The Shore

Fast becoming the new place to be seen, The Shore, down by the docks, is the Venice of Edinburgh, where on a summers afternoon you can sip a cold beer with your legs hanging over the water. Great places to eat are springing up everywhere, and here is the best conctentration of seafood restaurants in Scotland. There are places to suit all budgets, from martin wisharts where you can expect to pay £50-£75 per person (without wine) to the great tucker at

Diner 7

Burgers, Shakes and stunning salads to fill you up in cool, kitschy surroundings. Just a few yards down Commercial Street opposite the old Customs building, by the main road bridge at the Shore. Meals cost about £6-7, and the smoothies and shakes are sublime.

The Carrier’s Quarters

So called because it was a favourite haunt of the Carriers, who carried whatever arrived into the port of Leith up to the centre of Edinburgh. It was run in those days by a landlord called Henry Harding, so see if you can guess the name of the dog that inhabits the bar these days… The tulip room, in the back, was where prostitutes used to sit and tout for business – rather less sordid now, it still exudes a certain dark attraction, and there’s live music some nights courtesy of one of the bar staff, among others…