Leith

Why the Water of Leith is one of Edinburgh's best kept secrets

The 12-mile stretch of walkway through the heart of the Scottish capital

16 Feb 2011

Take a stroll along the Water of Leith and you’ll feel as if someone is watching you. That’s because they are. It’s not the occasional posse of feral youths but, rather, naked men standing knee-deep in the water, staring. Before you dial 999, however…

Modern day Leith is now home to Michelin-starred restaurants

Port outside Edinburgh shakes off long-held seedy reputation

16 Feb 2011

Vibrant, colourful Leith has shaken off its long-held seedy reputation in recent years to establish itself as an area of stylish urban regeneration and a must-visit destination for foodies. A world away from the seamy side of Edinburgh life…

Six of the Best - Eating & Drinking around Leith

11 Jun 2009

The King’s Wark 36 The Shore, 0131 554 9260 Few things can make a foodie as happy as a portion of homemade fishcakes and frites courtesy of this granddaddy of the Leith eating scene. Oozing olde worlde charm, the Wark’s menu boasts everything from…

Neighbourhood Watch: Leith, Edinburgh

A beginner's guide to the capital's port town

21 Jul 2011

What’s it like? It’s Leith. If you’re an Edinburgh List reader, it’s very likely you live there. Glossy bars, Michelin-starred restaurants and warehouse conversions squaring off against cobbles, pint’n’pie pubs and Hibees. Vibrant, community-focused (it…

Edinburgh's Royal Yacht Britannia gives visitors a flavour of life at sea

After 44 years in service, the royal yacht can be visited in Leith Docks

16 Feb 2011

Britannia is the one place I can truly relax,’ said the Queen of the floating home that took her and the rest of the royal family across the world’s oceans, from the North Atlantic to Antarctica, during 44 years in service. Since retiring from active…

Edinburgh gallery opens new space in Leith

Axolotl gallery to open sister space OXO in Leith

23 Jul 2010

As any self respecting Leither will tell you, the area’s renaissance continues. First the decent bars and restaurants took root, then the ever burgeoning Leith festival. This fortnight its cultural kudos gets another boost with the addition of a new…

Café Fish

9 Jul 2009

For a nation surrounded by sea, we can get ourselves into a right fankle over fish. There are the sustainability problems (explicitly set out in the recent film The End of the Line), the langoustines that are flown off to a more appreciative Spanish…

The Bum-Clocks

25 Jun 2009

Leith’s Bum-Clocks are the only Robert Burns tribute band who play in the style of Iggy and the Stooges. If that sounds too high-concept for you, a glance over those involved mean they demand a listen. The Bum-Clocks – ye olde Scottish name for a…

The Leith Festival

1 Jun 2009

As the Leith Festival enters its eighth year, Anna Docherty profiles the best events of 2009 and takes a look at what makes the festival such a continuing success.

Things to do: Get A New Leith Of Life

1 Dec 2008

A little known fact is that Leith Links, Leith's park, is in fact the original home of international golf. Legend has it that in 1681 the Duke of York, later to become King James VII of Scotland, challenged two English noblemen to a golfing match after…

Shopping in and around Leith

3 Jun 2010

There’s no better place to begin than legendary Italian food emporium and Edinburgh institution Valvona & Crolla at Elm Row. Open since 1934, this is as close to food shopping in Rome as you’ll get in Scotland. Further down Leith Walk, St…

Spotlight on Leith

11 Jun 2009

There they were, defiantly choosing not to choose life. Five years after The Proclaimers put ‘Sunshine’ on it, there were Irvine Welsh’s seminal Trainspotters peeing on Leith’s disused railway tracks, a fitting metaphor for the area’s seedy, debauched…

Leith Shopping

11 Jun 2009

Much like its bars, Leith’s shops tend to have a charm all of their own. Offbeat eco-friendly Shore shop Flux and Easter Road’s Eero and Riley are top spots for unusual gifts and homeware, while Georgian Antiques affords ample opportunity to browse one…

Property special - City guides

8 May 2008

EDINBURGH HOTSPOTS Leith How much: Average one bed £126,540; two bed £164,420 What: For better or worse, the Leith of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting is almost unrecognisable as new cafés, restaurants and bars jostle for space alongside the…

The Shore Bar & Restaurant

8 May 2008

Leith is one of those hologramatic places that’s both new and old at the same time, depending on which particular angle catches your eye. Weathered sandstone or flash flats, docking cranes or design studios, venerable eating spots and new Michelin…

Leith Festival announces line up

8 May 2008

Leith provided further evidence of its status as one of the city's most vibrant areas with the launch of its annual festival. Organisers revealed that the Leith Festival would showcase its trademark brew of home grown talent, alongside big name…