Mid Steil is located in a pretty residential area called the Steils, situated in Glenlockhart on the fringes of the popular area of Morningside.
Just across the road is the Merchants Golf Club, which is open to visitors subject to the availability of tee times and which occupies part of Craiglockhart Hill, one of the seven hills on which Edinburgh, like Rome, is built: the hill offers lovely walks and spectacular views north over the city to the Firth of Forth and the Kingdom of Fife and south to the Pentland Hills and beyond. More recreation is on offer at The Meadows, on the wat in to the city centre. The Meadows were originally under water: the Burgh Loch, which was drained in 1740, was one of Edinburgh’s main water supplies. The area is now one of the city’s biggest green spaces, ideal for jogging, walking and other sports. There are public tennis courts, a children’s playpark and Bruntsfield Links Golf Course, one of the oldest courses in the world, where you can have a round of pitch-and-putt.
This house is an ideal base from which to explore the city. You can leave your car in the private parking space and hop on one of the many buses in to town, which in half an hour take you to the heart of the city. We recommend that you buy
day tickets (buy one on your first bus of the day) so that you can take as many buses and trams as you like over the course of the day (there's also a special day ticket to include the airport).
Mid
Steil lies to the south of Morningside and
Bruntsfield, both well known for their village atmosphere. There is a great variety of independent and specialist shops in the area, and a visit to
Morningside Road or
Bruntsfield Place will let you discover them for yourself. There are many
cafés, restaurants and bars to choose from (click
here for some suggestions).
The Canny Man’s at 237 Morningside Road, with its Victorian interior crammed with curios and antiques, is one of the best-known pubs in Edinburgh. On the way to town you’ll pass Holy Corner, so called because of the churches that stand on each corner of the junction, the famous
Luca's gelateria and
chocolatier and the
Edinburgh Iyengar Yoga Centre (which offers drop-in classes).