Edinburgh is one of the finest cities in the world. It’s got history, gothic beauty, a world-class arts scene, and exciting restaurants popping up like moles. It’s also the most expensive city to visit in Europe. Damn.
But if you know what’s what, it is possible to enjoy Scotland’s beautiful capital on a shoestring budget, as I discovered on a recent fact-finding mission.
And with the right planning, you can too.
Analysis in the Post Office Travel Money study that recently crowned Edinburgh Europe’s most expensive destination, found the key driver of the city’s inflated costs is accommodation, with the average price for two nights in a three-star city centre hotel coming in at £399.
This is largely because of Edinburgh’s size. With just 500,000 residents – around 5% of London’s population – the city is tiny compared to its ever-surging popularity, with over 4 million visitors each year.
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For my two-night trip, I stayed at A&O Hostels which was slap-bang in the middle of the old town, and connected to Edinburgh Fringe venue Bar 50.
It’s basic, sure: the single beds weren’t super comfortable, and there’s absolutely no frills, not even art work. But I wasn’t expecting anything close to The Ritz. This hostel isn’t about luxury, it’s about location: one of the best in the city.
With its dynamic pricing model, A&O’s cost fluctuates daily. However, if you travel mid-week and book way in advance, prices can come down.
Right now staying in a private room for two will cost you upwards from £68 per person in October. Solo travellers also have the option to take a bed in a 4-bed dorm (£38 per night), or female only dorm (£45) per night.
All prices are based on travel on October 21st– 22nd.
This hostel is not cheap. But for a central location, it’s the best you’re going to get in Edinburgh – as it’s been crowned for a reason.
That left me with just £32 to splash in 48 hours. Yikes…
Tip 1: make sure you don’t fork out on dropping your bag at Edinburgh Waverley Train Station. If you’re staying at A&O, the hostel has a baggage room you can use for free.
Breakfast included meant I got a hot coffee (albeit from a basic machine), some cereal, and all the continental breakfast staples I could want before I’d even stepped out onto the cobbled streets.
It was functional grub, but a welcome sight with my pennies running short.
Out in the city, there’s plenty to see and do without paying a dime: go on a free walking tour, peruse the many shops of the old town, and walk up Arthur’s Seat for a brilliant vista. You can also head to Nicholson Street in Newington for some of the best charity shopping in Scotland.
While I spent my days mooching, you could choose to spend a little more and experience Edinburgh Castle for £21.50 a ticket. Or go for an Edinburgh Gin tour in their distillery for £28 per person.
But I was on a mission; my wants banished, and needs my only must.
For lunch, I paid £11.80 for a huge, delicious bowl of hand-pulled noodles in a spicy broth from Noodle Home. That’s what I’d call a bargain. The chilled out, no-fuss eatery has noodles that rival London’s best, and it’s handily situated in the old town.
It’s not glamorous (or healthy by any means), but Edinburgh has a startling amount of cheap, quality takeaway pizza slices, probably inspired by the city’s timeless institution, Civernos.
At Civernos, you can get a delicious margarita slice for £4.25, with prices going up from there. Full 14″ pizzas are reasonable, from £14. If you try one side, make it the giant mozzarella stick. This cheesy sensation will blow McDonalds’ flimsy fingers out of your mind.
While I’ve dipped my toe in that cheesy luxury before, I didn’t want to fork out more than £10 on my dinner, thanks very much.
So I opted for one of the less glam pizza takeout spots – simply and beautifully called ‘£2 Pizza Slice’ – which are dotted around the city.
They weren’t lying about the price. So of course, I got another one, and that was dinner sorted for £4. That’s less than a pint, which on average will cost you £5.20 in Edinburgh.
After visiting my £2 pizza place again for lunch the next day – no judgement please, I was being frugal – I decided to check out some street food spots and landed on Harajuku Street Food.
During my visit, it was situated in the Edinburgh Fringe venue of Pleasance Courtyard. But the rest of the year it can be found at Edinburgh Street Food [ESF] on Leith Street every day.
I got a box of noodles with some crispy chicken for £12.50. The portion size paled in comparison to Noodles Home for the same price, but it was tasty and satisfying.
If you don’t love noodles as much as me, ESF has 11 other vendors that serve good budget options.
You’ll find £12 low and slow BBQ sandwiches, £12 Peruvian dishes, sub-£8 fried chicken, burgers from £6.50 and local favourites such as cullen skink (a thick Scottish soup made from smoked haddock) for £9. Yum.
All in all, my budget didn’t allow for drinks or coffees, but including a rather inflated hostel bed, I managed to spend just £98.30 in 48 hours.
I managed to enjoy every bite (even if dynamic pricing left a sour taste in my mouth).
Kitty Chrisp was a guest of A&O Hostels.
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