# Two nights for couples in Edinburgh: a suite by the castle, whisky, the volcano at dawn and seafood in Leith

Arrival and a candlelit dinner at the castle gates, a Saturday of palace, volcano and whisky, and a Sunday by the river before the flight, sleeping in a Gothic suite.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/itineraries/two-nights-for-couples · Revisado: 2026-11-13

Dónde: Edinburgh

For two, Edinburgh has something few cities offer in a weekend: a Gothic-novel atmosphere at the hotel door and, twenty minutes away, a volcano with the sea at its feet. This plan doesn't try to see everything. It picks a base with character, two dinners to remember and a day split between the high and low parts of the city: the hill, the palace, the port and a whisky tasting. What you need to book well ahead is the suite and Friday's table.

## What does it cost?

WhatHow muchNote

Suite at The WitcheryDepends on dateTwo adults only; champagne when booking on their website

Dinner at The WitcheryHigh price levelBook; from age 10

Holyroodhouse£22 in advanceIn winter, Thursday to Monday

Royal Yacht Britannia£23 onlineAbout two hours on board

Scotch Whisky Experience, Gold Tour£39.7575 minutes, tasting of four whiskies, over-18s only

Arthur's Seat, Dean Village, Calton HillFreeNo booking

## Where to stay?

There are nine suites at The Witchery, all for two, above the restaurant and on the castle esplanade itself: four-poster beds, dark wood, and breakfast they can bring up to you in a hamper. Booking on their website, there's a bottle of champagne every night. If you like Harry Potter, ask for The Heriot, with views of the school associated with Hogwarts. They have no parking or extra beds.

If you prefer quiet, Prestonfield House is a 1687 mansion with 23 rooms in gardens at the foot of Arthur's Seat, ten minutes by taxi from the Royal Mile. It's the option if you're coming by car: parking is free.

## Where to eat?

On Friday, The Witchery, without leaving the building. On Saturday, Fishers in Leith, with Shetland mussels or the smoked fish platter. On Sunday, the stalls at Stockbridge market, or a roll from Oink on Victoria Street if you're leaving early.

## El plan

### Friday · 18:00 · Arrival on Castlehill
Tram from the airport to the centre and a short taxi with the luggage to the castle esplanade. Leave your bags in the suite.

### Friday · 20:00 · Dinner at The Witchery
Downstairs, among wood panelling, candles and tapestries. Without leaving the building.

### Saturday · 08:00 · Arthur's Seat early
The whole Royal Mile downhill, empty at this hour, and the climb from the palace with few people around and the low light over the estuary.

### Saturday · 11:00 · Holyroodhouse
Mary Queen of Scots' chambers and the abbey ruins, at the foot of the hill you've just come down.

### Saturday · 13:30 · Tram to Leith, the Britannia and seafood on The Shore
The royal yacht at Ocean Terminal and a late lunch at Fishers, in a 17th-century watchtower on the quay.

### Saturday · 18:00 · Tasting at the Scotch Whisky Experience
Back on Castlehill, the Gold Tour: four malts from different regions to compare and the bottle collection room, with an audio guide in Spanish. Two minutes from the suite.

### Sunday · 10:00 · Dean Village and the river
Breakfast in the suite, a walk down to the old mill village and a stroll along the Water of Leith to Stockbridge, with the Sunday market.

### Sunday · 14:00 · Calton Hill and farewell
The last view of the castle from the hill of monuments, and the tram to the airport from St Andrew Square, at its foot.

## Un consejo más

Between November and March, Holyroodhouse opens Thursday to Monday with last entry at 15:15: with this plan it fits on Saturday without a problem, but check if you change the days.

## Cuándo no ir

The shortest tasting at the Scotch Whisky Experience if you're really into whisky: the Silver is a 50-minute introduction with a single whisky; the Gold has more tastings and more time.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### What to do in Edinburgh as a couple?
Climb Arthur's Seat early, see Holyroodhouse, take the tram to Leith for the Britannia and seafood, do a whisky tasting and have dinner at The Witchery.

### Where to stay as a couple in Edinburgh?
In a suite at The Witchery, by the castle, or at Prestonfield House, a mansion with gardens at the foot of Arthur's Seat.

### Are two nights enough?
For this plan, yes. With a third night you can fit in the inside of the castle or the Loch Ness trip.

### How much does it cost?
From about 650 € per person with two nights in the suite, two dinners, tickets and transport, without flights. The suite is the biggest cost.

## Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Motel One Edinburgh-Royal**: By Waverley, with the Old Town above
The Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is on Market Street, the street running behind Waverley station. Get off the train, cross over and you're at the door; from here, the Royal Mile is a couple of streets uphill and Princes Street is on the other side of the station. It's the option for anyone arriving by train or on the airport tram who wants to do everything on foot, without paying what the hotels on the main streets cost.
Small rooms, cleverly done
The chain is known for its compact, well-kept rooms, and this one is no exception. The standard, The One, is 16 m² with a 160 or 180 cm bed; the Cosy One, at 14 m², has a 120 cm bed and suits one person. For families with one child there's the Family One, 20 m², with a double bed and a sofa bed. There's an accessible room. All have a rain shower and free wifi. The décor plays on Scotland: tartan headboards, photographs of Highland flora and fauna and living ferns on the reception wall.
Bar, breakfast and what it doesn't have
Downstairs is the One Lounge, with a whisky bar under a chandelier made from fifty decanters, and in the morning the buffet breakfast, with organic products and fair-trade coffee. The hotel has no parking: the nearest it suggests is at Greenside Row, a quarter of an hour's walk away, so it's not a place to arrive by car. Pets are allowed, but they ask you to check first.
- **Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Princes Street)**: A room for four on the main street
This Premier Inn is on Princes Street, the New Town's great shopping street, with Princes Street Gardens opposite and the castle peering over them. The castle esplanade is about fifteen minutes' walk away; Rose Street and George Street are one street behind. It's a chain hotel with no surprises, and that's exactly what many families are after: clear prices, identical rooms and a location where you don't need transport for almost anything.
What makes it practical with children
The family rooms have a large double bed and, depending on how many of you there are, a sofa bed or a trundle bed. Cots are free of charge. Breakfast is a buffet with hot dishes (bacon, sausages, eggs), vegetarian and vegan options and pastries, and for every adult who orders it up to two children eat free. There's an in-house restaurant for dinner, which comes in handy when the little ones can't manage another outing. It also has accessible rooms and free wifi.
Arriving and getting around without a car
The airport tram stops on Princes Street, a few minutes from the hotel. You don't need a car, and it isn't a good idea: the hotel has no parking and lies within Edinburgh's low emission zone, which fines non-compliant vehicles. If you're arriving by car, the car park they suggest is the NCP on Castle Terrace, ten minutes' walk away, with a 50% discount when you validate your ticket at reception.
- **Castle Rock Hostel**: Sleeping at the foot of the rock
Castle Rock is on Johnston Terrace, the street that wraps round the south side of the castle rock, between the esplanade and the Grassmarket. Step out of the door and in five minutes you're on the Royal Mile, on Victoria Street or in the Grassmarket square with its pubs. It's a large, lively hostel in an old high-ceilinged building, aimed at people travelling solo, as a couple or with friends who want to spend little on a bed so they can spend on everything else.
Dorms, private rooms and rooms to spend the evening in
There are shared dorms of various sizes, women-only dorms and private rooms for anyone who wants their own door. Beds come made up and each guest has a locker with a key in the room; towels are for hire. Downstairs there are several lounges: a large common room for socialising, a music room with guitars and a piano, a quiet room for reading or working, games and film nights. The kitchen is spacious and fully equipped, with fridges and freezers, and in the mornings they serve a simple continental breakfast.
What you need to know
It's an over-18s only hostel: it doesn't work for families with children. Reception is open 24 hours, there's a laundry and luggage storage, and on bookings of three nights or more an automatic discount applies. They organise activities daily and have a courtyard for some fresh air. There's no parking: arrive by train at Waverley or on the airport tram to Princes Street and walk up.
- **The Witchery by the Castle, suites**: Nine suites above a candlelit restaurant
Above the dining rooms of The Witchery, in the 16th-century houses of Castlehill, there are nine suites, each with its own name and décor. All are designed for two adults, with a king-size bed, and all follow the same idea: velvet, tapestries, dark wood, four-poster beds and freestanding baths, sometimes for two. It's the place for an anniversary, a honeymoon or a night you want to remember, a few steps from the castle esplanade.
Choosing a suite
Size and views vary. The Old Rectory is the largest, with seven windows onto the Royal Mile. The Vestry is reached by a stone spiral staircase and has three windows over the street. The Library hides a secret door in a book-lined bathroom. The Heriot looks out over the Old Town towards George Heriot's School, the turreted school that, according to the hotel itself, is believed to have inspired Hogwarts: it's the suite for a couple of Harry Potter fans. The others are The Sempill, The Inner Sanctum, The Guardroom, The Armoury and The Turret.
Breakfast, bookings and what there isn't
Breakfast is for residents only and you can have it in the Original Dining Room or ask for it to be brought up to your suite in a hamper. If you book on their website, there's a bottle of champagne in the room every night. Children are admitted from age 10 sharing a suite with an adult, but there are no extra beds, so it isn't family accommodation. Dogs aren't allowed, the building isn't adapted and there's no parking; the nearest is the NCP on Castle Terrace. If you want to dine downstairs, book a table too: the restaurant recommends doing so well in advance.
- **Prestonfield House**: A country house inside the city
Prestonfield House is a 1687 mansion in its own parkland of about eight hectares, with gardens and woodland, at the foot of Arthur's Seat and five minutes by taxi from Waverley station. It's a five-star hotel with the same owners as The Witchery, and it shares their taste for the theatrical: velvet, antiques, deep colours and roaring fires. What sets it apart in Edinburgh is the silence: you sleep in the city as if you were on a country estate.
Rooms, dining room and lounges
There are 23 rooms and suites, each decorated in its own way, with antique pieces and heavy fabrics. The Rhubarb restaurant is open every day from 12:00 to 22:00 (last booking), and the Whisky Room has sofas by the fire for an after-dinner drink. Afternoon tea costs £70 per person. There's a lift to the restaurant and the rooms.
Who it suits
For a luxury break as a couple, for anyone travelling with a dog (every room accepts them, and they can be in the lounges, though not in Rhubarb) and for those arriving by car: parking is free and there are electric chargers. It also welcomes children of all ages, who can dine in Rhubarb until 20:00. If you don't have a car, buses 2, 14 and 33 stop about five minutes' walk away. The hotel suggests walks that start from the estate itself.

## Dónde dormir without a car
- **Motel One Edinburgh-Royal**: By Waverley, with the Old Town above
The Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is on Market Street, the street running behind Waverley station. Get off the train, cross over and you're at the door; from here, the Royal Mile is a couple of streets uphill and Princes Street is on the other side of the station. It's the option for anyone arriving by train or on the airport tram who wants to do everything on foot, without paying what the hotels on the main streets cost.
Small rooms, cleverly done
The chain is known for its compact, well-kept rooms, and this one is no exception. The standard, The One, is 16 m² with a 160 or 180 cm bed; the Cosy One, at 14 m², has a 120 cm bed and suits one person. For families with one child there's the Family One, 20 m², with a double bed and a sofa bed. There's an accessible room. All have a rain shower and free wifi. The décor plays on Scotland: tartan headboards, photographs of Highland flora and fauna and living ferns on the reception wall.
Bar, breakfast and what it doesn't have
Downstairs is the One Lounge, with a whisky bar under a chandelier made from fifty decanters, and in the morning the buffet breakfast, with organic products and fair-trade coffee. The hotel has no parking: the nearest it suggests is at Greenside Row, a quarter of an hour's walk away, so it's not a place to arrive by car. Pets are allowed, but they ask you to check first.
- **Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Princes Street)**: A room for four on the main street
This Premier Inn is on Princes Street, the New Town's great shopping street, with Princes Street Gardens opposite and the castle peering over them. The castle esplanade is about fifteen minutes' walk away; Rose Street and George Street are one street behind. It's a chain hotel with no surprises, and that's exactly what many families are after: clear prices, identical rooms and a location where you don't need transport for almost anything.
What makes it practical with children
The family rooms have a large double bed and, depending on how many of you there are, a sofa bed or a trundle bed. Cots are free of charge. Breakfast is a buffet with hot dishes (bacon, sausages, eggs), vegetarian and vegan options and pastries, and for every adult who orders it up to two children eat free. There's an in-house restaurant for dinner, which comes in handy when the little ones can't manage another outing. It also has accessible rooms and free wifi.
Arriving and getting around without a car
The airport tram stops on Princes Street, a few minutes from the hotel. You don't need a car, and it isn't a good idea: the hotel has no parking and lies within Edinburgh's low emission zone, which fines non-compliant vehicles. If you're arriving by car, the car park they suggest is the NCP on Castle Terrace, ten minutes' walk away, with a 50% discount when you validate your ticket at reception.
- **Castle Rock Hostel**: Sleeping at the foot of the rock
Castle Rock is on Johnston Terrace, the street that wraps round the south side of the castle rock, between the esplanade and the Grassmarket. Step out of the door and in five minutes you're on the Royal Mile, on Victoria Street or in the Grassmarket square with its pubs. It's a large, lively hostel in an old high-ceilinged building, aimed at people travelling solo, as a couple or with friends who want to spend little on a bed so they can spend on everything else.
Dorms, private rooms and rooms to spend the evening in
There are shared dorms of various sizes, women-only dorms and private rooms for anyone who wants their own door. Beds come made up and each guest has a locker with a key in the room; towels are for hire. Downstairs there are several lounges: a large common room for socialising, a music room with guitars and a piano, a quiet room for reading or working, games and film nights. The kitchen is spacious and fully equipped, with fridges and freezers, and in the mornings they serve a simple continental breakfast.
What you need to know
It's an over-18s only hostel: it doesn't work for families with children. Reception is open 24 hours, there's a laundry and luggage storage, and on bookings of three nights or more an automatic discount applies. They organise activities daily and have a courtyard for some fresh air. There's no parking: arrive by train at Waverley or on the airport tram to Princes Street and walk up.
- **The Witchery by the Castle, suites**: Nine suites above a candlelit restaurant
Above the dining rooms of The Witchery, in the 16th-century houses of Castlehill, there are nine suites, each with its own name and décor. All are designed for two adults, with a king-size bed, and all follow the same idea: velvet, tapestries, dark wood, four-poster beds and freestanding baths, sometimes for two. It's the place for an anniversary, a honeymoon or a night you want to remember, a few steps from the castle esplanade.
Choosing a suite
Size and views vary. The Old Rectory is the largest, with seven windows onto the Royal Mile. The Vestry is reached by a stone spiral staircase and has three windows over the street. The Library hides a secret door in a book-lined bathroom. The Heriot looks out over the Old Town towards George Heriot's School, the turreted school that, according to the hotel itself, is believed to have inspired Hogwarts: it's the suite for a couple of Harry Potter fans. The others are The Sempill, The Inner Sanctum, The Guardroom, The Armoury and The Turret.
Breakfast, bookings and what there isn't
Breakfast is for residents only and you can have it in the Original Dining Room or ask for it to be brought up to your suite in a hamper. If you book on their website, there's a bottle of champagne in the room every night. Children are admitted from age 10 sharing a suite with an adult, but there are no extra beds, so it isn't family accommodation. Dogs aren't allowed, the building isn't adapted and there's no parking; the nearest is the NCP on Castle Terrace. If you want to dine downstairs, book a table too: the restaurant recommends doing so well in advance.