Forth this far up is muddy. Walks lead upstream to a waterfall and main road, out to Cramond Island at low tide, and east along the esplanade to Silverknowes. The ferry no longer rows across the Almond, so you have to divert upstream to join the coast trail west towards South Queensferry. Cramond has a pub and tearooms. The free parking lot is small and fills up on fine afternoons, or take Bus 41.
• Cramond Island is reached by a rough, mile-long causeway passable for two hours either side of low tide. (Check Easytide for Leith online, and double-check with the times posted at the start of the causeway.) The island has grubby graffiti-covered World War II artillery positions, you come for the view across the Forth.
• 55.9797-3.27956 Silverknowes a mile east along the esplanade has lots of free parking, so it can be a better starting point for visiting Cramond. The esplanade continues east for two miles but becomes industrial towards Granton Harbour.
• 55.8849-3.34047 Balerno: see Edinburgh/South for this village at the head of the Water of Leith Walkway, Malleny Gardens, Currie rugby club, and access to the Pentland Hills.
• Jupiter Artland is a modern sculpture park off A71 to the west, see Livingston (Scotland).

• 55.9422-3.24061 Murrayfield Stadium, Roseburn Street EH12 5PJ (tram: Murrayfield Stadium), ☏ +44 131 378 1600. The main stadium has a capacity of 67,000 and hosts all Scottish rugby internationals. The premier tournament is the Six Nations in Feb / March: in odd-numbered years, Scotland host Wales, Ireland and Italy, and in even-numbered years the visitors are England and France. These games sell out, and the city is mobbed when they're on; you've more chance of tickets and accommodation for other internationals. Stadium tours are available on non-match days. (updated Dec 2023)
• Edinburgh Rugby Stadium (aka Hive Stadium) on the west flank of Murrayfield is the venue for club fixtures. Completed in 2021, it has a capacity of 7800 and is the home ground for Edinburgh Rugby, playing in the URC professional league. Tickets won't be a problem.
• Murrayfield Ice Rink, Riversdale Crescent (north flank of Murrayfield Stadium), ☏ +44 131 337-6933, +44 131 337-4242 (curling), info@murrayfieldicerinkltd.co.uk. Daily (may be closed during special events). Popular ice-rink, hours vary daily. Regular leisure skating sessions, plus ice-discos on Friday and Saturday nights very popular with local teens. Both Leisure skating and ice-hockey tuition available. Plays host to the Edinburgh Capitals ice hockey team, plus a curling club on a separate rink. Adults depending on session: £4.50-6, skate hire £1-1.80. 
• 55.9413-3.21792 Cineworld, 130 Dundee St EH11 1AF, ☏ +44 330 333 4444. Mainly mainstream and arthouse cinema. (updated Dec 2023)
• Cameo and Odeon cinemas are along Lothian Rd in Tolcross.
• 55.9508-3.27263 Corstorphine Hill (adjacent to the Edinburgh Zoo). Local nature reserve. Low wooded hill, lying between Corstorphine Road and Queensferry Road. Popular with walkers and joggers (and sledging in the winter!) Don't be afraid if you hear exotic animal sounds, especially on the southern slopes - the zoo has firm fencing in place! The tower near the top is dedicated to Sir Walter Scott (as if his Gothic Rocket on Princes Street wasn't enough). if you can find the Rest and Be thankful on the hill there are great views to the Castle and the Sea. (updated May 2021)
• John Muir Way (take any westbound bus along the A90 towards South Queensferry or Fife, and get off at Cramond Brig). The John Muir Way passes through Edinburgh and South Queensferry. A great 10-km section for hiking is between Cramond Brig (starting west of the River Almond) and South Queensferry which runs almost always along the coastline and passes Dalmeny House and Branbougie Castle. It offers great views of the Firth of Forth rail bridge. Note that the rowboat ferry across the River Almond has ceased, so you can't access the trail from Cramond village which is east of the river. (updated Oct 2017)
• Water of Leith Walkway traverses the city along the glen of this stream. It's paved, popular for cycling, and follows the track of a former railway. Its upper end is at Balerno on the edge of the Pentland Hills, and it descends northwest through Colinton (plunging through a long tunnel), Slateford (beneath the aqueduct of the Union Canal), Saughton, Murrayfield, and on down to Stockbridge and Leith.
• Fishing on the Water of Leith is by permit. Obtained this from the City Council offices at Waverley Market in New Town or Cockburn Street in the Old Town. Most fishing tackle shops throughout the city can provide permits.
• Football: 55.9389-3.23244 Heart of Midlothian, Gorgie Road EH11 2NL. Hearts aka "The Jam Tarts" play soccer in the Scottish Premiership, the game's top tier. Their home ground Tynecastle Park (capacity 20,000, all-seater) is a mile west of Haymarket Station, take any bus up Gorgie Road or a tram to Murrayfield. (updated Jun 2021)

The Spartans FC were promoted in 2023 so they play in League Two, the fourth tier. Their home ground Ainslie Park (capacity 3600) is on Pilton Drive in the north end of the city.

• Golf courses include Kingsknowe, Carrick Knowe, Murrayfield, Silverknowes, the venerable Bruntsfield Links, Turnhouse by the airport, Ratho Park and upscale Dalmahoy.
• 55.9411-3.3695 Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston (near the airport). An exhibition ground with several halls and large grounds. The main event held here is the Royal Highland Show for 4 days in late June. Other events are held throughout the year, some of these are public, others are invitation only. (updated Nov 2023)

• 55.9431-3.28891 St John's Road, Corstorphine (about 1 km west of the zoo). St John's Road is one of Edinburgh's High Streets. This is a dedicated shopping street. There are a number of cafes, pubs, independent shops. (updated May 2021)
• 55.9383-3.31442 Gyle Shopping Centre, South Gyle Broadway, EH12 9JY. An indoor shopping centre with Marks and Spencer and Morrisons as the anchor stores, and about 50 shops. Located at the Western edge of the city, near the Gogar roundabout.  

• 55.9435-3.21931 First Coast, 97-101 Dalry Road EH11 2AB, ☏ +44 131 313 4404, info@first-coast.co.uk. Tu-Th noon-2PM, 5-10PM, F Sa noon-10PM. Long-standing bistro serving quality Scots cuisine. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9395-3.22082 Masti (formerly Guru Balti), 9 Dundee Terrace EH11 1DL, ☏ +44 131 228 3338. Daily 3-10PM. Classic North Indian Balti menu. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9651-3.31723 Miller & Carter Cramond Brig, Queensferry Road EH4 6DY, ☏ +44 131 339 4350. Daily noon-11PM. Popular chain steakhouse getting great reviews. The old Cramond Brig is now a footbridge over River Almond, follow the east bank for the village and island, and the west bank to hike to South Queensferry. Modern traffic thunders past on A90. (updated Dec 2023)

• 55.94562-3.235471 Murrayfield Bar, 57-59 Roseburn Terrace, Murrayfield, ☏ +44 131 337-1574, fax: +44 131 347-8714, info@murrayfieldbar.com. full food menu available 11AM-10PM daily. Friendly pub close to Murrayfield Stadium. Decent pub grub menu including breakfasts. As you would imagine in this location, it's a popular place for watching televised sport. (updated Sep 2017)
• Cramond Inn, 30 Cramond Glebe Road EH4 6NP, ☏ +44 131 336 2035. Su–Th noon–10PM, F Sa noon–11PM. Traditional village pub run by Samuel Smiths. Beer garden outside but food service is indoors-only. No dogs. (updated Dec 2023)
• North British Distillery across the tracks from Murrayfield make raw grain whisky, up to 70 million litres a year. No retail sales (and no tours) as all their output is blended, but if you drink any popular blended brand of scotch, you're quaffing their product.

• 55.9402-3.216311 Bainfield Ensuite Accommodation, Fountainbridge (opposite the FountainPark shopping mall), ☏ +44 131 455-3722, vacation.lets@napier.ac.uk. Offered by Edinburgh Napier University during summer only (semester break). Used as student accommodation throughout the rest of the year. Send an email or call for booking requests. Between 4 and 8 single rooms in one shared apartment. Linen, towels and WiFi included. (updated Mar 2015)
• Ibis Budget Edinburgh Park is at 6 Lochside View just south of Gogar Roundabout, for Glasgow Rd to the airport.

• Brooks Hotel is a stylish place on Grove Street near the canal terminus.
• Holiday Inn Edinburgh, 132 Corstorphine Rd EH12 6UA (next to Zoo, Bus 12, 26, 31 and Airlink 100), ☏ +44 871 942 9026. Simple value hotel with restaurant. Those strange noises are from the zoo animals next door. Double (room only) £100. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9558-3.24292 Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City West, 107 Queensferry Road EH4 3HL (Bus 41, 42, 43), ☏ +44 371 902 1635. Acceptable rooms, variable welcome and service. B&B double £65. (updated Dec 2023)
• Premier Inn Edinburgh Park is next to Edinburgh Park Station, across the tracks from the Novotel.
• 55.9233-3.37893 Bridge Inn, 27 Baird Rd, Ratho EH28 8RA, ☏ +44 131 333 1320. On the canal, and most customers are just here for the excellent dining, but the snug rooms are well worth a stay. Closed for maintenance until March 2024. B&B double £140. (updated Dec 2023)

You might also stay at these for the Royal Highland Showground.

• Hampton by Hilton Edinburgh Airport, 5 Almond Av, Ingliston EH12 9GN, ☏ +44 131 370 9999. The closest to the terminal, a 300 yard walk, this is comfy and efficient. B&B double £90. (updated Dec 2023)
• Doubletree by Hilton Edinburgh Airport, 100 Eastfield Rd, Ingliston EH28 8LL, ☏ +44 131 519 4400. Comfy hotel a 10-minute walk from the terminal. B&B double £85. (updated Dec 2023)
• Moxy Edinburgh Airport, 1 Fairview Rd, Ingliston EH28 8AP, ☏ +44 131 608 1172. Modern hotel with small, comfortable rooms and friendly staff. It's a 10-minute walk from the terminal - head for the trams, then follow the signs pointing to the Doubletree Hotel. B&B double £90. (updated Dec 2023)
• Holiday Inn Express, 101 Ingliston Rd, Ingliston EH28 8AU, ☏ +44 345 218 2072. A bit frayed but overall good value. It's by the Showground, a 20-minute walk from the terminal so take their shuttle bus. B&B double £75. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9386-3.39324 Travelodge Edinburgh Airport, Ratho Park, off Station Rd, Ratho Station EH28 8PP, ☏ +44 871 984 6340. Value hotel two miles west of airport with shuttle bus. B&B double £80. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9423-3.40555 Premier Inn Edinburgh Airport, 5 Hallbarns Cres, Newbridge EH28 8TD, ☏ +44 333 321 9224. Reliable chain hotel three miles west of airport with shuttle bus. B&B double £110. (updated Dec 2023)

• 55.9454-3.22876 The Roseate (formerly Dunstane House), 4 West Coates EH12 5JQ, ☏ +44 131 337 6169. Mixed reviews - the main building is okay, but some rooms are in a basement across the road and not worth the money. B&B double £210. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9267-3.3117 Novotel Edinburgh Park, 15 Lochside Avenue EH12 9DJ, ☏ +44 131 619 2802. Unlovely area of light industry and retail, but the hotel is next to M8 / city bypass interchange and Edinburgh Park Station. It has a pool, gym, steam room and restaurant. B&B double £150. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9326-3.38438 Norton House Hotel, Harvest Rd, Ingliston EH28 8LX, ☏ +44 131 333 1275. Villa built in 1840 as country retreat, and now a hotel and spa in woodland close to the airport. Great welcome and service, smart modern interior. It's 10 mins walk to main bus routes on the road to Glasgow, but you really ought to be arriving by limo or helicopter. It hosts a lot of functions for people who wished they were. B&B double £180. (updated Dec 2023)
• 55.9036-3.36979 Dalmahoy, Kirknewton EH27 8EB, ☏ +44 131 333 1845. Grand pile built in 1725 and much extended since, it's now an upscale hotel and golf resort. B&B double £150. (updated Dec 2023)

There are internet stations and printers at all public libraries, see Edinburgh#Connect for how to access these. Branches in the west of the city are Balgreen, Blackhall, Corstorphine, Drumbrae, Fountainbridge (the most central), Sighthill and Wester Hailes.

• Buses and the tram eastwards bring you to Princes St in New Town. The castle and Old Town are a short walk away.
• The Pentland Hills rise to the south, described as part of Edinburgh/South.
• South Queensferry northwest is a pleasant old harbour town. High above, trains rumble over the Forth Bridge into Fife.
• Linlithgow west has a ruined medieval palace, abode of Mary Queen of Scots.

Lanark ← South Edinburgh ←	SW  NE	→ ENDS AT HAYMARKET
Kilmarnock ← Livingston ←	SW  NE	→ merges with