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Why Portobello Is Edinburgh’s Best-Kept Secret
Portobello is a Victorian seaside suburb 3 miles from Edinburgh’s city centre. Most tourists don’t know it exists. Edinburghers would quite like to keep it that way — but it’s too good not to share.
- The beach is 2 miles of golden sand and it’s on a city bus route. The number 26 bus from Princes Street takes 20 minutes and drops you 100 metres from the beach. In summer, the sand is packed with locals. In winter, it’s empty and beautiful. Either way, a beach on a bus route from Edinburgh’s city centre is remarkable.
- The Espy is one of Edinburgh’s best pubs and nobody queues. The Espy (Esplanade Bar) sits right on the promenade with sea views. Good beer, decent food, outdoor seating. While tourists fight for tables in the Grassmarket, Portobello’s pubs have room to breathe.
- The independent shops on Portobello High Street rival Stockbridge. Vintage furniture, bookshops, artisan bakeries, and zero tourist tat. The Saturday morning market brings local producers. This is where Edinburgh residents actually shop when they want something interesting.
- Combine with a walk to Joppa and Musselburgh for a full coastal day. The promenade extends east along the coast. Musselburgh has a racecourse, a harbour, and Luca’s — an Italian ice cream shop that’s been serving Edinburghers since 1908. The entire walk is flat, easy, and scenic.
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In today’s email:
- Have You Been To Scotland’s Coolest Neighbourhood With Its Sandy Beach And Fabulous’ Seafood?
- 5 Of The Most Beautiful Beaches In Scotland
- Collect your gift! – A Free Digital Copy Of The Ultimate Scotland Travel Guide
- Around the Web: Avalanche on Scotland’s Creag Meagaidh caught on camera, Love is in the air as Edinburgh Zoo animals celebrate Valentine’s Day, The Top Natural Wonders In Scotland and more
- From Social Media – A Scottish castle with a dramatic location – ye cannae beat it!
- Scottish Food You Will Love – Fab Breakfast in this Glasgow Café – The Hyndland Café
- Coo Wee – I need a new bum! Read by The Scottish Granny.
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Scotland’s Coolest Neighbourhood With A Sandy Beach And Fabulous’ Seafood
Earlier this month, The Times named Portobello in Edinburgh as the “coolest urban corner” in the UK,
5 Of The Most Beautiful Beaches In Scotland
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Around The Web
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MV Glen Sannox sails under its own power for the first time, eight years after construction began.
New Species of Pterosaur Discovered in Scotland Persisted 25 Million Years More Than Previously Thought
Avalanche on Scotland’s Creag Meagaidh caught on camera
An avalanche has been photographed as it slid down a mountainside in the Scottish Highlands.
Scotland’s best place to live named and one town near Glasgow has taken top spot
Scotland’s ‘wettest’ towns named with scenic spot coming in at number one
Edinburgh Fringe star Puddles Pity Party gig is huge coup for Kirkcaldy’s Kings Theatre
Love is in the air as Edinburgh Zoo animals celebrate Valentine’s Day
The Top Natural Wonders In Scotland
From Social Media
A Scottish castle with a dramatic location – ye cannae beat it!
Scottish Food You Will Love
Fab Breakfast in this Glasgow Café – The Hyndland Café
Coo Wee
I need a new bum! Read by The Scottish Granny.
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Our Daily Newsletter is free and will remain free for our loyal followers forever.. ( if you are not subscribed then just enter your email below) But as they say in the infomercials, that’s not all.. For less than the price of a wee dram, you can upgrade to our premium Newsletter which will give you access to our archive of travel deep dives, travel itineraries as well as special deals curated for our premium subscribers. So consider buying us a drink and upgrading to get all the goodies..
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A Traveller’s Perspective
Portobello — Edinburgh’s seaside neighbourhood — is one of the best-kept secrets in the city, though it is becoming less of a secret every year. A mile of sandy beach, independent cafes, excellent seafood restaurants, and a community atmosphere that feels nothing like the tourist-heavy Old Town. On a sunny day, Portobello feels like a completely different city from the Edinburgh of castles and cobblestones.
Take the number 26 bus from the city centre — it runs every few minutes and takes about 20 minutes. Walk the full length of the promenade from Seafield to Joppa. For lunch, The Espy does excellent pub food with beach views. The Beach House serves some of the best seafood in Edinburgh. On a warm day, the beach fills with locals paddling, swimming, and building sandcastles. The outdoor heated pool — Portobello Swim Centre — is a good option when the sea is too cold. Saturday morning is the best time for the full Portobello experience.
Sitting outside a cafe on the Portobello promenade with a flat white and a croissant, looking out at the Firth of Forth with the hills of Fife in the distance, it is hard to believe you are in Edinburgh. The sand is golden. Children run along the shoreline. Dogs chase balls into the surf. The air smells of salt water and coffee. The promenade has the relaxed feel of a small seaside town, a world away from the intensity of the Royal Mile. This is where Edinburgh comes to exhale.
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