United Kingdom · Scotland · Edinburgh
Leith, Edinburgh — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Leith is Edinburgh's port where the Water of Leith meets the Firth of Forth, its quays The Shore. The Royal Yacht Britannia berths at Ocean Terminal.
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Where to stay in Leith
Where visitors usually base themselves, and why.
Staying in Leith puts a visitor on the waterfront rather than the tourist core of the Old Town, trading famous sights for harbour air and one of Edinburgh's strongest food scenes. The Shore, lined with seafood restaurants and bars along the Water of Leith, anchors the evenings. Leith itself offers few rooms.
Choices run from converted warehouse flats to a few hotels beside the harbour, and a short ride up Leith Walk reaches the New Town and the city centre. The Royal Yacht Britannia and Ocean Terminal sit just west along the docks, so the district suits food, water and a quieter base over doorstep sightseeing.
Things to do in and around Edinburgh
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
2- Newhaven Heritage Museum
- Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage
Churches & Religious Sites
8- South Leith Parish Church, Edinburgh Heritage
- St Paul's and St George's Church Heritage
- Catholic Apostolic Church Heritage
- St Mary Star of the Sea RC Church Heritage
- Lady Glenorchy's Free Church, Greenside Place, Edinburgh Heritage
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- North Leith Parish Church Heritage
- St Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church Heritage
- Holyrood Abbey Church Heritage
Castles & Historic Sites
3- National Monument of Scotland Heritage
- Nelson Monument Heritage
- Dugald Stewart Monument Heritage
Nature & Outdoors
1- Memorial garden, and bronze portrait, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
Stadiums & Sports
1- Leith Links
Landmarks & Notable Places
2- Trinity House of Leith Heritage
- Lochend House Heritage
worth knowingacross 6 categories in and around Edinburgh
About Leith
What are the main landmarks in Leith?
The district's set-piece is the Royal Yacht Britannia, the former royal ship kept open to visitors at Ocean Terminal. Close by in the docks lies the SS Explorer, a preserved steam vessel from Leith's fishing years, and Trinity House of Leith holds the mariners' guild and almshouse on the Kirkgate. Churches mark the old streets.
South Leith Parish Church stands on the Kirkgate and North Leith Parish Church by the water, with St Mary Star of the Sea on Constitution Street. Leith Links, the green where townsfolk once played early golf, opens to the east, while the Newhaven Heritage Museum recalls the fishing village next door.
What is the history of Leith?
Leith began as a town in its own right, a burgh with its own council set at the mouth of the Water of Leith. For centuries it was Edinburgh's window on the sea. Mary, Queen of Scots stepped ashore here in 1561 on her way back from France, and trade in wine, timber and whale oil filled the warehouses along the docks.
Shipyards lined the Firth of Forth. Leith guarded its independence until 1920, when it was amalgamated into the City of Edinburgh against the wishes of many of its people, and as the port trade later faded the quays of The Shore passed to bars, offices and flats.
Where is Leith?
Leith lies in the north of Edinburgh, on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. Its harbour is the Port of Leith. Leith Walk, one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, follows the line of a rampart raised against Oliver Cromwell's forces.
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Updated October 2026