The streets worth walking
Start at the Shore and walk the quay past the old Sailors' Home and the swing bridge, then follow the water inland along the Water of Leith Walkway — a car-free path that runs all the way to Stockbridge and Dean Village if you have the legs. Constitution Street and Bernard Street give you the Victorian civic architecture of an independent burgh: the Corn Exchange, the old town hall, banking halls now full of restaurants. North of the docks, Newhaven harbour and its little lighthouse make a good short walk with a view across the Forth to Fife.
Eating and drinking
Two Michelin-starred restaurants sit on the same short stretch of water: The Kitchin and Restaurant Martin Wishart. Book both a month ahead. Around them, Fishers on the corner has been doing plain excellent seafood since 1991, Norn is the quieter tasting-menu option, and The King's Wark serves proper pub food in a building from 1434. Leith Walk covers the rest: Joseph Pearce for a Scandinavian-run pub, Pitt Street for weekend street food, and a run of Italian delis and bakeries. Teuchters Landing and Nauticus are the two bars worth crossing town for.
What to see
The Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal is the one big attraction, and better than it sounds — the family quarters are unchanged from 1997. Leith Theatre hosts gigs during the festival, Custom Lane runs design exhibitions, and Leith Market fills Dock Place on Saturdays. For a beach day, Portobello's mile of sand and promenade is twenty minutes east by bus.
Getting around
The tram runs the length of Leith Walk from Newhaven through the Foot of the Walk to St Andrew Square and on to the airport — no changes, roughly every seven minutes. Buses 11, 22 and 35 cover the same ground. Walking into town takes about thirty minutes uphill; walking back down after dinner is the pleasant direction. Parking is far easier here than in the centre, which makes Leith the practical choice if you are driving to the Highlands afterwards.
