Leith is a vibrant area of Edinburgh and an Ev Ed favourite for pub hopping, good food, independent shops and photography.

Locals come as an eclectic mix of cool creatives, young families and die hard locals who have a lot of love for this neighbourhood.

Want to explore more? Book the hop-on hop-off bus tour through GetYourGuide — free cancellation on most options.

In terms of comparison, Leith is as East London as Edinburgh gets (not very).

Leith is the edgiest of the city’s districts but also enjoys a European vibe with its cobbled streets, canal and al fresco dining on The Shore.

Excited? Let’s dive into this Leith guide and look at the best places to stay, where to eat, drink and things to do in Leith.

Updated September 2026

Venue	Type	Area	Postcode
Royal Yacht Britannia	Historic attraction	Ocean Terminal	EH6 5QQ
Fishers	Seafood	The Shore	EH6 6QW
Restaurant Martin Wishart	Fine dining	The Shore	EH6 6RA
Heron	Tasting menu	Henderson St	EH6 6ED
The King’s Wark	Scottish pub	The Shore	EH6 6QU
Roseleaf	Bar/restaurant	Sandport Place	EH6 6EW
Fingal	Floating hotel	Alexandra Dock	EH6 7DX
Queen Charlotte Rooms	Afternoon tea	Queen Charlotte St	EH6 7EX
Lind & Lime Gin Distillery	Distillery/tours	Port of Leith	EH6 5QZ
Smoke & Mirrors	Cocktail bar	Constitution St	EH6 7AD
Scotch Malt Whisky Society	Whisky bar	Giles Street	EH6 6BZ
La Casa	Tapas/Mezze	Leith Walk	EH6 8SA
Pierino’s	Italian	Bernard St	EH6 6PW
Williams & Johnson	Coffee roastery	Custom Lane	EH6 6AL
Printworks Coffee	Cafe	Constitution St	EH6 6RS
Leith Market	Saturday market	Dock Place	EH6 6LU
Biscuit Factory	Arts hub	Anderson Place	EH6 5NP
Out of the Blue Drill Hall	Arts centre	Dalmeny St	EH6 8RG
Quality Yard	Street art	Maritime Lane	EH6 5QZ
Trinity House	Maritime museum	Kirkgate	EH6 6BJ

Leith Walk starts very close to the main shopping street in Edinburgh: Princes Street.

Take the 40-minute stroll down this interesting street, stopping off at the eateries and bars mentioned below.

At the bottom of Leith Walk is The Foot Of The Walk. From here, head down Constitution Street to Bernard Street and onto The Shore.

On warm days, locals sit with lunch by the side of the water.

Walk past The Ship On The Shore to the Malmaison Hotel, which was built in 1883 and has a colourful past! 

Next, go over the bridge. Turn left and then right to see Teuchters Landing (pub) housed in a former waiting room for the Leith-to-Aberdeen steamboat.

From here, you can either make your way by foot to Ocean Terminal and The Royal Yacht Britannia, cross over the road to the start of The Water of Leith Walkway or head to Ferry Road and the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens (Arboretum Place).

Newhaven is a residential area next to Leith. This is where you will find seafood restaurants, cute boats and a lighthouse. 

Starbank Park is a well-loved community park off Starbank Road in Newhaven. 

There are two beaches very close to Leith.

Cramond Beach is around a 20-30 minute drive from The Shore and Portobello Beach is around 10-20 minutes, traffic depending.

These are both cycle routes I used to do often.

Leith appears to be accessible for wheelchairs and pram users with pavements/sidewalks lining the bumpy roads around The Shore. 

Disagree? Please do tell us. 

The Shore can be reached on foot from Princes Street taking around 50 minutes.

Lothian buses number 16 and 22 connect Princes Street with The Shore and 10 and 7 depart from Leith Walk.

Or you can hop on the Edinburgh tram down to Newhaven, with stops in Leith.

Taxis start around £10 and Ubers about £8.

Driving in Leith can be a bit of a stop/start situation.

Expect to get caught in lights along Leith Walk; the lights at the Foot of the Walk can take an age to change. Let’s not talk about Ferry Road!

Parking is mostly controlled by pay and display but there are a few spots where you can find residential spaces. 

Leith’s story stretches back to 1128, when King David I granted the lands of “Inverlet” to Holyrood Abbey. For centuries, this was Edinburgh’s port – the city’s gateway to the world. Ships carried goods from across the North Sea, and by the 1500s Leith was building its own vessels. The Incorporation of Master Mariners, founded in 1380 and later known as Trinity House, looked after sailors’ welfare and still stands today at 99 Kirkgate.

Leith was independent enough to mint its own identity: a separate burgh from 1833 until it merged back into Edinburgh in 1920. The docks thrived through the 18th and 19th centuries – sugar refining, glass making, and shipbuilding all took root here. Walk along The Shore today and you’re treading the same medieval wharf edges archaeologists uncovered in the late 20th century.

Leith punches well above its weight for food. Here are standout spots, all verified open:

Fishers – 1 The Shore, EH6 6QW. Seafood restaurant on the waterfront since 1991. Walk-ins welcome, open daily from 12:00. A Leith institution for fish and chips and fresh catches.

Restaurant Martin Wishart – 54 The Shore, EH6 6RA. One Michelin star (held since 2001, reconfirmed 2026). Modern French with Scottish ingredients. Set lunch from £68. Wed–Sat only.

Heron – 87–91 Henderson Street, EH6 6ED. One Michelin star since 2023. Chef Sam Yorke’s modern Scottish tasting menu (£125). Wed–Sun, book well ahead.

The King’s Wark – 36 The Shore, EH6 6QU. Traditional Scottish bar and restaurant in a building dating to the 1500s. Open daily 12:00–22:00.

Roseleaf – 23/24 Sandport Place, EH6 6EW. Neighbourhood bar and restaurant serving brunch to dinner daily. No reservations needed but recommended.

Williams & Johnson – 1 Custom Wharf, EH6 6AL. Coffee roastery and cafe at Custom Lane. Open Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm.

Printworks Coffee – 42 Constitution Street, EH6 6RS. Independent cafe, open daily 8am–5pm (weekends to 6pm). Solid flat whites and light bites.

Leith Market runs every Saturday at Dock Place (EH6 6LU), 10am–4pm. Expect 10–15 food stallholders alongside vintage and craft vendors. Card and cash accepted. Free weekend parking nearby. First Saturday of each month hosts Vegan Quarter.

The Pitt Street Market also pops up in the area with street food and live music – check local listings for dates.

The Biscuit Factory – 4–6 Anderson Place, EH6 5NP. Edinburgh’s creative arts hub in the former Crawford’s biscuit factory (built 1947). Home to 32 creative businesses, a cafe (Factory Floor Cafe, Mon–Fri 7am–3pm), markets, live music, and ceilidhs.

Trinity House Maritime Museum – 99 Kirkgate, EH6 6BJ. A 16th-century building housing maritime artefacts. Guided tours on Fridays (April–September), £7.50 adults. Book online via Historic Environment Scotland.

Leith Theatre – Constitution Street. A historic venue that has hosted everyone from local theatre troupes to major music acts. Check for upcoming events.

Water of Leith Walkway – The 7.5-mile path runs from Leith to Balerno. Start near The Shore and follow the river upstream through Dean Village to the city centre.

Leith Links – The area’s principal park, formalised in 1888 on the site of the old golf links. Hosts the annual Leith Festival Gala Day (first week of June) and Edinburgh Mela. Play areas, tennis courts, cricket pitch, and a community orchard.

The Royal Yacht Britannia is Leith’s star attraction – and one of Edinburgh’s most visited paid attractions. The former royal yacht served the British royal family for 44 years before being decommissioned in 1997. Now permanently berthed alongside Ocean Terminal, you can explore five decks of history, from the State Apartments to the crew’s quarters and the iconic Royal Deck.

Practical info: Ocean Terminal, EH6 5QQ. Open 363 days a year. April–October 9:30–18:00 (last entry 16:00); November–March 10:00–17:00 (last entry 15:00). Adults £23 online / £25 on the door. Allow around 2 hours for a visit. Card payments only at the ticket desk.

Smoke & Mirrors – 159 Constitution Street, EH6 7AD. A captivating cocktail bar with quirky magic-themed decor and inventive drinks. Open from 5pm daily until late. Perfect for an evening drink in Leith.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (The Vaults) – 87 Giles Street, EH6 6BZ. The world reference for single-cask whisky, opened 1983. Members’ bar and tastings (day pass available). Tuesday–Saturday 11am–11pm/midnight, Sunday 12:30pm–10pm, closed Monday.

Quality Yard – 20 Maritime Lane. A hidden courtyard with 360° of street art, updated 2–3 times a year. Publicly accessible during opening hours. Part of the Edinburgh Fringe as Venue 470, with spray paint tasters and affordable art sales.

Out of the Blue Drill Hall – 36 Dalmeny Street, EH6 8RG. A listed former military drill hall transformed into a participatory arts centre. Home to 150+ artist studios, exhibitions, workshops, a cafe, and regular flea markets. Free entry for exhibitions.

Fingal – Alexandra Dock, Leith, EH6 7DX. A luxury boutique hotel aboard a converted lighthouse tender, permanently berthed in the Port of Leith. Open since 2019, this 5-star floating hotel offers 23 individually designed cabins starting from around £400 per night (B&B). Check-in 3pm, checkout 12pm. The Port of Leith tram stop is a 2-minute walk away.

Queen Charlotte Rooms – 56a Queen Charlotte Street, Leith, EH6 7EX. Unique Orient Express-themed afternoon tea experience in vintage train carriages. From £25pp (standard), £31pp with Prosecco, £36pp with Champagne. 0131 555 6660.

Lind & Lime Gin Distillery – Port of Leith. Edinburgh’s own gin distillery, opened 2022. Tours available Thursday–Sunday at 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm. Learn how the signature gin is made and get hands-on with the botanicals.

La Casa – 297 Leith Walk, EH6 8SA. Mediterranean small plates and tapas. Open daily noon–10pm. Budget-friendly (under £25 per head).

Pierino’s – 11 Bernard Street, EH6 6PW. A local institution on Bernard Street serving Italian classics, fish & chips, and pizzas. Open 4pm–10pm (Fri–Sat until midnight). Takeaway and delivery available.

How far is Leith from Edinburgh city centre?

About 2 miles north. It’s a 40–50 minute walk from Princes Street to The Shore, or 10–15 minutes by tram (opened June 2023) or bus (routes 16, 22).

Is Leith safe to visit?

Yes. Leith is a popular residential and tourist area with a strong community feel. The Shore, Constitution Street, and Leith Walk are all well-trafficked. As with any city area, normal precautions apply at night.

What day is Leith Market?

Every Saturday, 10am–4pm at Dock Place (EH6 6LU). Food, craft, and vintage stalls. First Saturday of the month also hosts Vegan Quarter.

How do I get to Leith from the airport?

Take the tram from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre (York Place/Picardy Place), then transfer to a northbound tram to Leith. Total journey around 35–40 minutes. Alternatively, a taxi costs roughly £25–30.

What is Leith famous for?

Edinburgh’s historic port since the 14th century. Known for The Shore waterfront, the Royal Yacht Britannia, seafood restaurants, street art, and the annual Leith Festival. It was an independent burgh until 1920 and still has a distinct identity.

Is the Royal Yacht Britannia worth visiting?

Absolutely. You can explore five decks including the State Apartments, Royal Deck, and crew quarters. Most visitors spend around 2 hours. It’s open 363 days a year and is consistently rated one of Edinburgh’s top attractions. Book online to save (£23 vs £25 on the door).

What is Fingal hotel?

Fingal is a 5-star luxury boutique hotel aboard a converted lighthouse tender, permanently berthed at Alexandra Dock in Leith. Open since 2019, it offers 23 individually designed cabins with maritime-inspired decor. Rates start from around £400 per night including breakfast.

Where can I see street art in Leith?

Quality Yard at 20 Maritime Lane has a 360° courtyard of street art, updated 2–3 times a year. It’s publicly accessible and free. The area around Leith Walk and Henderson Street also features murals and graffiti. Leith History Mural on Henderson Street tells the area’s story through art.

Select the titles or images below to find out about our favourite restaurants, pubs, things to do in Leith and places to stay.

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