Leith, Edinburgh: neighborhood guide

Leith is Edinburgh's old port, on the Firth of Forth about two miles northeast of the city centre. It ran its own burgh council from 1833 and voted against merging with Edinburgh in 1920, then merged anyway; that stubborn streak still shapes how locals talk about the place. Whisky and wine bonding, glassworks, sugar refining, soap and shipbuilding have gone, and the dockside has been rebuilt since the 1980s around flats, offices, restaurants and the Ocean Terminal complex.

The two useful anchors are Leith Walk, the long straight street running from the city centre down to the Foot of the Walk, and The Shore, where the Water of Leith meets the docks and most of the pubs and restaurants sit. Ocean Terminal, further north, is where the Royal Yacht Britannia is permanently moored. Newhaven, with its small harbour and seafront, is a short walk beyond.

It is a working, lived-in district rather than a sightseeing zone. You come here to eat, drink and walk by water, not to tick off monuments.

Leith suits travellers who have already seen the castle and Royal Mile, or who are staying three nights or more and want evenings somewhere with a bit of life. The tram makes the centre easy, so the distance is a minor cost rather than a real obstacle.

It does not suit a two-night first visit built around Old Town sights, or anyone who wants to step out of the hotel into the middle of things. If that is your trip, base in the Old Town or New Town and visit Leith for an evening.

Leith is one of Edinburgh's best-known eating districts. The Shore and the streets behind it hold everything from seafood and modern Scottish cooking to pubs, cafés and casual lunch places, with a cluster of Michelin-listed restaurants that need booking weeks ahead. Leith Walk is the everyday strip: bakeries, takeaways, Polish and Italian delis, and quick lunches.

For a simple plan, eat dinner around The Shore and breakfast or lunch on Leith Walk. Pubs along the waterfront fill up on weekends and during the August festivals, so book anything well known. Ocean Terminal has chain cafés if you are there for Britannia.

The tram is the simplest link. It runs from Edinburgh Airport through the west end, Princes Street and St Andrew Square, then down Leith Walk with stops at Macdonald Road, Balfour Street and Foot of the Walk, on to The Shore, Port of Leith, Ocean Terminal and Newhaven. Services run roughly 05:00–23:30 every 10 minutes or better; buy your ticket from the platform machine before boarding. Fares are a flat city fare, higher from the airport (check current prices).

Buses 7, 10, 11, 14, 16, 25, 34, 35, 36 and 49 run down Leith Walk from various parts of the city, so daytime service is frequent. Night buses 14 and 16 run from the centre to the foot of Leith Walk. From the airport, Bus 17 runs to Ocean Terminal and Newhaven without passing the city centre; it takes about an hour and in 2025 cost £5.50 single or £8 open return, payable to the driver by exact fare or contactless (check).

On foot, Leith Walk to Princes Street is about two miles, 40–45 minutes with light luggage. There are no ferries to Leith, and cruise ships anchor in the Firth and tender passengers in.