Delightful Old Town Apartment 5 minutes walk from Royal Mile & Edinburgh Castle
This delightful 2 double bedroom apartment is available for rent in Grindlay Street, in the Old Town of Edinburgh and in the heart of the Edinburgh West End theatre land. The flat is a delightful short walk from Edinburgh Castle and High Street via the sweeping Castle Terrace. From there the other city attractions such as the National Museum, National Gallery and Hollyrood Palace are a pleasant stroll away. The apartment overlooks the Royal Lyceum Theatre and the Usher Hall and Traverse theatre are only 100m away. Princes’ Street and the vibrant Grassmarket, with it's lively bar and cafe culture are only 5 minutes walk. For business travellers, the EICC (Edinburgh International Conference Centre) is only 5 minutes walk away.
The flat consists of 2 double bedrooms (one with en-suite bathroom), living room with dining table and chairs, separate fully fitted kitchen and shower room. There is a double sofabed in the lounge which along with the 2 bathrooms makes this flat ideal for up to 5 guests to stay. This is light and bright apartment, the ceilings are high in the traditional Edinburgh Old Town style. The fully fitted kitchen and dining table and 4 chairs enables guests to eat breakfast and other meals in the apartment if the guests wish but on the other hand the apartment is ideally located to make use of the great number of cafes, restaurants and bars in the Grassmarket and West End neighbourhoods. This flat is in an ideal location for visitors wishing to enjoy one of Europe's most beautiful cities. Guests should note that there is no lift/elevator in the building and the flat is on the 3rd floor, so there are 3 flights of stairs to be climbed to enter the flat. This should be considered prior to booking if guests have any mobility issues or expect to be travelling with large or heavy items of luggage. The flat is located in the city centre and there is a diner and a bar on the ground floor level of the building. Guests should expect some street noise in the evenings.
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Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
About the area
Edinburgh
Located in Edinburgh, this apartment is in the city centre. Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile are notable landmarks, and travellers looking to shop may want to visit Grassmarket and Princes Street. Check out an event or a game at Murrayfield Stadium, and consider making time for Edinburgh Zoo, a top attraction not to be missed. Spend some time exploring the area's activities, including golfing.
Edinburgh International Conference Centre - 4 min walk - 0.4 km
Princes Street - 5 min walk - 0.4 km
Edinburgh Castle - 7 min walk - 0.7 km
Getting around
Edinburgh Haymarket Station - 12 min walk
Princes Street Tram Stop - 12 min walk
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) - 25 min drive
Restaurants
Innis & Gunn Taproom - 1 min walk
Shakespeare's Bar - 1 min walk
The Blue Blazer - 2 min walk
BrewDog Lothian Road - 3 min walk
Pret a Manger - 2 min walk
Frequently asked questions
Is Delightful Old Town Apartment 5 minutes walk from Royal Mile & Edinburgh Castle pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much does it cost to stay at Delightful Old Town Apartment 5 minutes walk from Royal Mile & Edinburgh Castle?
As of 25 May 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Delightful Old Town Apartment 5 minutes walk from Royal Mile & Edinburgh Castle on 18 August 2026 start from NZ$1,119, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Delightful Old Town Apartment 5 minutes walk from Royal Mile & Edinburgh Castle?
This property doesn't offer parking.
What time is check-in at Delightful Old Town Apartment 5 minutes walk from Royal Mile & Edinburgh Castle?
Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Delightful Old Town Apartment 5 minutes walk from Royal Mile & Edinburgh Castle?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Delightful Old Town Apartment 5 minutes walk from Royal Mile & Edinburgh Castle located?
Located in Old Town Edinburgh, this apartment building is within a 10-minute walk of Usher Hall, Princes Street and Grassmarket. Edinburgh Castle and George Street are also within 15 minutes. Princes Street Tram Stop is 12 minutes by foot and Haymarket Tram Station is 13 minutes.
Reviews
8.4
Very good
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
We had an excellent stay in this great flat. This apartment is perfectly situated for experiencing Edinburgh on foot, close to pubs, attractions and the castle.Communication with the host easy and responses were quick and informative. Great place for two couples spending a few days and nights exploring Edinburgh.
Communication for entry was very easy to follow. Location was perfect for our needs. Easy walk to restaurant. Wish we could have spent more time but that’s just the way it worked out.
We LOVED our stay here! We said we wished everywhere was like this. Our group of 6 greatly enjoyed it. Clean, just like the listing, central! Great restaurants nearby.
Overall location was ideal. Just a few blocks down from Grass Market. The location is on the fourth floor with 73 steep steps, but the owner forewarned us in advance. I managed to lock the keys in the apartment and receive a fast response from the owner. All in all a pleasant stay
The apartment was very clean and tidy. It offered enough space and everything was in a walking distance. There were many restaurants just around the corner and we could reach the old town in a few minutes by foot.Even though the apartment is located above a pub, we had no issues with noise at night.Overall, we had a lovely experience!
Jeff is such a wonderful host. The apartment is beautiful! It is everything that is represented and more. The location in Edinburgh is so perfect! Most tourist sites were just a few minutes walk away. We spent ten days, had everything we needed. Thank you for helping make our dream vacation come true!
Barry G.
Stayed 10 nights in Aug 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 13 October 2024
Hi Barry,
Thanks for review, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay in our apartment.
Great location close to Edinburgh Castle and The Royal Mile. Communication with the rental property was excellent. The only downside of our stay was hauling all of our luggage up three flights of stairs. One of the nights we could hear the bar downstairs. I didn’t bother ask cause we were exhausted from a long day of sightseeing.
Wonderful mid city flat, great location and great communication with owner.
We loved this 3rd floor flat. It was impeccably clean, had everything we need for our two night stay. HOWEVER we were 2 couples all late 70’s in age. And the climb to the upper floor was more than difficult. We had to stop into the downstairs pub for a beer after every climb. LOL
Andy C.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 13 October 2024
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your review, we are glad to hear you enjoyed your stay.
Verified
6/10 Okay
Jennifer
19 June 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
Just very noisy above a bar and you will have to walk up several flights of stairs with luggage.
Jennifer
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Verified
2/10 Terrible
Betty V.
12 September 2024
Liked: Location
Disliked: Cleanliness, communication
No hot water to clean fir 24 hours.
When the four of us women arrived, we had to go up for flights through dirty and unkempt carpeting. We found the unit to be a size as advertised, but all of the pieces of furniture looked like thrift store leftovers put out to the curb. We had no hot water, and after many many attempts through the Vrbo app and email, both of which refused to. Go through, we turned on data on a phone and manage to eventually reach the owner who is in another country. I have rented VRBO five times previously, mostly from super hosts and this was dingy and we wipe down the furniture before we sat on it. Two of the women left and went to a hotel.
Betty V.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 13 October 2024
Hi Betty,
I am sorry that you were not satisfied with your stay.
Regarding hot water, the Instructions are written in the House Manual which available for guests to read. I am sorry you had problems with with the Vbro App (this is beyond my control), however once we made contact and highlighted this it took only a minute or two and you had hot water.
Regarding your comments regarding the apartment, I find them disappointing and out of step with other guests views which are generally very positive, however we will take note of them and review.
Regards
Jeff
El apartamento estaba genial. En una ubicación muy buena. Éramos 5 adultos y el sofá cama era incómodo. Subir las maletas por las escaleras se hizo un poco difícil. Todo lo demás muy bien. La comunicación con Jeff fue muy buena y nos ayudó en lo que necesitamos.
Séjour à Édimbourg fin Mai avec un temps magnifique. Déjà beaucoup de touristes. Appartement idéalement situé proche du Royal Mile, du Château et de New Town.À faire absolument: Restaurant végétarien David Bann
Property was clean and well stocked. Nice neighborhood.
Communication with the owner was great and I would recommend it to anyone.
Kathy L.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2021
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Denise A.
27 September 2018
Great
Great location. Responsive host
Denise A.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2018
Verified
4/10 Poor
silvia b.
31 May 2018
Proprietario difficile da contattare e appartamento poco confortevole
Ho avuto difficoltà a mettermi in contatto con il proprietario: non ho potuto subito contattarlo sul cellulare (il numero visualizzato sul portale Homeaway era sbagliato) e neanche ha risposto subito alle mail; solo dopo sollecitazione dell'Assistenza tecnica sono finalmente riuscita a comunicare con lui, anche se comunque con grande fatica e dopo un bel po' di tempo. L'appartamento era poco pulito (moquette sporca, capelli nelle lenzuola, pulizia della zona cottura discutibile). Inoltre, pur avendo prenotato l'appartamento per 6 persone, non erano disponibili le lenzuola per il divano letto e solo dopo parecchi tentativi per metterci in contatto con il proprietario e dopo molte ore, alle 10 di sera un suo collaboratore ce ne ha portato un paio. Dormire nel divano letto è stato comunque arduo: il materasso era di una gommapiuma molto sottile e dalle finestre del soggiorno prive di tapparelle è filtrata la luce sin dalle prime ore della giornata. L'appartamento è dotato di sole 4 sedie e quindi 2 persone hanno dovuto sedersi su un tavolino. Inoltre, le fotografie dell'appartamento l'hanno fatto apparire ben più grande di quanto non fosse. La posizione dell'appartamento è invece molto centrale, anche se questo si trova al terzo piano senza ascensore con una rampa di scale abbastanza ripida. Per quanto riguarda le dotazioni, nella cucina vi erano le pentole necessarie (una padella in più però sarebbe stata utile!) ed erano disponibili alcune cibarie, forse lasciate da precedenti clienti (aceto, zucchero, caffè solubile, corn flakes, un pacco di pasta...). Mancava però completamente il bagno schiuma, disponibile invece shampoo e balsamo per i capelli. Per chiudere con una nota a favore, il proprietario, una volta rintracciato (a fatica) ci ha consentito di lasciare i bagagli nell'appartamento qualche ora prima e dopo il check in/out. Io comunque tenendo conto di tutto, non consiglierei questa soluzione
silvia b.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 18 March 2020
Hi Silvia,
I am sorry that you were not totally happy with your stay but I think it worth clarifying a couple of matters.
The listing description is very clear regarding the size of the apartment, the number of dining chairs provided and the number of flights of stairs to get to the flat, I am sorry that none of these matters was to your satisfaction however
they are all detailed and accurate.
I am unaware of any telephone issues, I have checked the listing details and the correct number is shown, when I received the information regarding the missing sheet I arranged for it to be delivered and it was with you within an hour. This was a genuine mistake by the cleaning contractor and I have now changed the company I use to prevent a similar occurrence.
Regarding bubblebath, and food products, again these are not noted in the description but I do provide shampoo and conditioner and some basic foodstuff as a goodwill gesture,(tea, coffee, cooking oil etc), guests are expected to buy there own food should they wish to cook for themselves
Archival
6/10 Okay
Fred F.
22 September 2017
Nice, but...there are some issues that can be rectified.
1. Flat was on the third floor - in European terms, this actually means the 4th floor in American terms. This was only a minor issue.
2. The Ground floor, as understood in European terms, is made up of shops, pubs, restaurants, etc. In this case, one has closing hours of 2 am and the other has closing hours of 3 am, apparently. Needless to say, the patrons continued their partying outside of the respective establishments for approximately 15 - 30 minutes at the respective times. This situation could be rectified by possibly putting in sealed or double-pane windows - would also help the heating/cooling. The ones we installed in our home cut down the outside noise considerably.
3. A minor issue, there is no TV in the flat.
4. The washing machine needs to be cleaned - as we found out at our home, this needs to be done on at least a monthly basis. Use either bleach or the prescribed cleaning tablets designed for front loaders.
5. The room were decent;y sized, as were the bathrooms. This is a real plus. The sofas were comfortable to sit in.
6. This is a minor issue, as it couldn't be heard in the flat - the smoke detector battery needed to be replaced - it was periodically beeping - couldn't be identified as to it's exact location however. As we were on a two-day tour for most of time we rented the flat, it was not a real issue - just slightly annoying.
Conclusions:
1. The location of this flat is nice - bus transportation is readily available - just a minute or two away. The Edinburgh railway station is 15 minutes away. The tram to the airport is approximately 10 minutes away as well.
2. There are a couple of good restaurants within a 2 minute walk. There is a grocery store approximately 10 minutes away, walking.
3. The size of the flat is fine.
4. Replacing the windows with a more sound-deadening model would greatly enhance our rating to at least a 4, as would the provision of a TV.
5. There is a real nice park nearby. This is a plus!
6 Edinburgh Castle and environs are a short walk away as well! A nice plus!
Fred F.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2017
Verified
4/10 Poor
Kelli C.
14 August 2025
Kelli C.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025
About the host
Hosted by jeff thornton
Married with 2 grown up children. I love to travel and am fond of the outdoors and am a keen runner, cyclist and golfer.
Why they chose this property
Edinburgh is one of Europe's most beautiful cities, it is full of history (a castle, a palace, museums aplenty), it has culture abound with numerous festivals, theatres and a world famous comedy Fringe Festival in the summer, it is a great place for venturing out on a golfing trip, country walks in the Pentland Hills are only a few miles away and Edinburgh is a great springboard for a trip to the Scottish Highlands. Edinburgh really does have it all. I fell in love with Edinburgh the moment I arrived here. This property is ideally situated in the heart of the city centre.
What makes this property unique
Its location is second to non. Guests can walk to all the major city centre attractions from the flat. The flat is well decorated, spacious enough for 5 guests.