Leith Edinburgh Waterfront
Welcome to Leith Edinburgh, the city’s vibrant waterfront district that seamlessly blends history, culture, and modern living. From its historic docks to its trendy bars and restaurants, Leith is a must-visit destination for anyone looking to experience the authentic spirit of Edinburgh.
Visit Leith Edinburgh
Leith is one of the quirkiest and most history-rich parts of Edinburgh. The area is home to many pubs and seafood restaurants, as well as the famous Royal Yacht Britannia.
The Water of Leith offers a nice way to connect with nature or to walk your canine friends, while Leith Walk offers bustling retail and food, while acting as a link to the exciting city centre of Edinburgh.
If you want to visit Leith, there is great variety in the area, making Leith Edinburgh a great place to visit and an even greater place to live.
Explore Leith
When you explore Leith, you will find an area rich in character and history that is bustling with bars, restaurants, tourist attractions, hotels and culture.
Beginning at the waterfront down at Leith docks, The Shore is regularly listed as one of the top places to stay in the UK. And World!
INTERSTING LEITH FACTS
Here are some fun and interesting facts about Leith:
• Leith was used as the port of entry when King George IV visited Scotland, giving rise to the names of The Old Ship Hotel, and the King’s Landing.
• This one is a bit disturbing, but Leith Links actually covers the mass graves of plague victims. The 1645 Edinburgh Plague is thought to have killed as much as half of the city’s population, and more than half of Leith’s.
The Edinburgh trams are a convenient way to travel the city, with a tram line running around 9 miles from York Place to Edinburgh Airport. If you have a ridacard or a day ticket for Lothian buses, this can also be used for travel on the trams. When travelling from Leith to the centre of Edinburgh, buses are more commonly used, however a new project is underway to extend the tramlines to Newhaven. While residents aren’t too happy about the noise and disruption of the work taking place, it’s sure to be a useful and convenient way to travel when it’s finished.
• Leith Sands was used as an area to execute pirates. Many pirates chose Leith’s port as the best path to retirement once they had accrued what they deemed enough wealth. They would assume the identity of a gentleman in Leith before making their way to London. Those who were caught were hung above the water by the Leith Sands, and the bodies were left to act as a warning to other pirates.
• Despite the people of Leith voting strongly against it, 1920 is when Leith and Edinburgh officially merged.
The Boundary Bar for Leith and Edinburgh
The Boundary Bar is one such experience, and comes with a great story. The bar straddled the boundary between Leith and Edinburgh, with a dividing line running right down the middle of the bar. For years, licensing laws were slightly less strict in Leith than they were in Edinburgh, and so at 10pm when drinks would stop being served in Edinburgh, drinkers would be shuffled across to the Leith side of the bar where drinking could continue for an extra half hour! Despite the pub being closed down after deteriorating badly in the 90s, it has since reopened and now operates under the name of Bier Hoose, and you can see where there was a Leith door, and an Edinburgh door into the bar. A great wee gem for any history buffs.
LEITH MARKET
Places of Interest
THE SHORE
Places of Interest
WATER OF LEITH
Places of Interest
LEITH DOCKS
Places of Interest
LEITH WALK
Places of Interest
LEITH LINKS
Places of Interest
WALKING DISTANCES
The great thing about Leith is there are so many places to go that are within walking distance. For example, from The Shore you can walk to:
- Ocean Terminal – ~10 minutes (0.4 miles)
- Princes street east end – ~45 minutes (2 miles)
- Newhaven Harbour – ~25 minutes (1.2 miles)
- Shore Cycle Path to Balerno – ~45 minutes by bike or ~4 hours walking (12 miles)