Rooftops in Edinburgh: the castle, Arthur's Seat and the Forth seen from above
The capital of Scotland
The capital of Scotland and seat of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh has more than 500,000 inhabitants, making it the country's second city after Glasgow. It stretches along the south shore of the estuary of the Forth, the Firth of Forth, and backs onto the Pentland Hills to the south. Built on ancient volcanic hills, it comes alive every August with its festivals, including the International Festival and the Fringe.
A city of hills
Princes Street Gardens separate the two faces of the historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To the south, the Old Town is dominated by the castle, perched on its volcanic rock; the Royal Mile follows its ridge down to Holyrood Palace. To the north, the New Town lines up the Georgian streets and squares laid out in the 18th century. To the south-east, Arthur's Seat towers over the city; to the north-east, Calton Hill bears its neoclassical monuments, including the unfinished National Monument, which earned the city its nickname of the “Athens of the North”. Further north, Leith, Edinburgh's port, lines the estuary.
Where to rise above Edinburgh
At the top of the St James Quarter
At the eastern end of the New Town, the W Edinburgh hotel crowns the St James Quarter and devotes its top floors to two venues open to all. On the 10th, SUSHISAMBA blends the cuisines of Japan, Brazil and Peru in a glazed dining room extended by a terrace, facing the castle on one side and Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat on the other. Higher up, the W Deck brings together a glazed lounge bar on the 11th floor, open all year round, and an open-air terrace on the 12th, which in fine weather offers a 360° panorama over the whole city, from the castle to Arthur's Seat.
In the Old Town, at the foot of the castle
A stone's throw from Waverley station, Nor' Loft occupies the 7th floor of the Market Street Hotel: a champagne lounge and its glass-walled terrace facing Calton Hill, the Scott Monument and the roofs of the New Town. On the Grassmarket, at the foot of the castle rock, Cold Town House brings together a microbrewery, Neapolitan pizzas and a flower-filled roof terrace from which the castle seems within arm's reach; a retractable transparent roof means you can head up whatever the weather.
In the New Town and Fountainbridge
On the 4th floor of a building on Castle Street, between George Street and Princes Street, Chaophraya serves Thai cuisine in a glass room facing the castle and the Firth of Forth, extended by a terrace above the rooftops. South-west of the centre, near Haymarket and the start of the Union Canal, the Lochrin Rooftop Bar occupies the 6th and top floor of the Moxy Fountainbridge: a bar with the décor of a hushed club and a terrace from which you can glimpse the castle above the rooftops.
In Leith, on the Forth
On the Leith waterfront, the Port of Leith Distillery stacks its facilities over nine floors. On the top level, the Port of Leith Distillery Bar, open without a tour, overlooks the docks, the city and the Firth of Forth, with a menu that gives pride of place to young whiskies.
Food and cocktails up high
For every budget
Prices are shown in pounds sterling. Expect to pay £10 to £14 for a cocktail at the Port of Leith Distillery bar, £12.50 for Cold Town House's house cocktails, £11.75 to £14.75 at Chaophraya, £14.50 to £15 for a champagne cocktail at Nor' Loft and £14 to £19 at SUSHISAMBA. As for food, you can go from Cold Town House's pizzas to Chaophraya's Thai classics and SUSHISAMBA's sushi.
Tips for enjoying Edinburgh's rooftops
Getting around easily
Most venues can be reached on foot from Princes Street. Waverley station is a minute from Nor' Loft and a few minutes from the W Edinburgh, which is also served by the St Andrew Square tram stop. The tram also stops at Princes Street and West End, near Chaophraya, and at Haymarket station, not far from the Lochrin Rooftop Bar. For Leith, simply take the tram to the Ocean Terminal stop, a few minutes' walk from the distillery.
Choosing your season and time
The W Deck terrace only serves in spring and summer, and it is fully open to the elements; its 11th-floor lounge takes over for the rest of the year. All the venues are open all year round: Nor' Loft, Chaophraya's glass room and the Port of Leith Distillery bar also keep the view behind their windows, and the roof at Cold Town House closes when the rain arrives. Book for weekend evenings and during the August festivals, bring a warm layer for the terraces, and check the opening hours before you go: the distillery bar in Leith is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the Cold Town House roof terrace closes every evening at 10pm.
Photo : Carlos Delgado / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0