Edinburgh Apartments: Kings Stables Lane

The house is situated on King's Stables Lane, a few metres from the Grassmarket, in the heart of Edinburgh's historic Old Town. (The name of the street recalls that this is where the royal stables attached to the castle were situated.)

It's a short walk through the Grassmarket to the Royal Mile, the backbone of medieval Edinburgh, which connects Edinburgh Castle at one end with the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Parliament at the other. (Royal Mile is the combined name for the street formed by Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Canongate.) Edinburgh's main visitor attractions are on your doorstep and the neighbourhood is full of attractive independent shops and restaurants, bars and cafes to suit all budgets, from cheap and cheerful pizzerias to fine dining establishments. The Hub (the official centre for the Edinburgh International Festival) and the Festival Fringe office are on the Royal Mile, and you can easily walk to many Festival venues; the Usher Hall, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Traverse Theatre, Filmhouse and Dance Base are all only a few minutes' walk away. You are also ideally placed to enjoy the Christmas and Hogmanay/New Year festivities. Edinburgh Farmers Market takes place every Saturday morning only a short stroll from the apartment.

The Grassmarket is one of the best-known areas of the city, with lots of bars, restaurants and independent shops. This used to be the working hub of the city; a bustling place of livestock, noisy workers, inns and stables. There have been markets (including horse and meat markets) since at least the 15th century; the first written record of a market is in 1477. In summer, the place comes alive with pavement cafes and street markets, and it has a lively nightlife scene.