Gay Edinburgh Edinburgh City Guide

Curation by Yasmina Rodríguez, words by Laura Tucker

Scotland’s cultural capital comes carved through with cobbled streets overlooked by hilltop medieval castles all within a rugged yet pristine woodland landscape. Edinburgh is her name, nicknamed Athens of the North thanks to her beautifully preserved medieval old town sat beside the elegant, neoclassical builds of the Georgian New Town. Clamber up Calton Hill to Arthur’s seat for sweeping views of the city and a playful, down-to-earth vibe that carries down to street level. The city’s strong creative community is felt full force in August during the esteemed Edinburgh Fringe Festival when cutting-edge theatre, comedy and performance take over, transforming the city into a den of endless possibility and playful wonder. All year round, however, visitors have no end of opportunities to enjoy the city’s amazing pub scene, bustling bistros and specialist delis, as well as a vibrant gay scene centred on a place known as ‘the Pink Triangle’ at the top of Leith Street. Confused about where to go and what to see in Edinburgh? Let Mr Hudson’s Edinburgh gay travel guide lead the way.

The best hotels in Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s grandest addresses cluster where history and high style most naturally collide, and nowhere illustrates this better than The Balmoral, the city’s reigning grande dame. Standing sentinel at the meeting point of the Old and New Towns, this Rocco Forte icon has long set the benchmark for five-star hospitality, its interiors reimagined by Olga Polizzi with a sense of restrained, timeless elegance. Request a suite overlooking the Scott Monument and you will find centuries of Scottish heritage rendered in thoroughly contemporary, world-class comfort.

Just along the way, 100 Princes Street offers a more intimate, club-like alternative. Drawing inspiration from the city’s storied explorers and tailors, this boutique property is dressed in custom tartan-lined interiors, locally sourced artwork and handcrafted furnishings that nod to traditional Scottish craft while feeling unmistakably modern. It is the sort of hotel that rewards lingering in its sitting rooms rather than rushing out the door.

For those drawn to gothic romance and theatrical flourish, The Witchery by the Castle delivers in spades. Set at the very gates of Edinburgh Castle, its suites are swathed in velvet, antique tapestry and gold leaf, with statement four-poster beds lending each room a sense of indulgent escapism. An indulgent breakfast hamper can be taken in the privacy of your suite, or you might instead choose to dine downstairs, where the restaurant has long drawn a sprinkling of celebrity guests amid its candlelit, decadently dressed surroundings. Few hotels in Edinburgh manage to feel quite this unashamedly theatrical, nor quite this memorable.