Greyfriars: Quiet Edinburgh city centre retreat

A bright, centrally located one-bedroom apartment (sleeps 1–3) on the second floor of an architecturally significant building (B-listed) on Forrest Hill, a quiet lane off George IV Bridge, close to the historic Royal Mile and within easy walking distance of the major tourist attractions, festival venues, shops, night-life and transport connections. It is also conveniently situated for the University of Edinburgh.


About this property: The homely living room has a peaceful outlook over Greyfriars Church. The two-seater sofa converts in to a double sofa bed and there is an armchair and dining table. An attractive rug sets off the polished wooden floors, and a TV (with DVD and CD player) and a selection of books and DVDs complete the home comforts.

The modern kitchen is well provided with crockery, cutlery, glasses and kitchenware, as well as a washing machine, fridge-freezer, cooker and microwave.

The double bedroom, a quiet room overlooking the church, has wall-to-wall carpeting and is well furnished. The shower-room is tiled and has a wash-hand basin, toilet and standard-size power shower (no bathtub).

The apartment has gas central heating. The price of gas, electricity and local taxes is included. For the comfort of future guests, the apartment is non-smoking and pets are not allowed.

The local area: The apartment looks over Greyfriars Church (built in 1620) and churchyard to the spires and roofs of the Old Town. There are many tales attached to Greyfriars, perhaps the most famous of which is that of Greyfriars Bobby, a faithful Skye terrier. So devoted was the dog to his master John Gray that when Gray died and was buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, Bobby kept guard over the grave for fourteen years until his own death in 1872. The dog is buried close to his master and his faithfulness is commemorated in a statue opposite the entrance to the churchyard at the junction of George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the churchyard was a haunt of the ‘Resurrection Men’: body-snatchers who would dig up fresh corpses to sell for dissection to anatomists at the nearby medical school. You can find out more about Edinburgh’s grisly past on the guided tours that leave from the Royal Mile (see, for example, Mercat Tours, Witchery Tours and Mary King’s Close).

Nearby attractions and sights: Across the road from Greyfriars Bobby are the National Museum of Scotland, an award-winning modern building that holds the national collections, and the adjoining Royal Scottish Museum. The Tower Restaurant on the top floor of the Museum of Scotland has terraces with spectacular views over the city.

The apartment is close to the main campus of the University of Edinburgh (established in 1582) and its landmark buildings Old College (the Faculty of Law), the Medical School and the McEwan Hall. Beyond the University lie the Meadows, a large area of open parkland.

From the apartment it is a short walk along George IV Bridge to the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle or down Candlemaker Row to the picturesque Grassmarket and the more earthy Cowgate, centre of the city’s nightlife. The Royal Mile, the backbone of medieval Edinburgh, connects Edinburgh Castle at one end with the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Parliament at the other.