8 Jeffrey St (Flat 14), Royal Mile

Great city views from apartment and shared roof terrace

A bright, centrally located one-bedroom apartment (sleeps 1–3) off the Royal Mile, with spectacular views of the city and surrounding area from a rooftop terrace and within easy walking distance of the major tourist attractions, festival venues, shops, nightlife and transport connections.

⇒ About the property
⇒ The local area
⇒ Getting there
⇒ Guest comments Rated by TripAdvisor

Key Features

3 Star
Sleeps up to 3
Free Wi-fi
Fourth floor (no lift)
Gas central heating
TV and DVD player
Hairdryer
Iron
Public parking nearby
Shops within 50 metres
Linen/towels provided
Non-smoking
Not suitable for children
No pets allowed
Shared roof terrace
Washing machine

More features

Fridge
King bed
Radio
Microwave

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Living room (with double sofabed) with dining area

About the property

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sleeps one to three: one bedroom with king-size bed; double sofabed in living room
living room with dining area, separate kitchen, double bedroom, bathroom with bathtub and shower over
stunning views from rooftop terrace
free wifi internet access
Secondary letting licence EH-68837-F
EPC rating C76

This holiday home is a bright one-bedroom apartment on the top floor (fourth floor, no lift) of an architecturally significant building (B-listed) with stunning views situated off the historic Royal Mile in the centre of Edinburgh. The apartment is within easy walking distance of the major tourist attractions, festival venues, shops, nightlife and transport connections. The apartment is light and airy and has views over the city rooftops. Unique to this building is the shared roof terrace, which is accessed from the top of the entrance stairway and which has spectacular panoramic views over the city, sea and hills.

With windows on two sides, the spacious living room is full of light and has attractive views of the Old Town, North Bridge and Calton Hill. There is a coal-effect gas fire and a comfortable dining area. The three-seater sofa converts in to a double sofabed, and there is a comfortable armchair and window seat. A TV, a selection of books and wall-to-wall carpeting 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. A pulley suspended from the hall ceiling is a traditional way of drying clothes.

The double bedroom is fully carpeted and attractively furnished. The bathroom is partly wood panelled and has a wash-hand basin and bathtub with shower over.

The apartment has gas central heating and double glazing. 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

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The facade of 8 Jeffrey Street

This apartment is situated on Jeffrey Street, a few metres from the Old Town's main street, the Royal Mile, in the heart of Edinburgh's historic Old Town. The Scots Baronial building, built in 1891, has been deemed of sufficient architectural importance to merit a category B listing. Jeffrey Street and St Mary's Street straddle 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. Edinburgh's main visitor attractions are on your doorstep and the neighbourhood is full of attractive independent shops and restaurants, bars and cafés 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 of the Festival venues. You are also ideally placed to enjoy the Christmas and Hogmanay/New Year festivities.

The apartment looks out towards Calton Hill and its monuments: Nelson's Monument (from which a time-ball is lowered every day at 1pm as a time signal to ships out on the Firth of Forth), the Observatory and the National Monument, an unfinished replica of the Parthenon. Initiated by Sir Henry Dundas, 18th century bankroller of Edinburgh's Georgian New Town, to embody the city's reputation as the Athens of the North, the National Monument stands as a reminder of the folly of its patron. Dundas ran out of money and abandoned his ambitious plan; the unfinished building is now irreverently known as Edinburgh's Disgrace. There is also an impressive view of St Andrew’s House, one of the finest Art Deco buildings in Scotland. Built in 1939 by Thomas Tait to house the Scottish Office (the Scottish administration of the central UK government), it is now the main office of the Scottish Executive, the Westminster representation to the devolved government of Scotland.

Jeffrey Street is named after Lord Francis Jeffrey (1773–1850), lawyer, critic and co-founder of the influential but now-defunct Edinburgh Review. Royal Mile is the combined name for the street formed by Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Canongate. The High Street part ends at the junction of St Mary's Street and Jeffrey Street, where the city's eastern gate, Netherbow Port, once stood. The remaining part of the Royal Mile, the Canongate, was a separate burgh for over 700 years, taking its name from the canons (priests) of Holyrood Abbey. Because it was near the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the area developed as the court quarter and many fine residences for aristocratic families were built there. One of these, Queensberry House, now forms part of the Scottish Parliament building. Queensberry House was bought in 1686 by the father of the 2nd Duke of Queensberry, whose eldest son, the mad Lord James Douglas, escaped from confinement one night in 1701 and murdered a kitchen-boy – the very night that his father was signing the Act of Union that dissolved the Scots Parliament and put Scotland under English rule. 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 The Real Mary King's Close.

Getting there

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The apartment is approximately 5 minutes' walk from both the Airport Express Bus Terminus and the main railway station: Edinburgh Waverley Station. There is also a tram service from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre. We will send you detailed directions before your arrival.

For those arriving by car, there is metered parking on Jeffrey Street itself, though the maximum parking period is 2 hours. Parking on meters and single-yellow lines is free from 6.30pm to 7.30am; please check on-street signage for exact times of parking restrictions; parking is forbidden at all times on double-yellow lines. St John's Hill Car Park is on the next corner at Holyrood Road. Click on this website and you can search for “Edinburgh St Johns Hill”.

All tenement apartments in Edinburgh are accessed by shared stairways, which tend to be functional more than luxurious, although the entry-phone system ensures the security of the stairway. Because the building dates from the 19th century, there is no lift and thus no wheelchair access. The apartment is on the fourth floor.

Edinburgh has an efficient public transport system run by Transport for Edinburgh. Trams and buses run throughout the city from early morning till midnight, after which there is a reduced night service. Transport for Edinburgh's information office is on Waverley Bridge, 5 minutes' walk from Jeffrey Street.

Comments from some of our guests

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Rated by TripAdvisor

“Our stay far exceeded expectations. The apartment was a super base from which to explore the city and beyond. It was bigger than the photos on here present and it made for a really cosy and brilliantly located apartment. Thank you Martin for your first class communication. We had a wonderful stay and hope to visit again in the future!”
DM & GM, London, UK
“What a great location! You outdid the pros with the little caring touches. Thanks so much for a great experience.”
KC, HC & family, Layton, UT, USA
“Great central flat: Couldn’t have asked for any better. Great price, amazing location right by the Royal Mile, spacious and well equipped and the roof terrace was a nice extra. Owners also give plenty of information prior to arrival and in a guide in the flat. Providing some milk, tea, coffee and shortbread was also a very nice touch! Would very happily stay again.”
BH & co, Upminster, UK
“This is the best flat ever! Perfect location and everything that we need is here. It's fully equipped: neat, very comfortable, peaceful and private. The view from the rooftop at night is just like an 'obra maestra'!”
AF & DS, Manila, Philipinnes
“The perfect place to explore Edinburgh from! The flat was really easy to get to being a short walk from Waverley station. There are loads of great restaurants, pubs and comedy shows on the doorstep, and you’re also within easy walking distance to the Castle, Arthur’s Seat etc. The flat is spacious, clean and comfortable - and there’s a lovely view from the roof terrace where we enjoyed eating breakfast on a sunny morning. Martin was a responsive host and gave us clear instructions on how to get there and how to let ourselves in.”
MT & co, London, UK
“What a Scottish experience: very friendly people, Edinburgh itself, Arthur's seat, Deuchars, nice flat, Royal Mile, haggis, nice weather, Queensferry and the Forth Bridges, very interesting museums and galleries, and the lovely Botanical Gardens. We are definitely coming again! Thank you very much for everything.”
H, S & M, Münster, Germany
“The location of this flat couldn't have been better, and it had everything we needed. Your email comments and instructions were most useful. Thanks for helping to make our stay in Edinburgh most enjoyable.”
GY, BY & TY, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
“L'appartamento è carino ed ottimo per una coppia, il suo punto di forza è certamente la posizione. Da qui è possibile raggiungere a piedi qualsiasi punto della città. Martin è veloce e preciso nel rispondere. Il check-in è stato molto facile. L'appartamento è pulito e un po' vintage. Assolutamente consiglio questo appartamento se è la vostra prima volta ad Edimburgo.”
MA & co, Naples, Italy
“We studied in Edinburgh back in 2000. We came for the weekend with lots of expectations. The flat is amazing! It's fully equipped, it's beautiful, lots of surprising details! We plan to come again soon, and of course we will recommend it to as many friends as we can!”
TK & IK, Athens, Greece
“Martin's flat was larger than anticipated and in a very central location. It has a very comfortable bed and a good shower, and there is a large rooftop with some really nice views of the city. We loved our stay here and would definitely return.”
MP & co, Leeds, UK

“Your apartment is also a great place for a long-term stay. We enjoyed it very much to come "home" every evening after business. Everything was perfect.”
EB & PB, Vienna, Austria
“Bleak midwinter wasn't at all bleak: it was fantastic! We've loved every moment of our stay, and much of that due to our wonderful accommodation: cosy, comfortable, offering everything we could possibly need (and more!). Absolutely brilliant location and the roof garden is a special treasure. We really hope to get back here soon. Happy New Year... it's certainly off to a good start for us.”
L, S & B, Sydney, Australia
“Another fantastic visit. The addition of the DVD player and Scottish DVDs is inspired. Perfect for settling in on a cold evening. Thank you very much and I'm sure I'll be back.”
TK, Lexington, SC, USA & Summerbridge, North Yorks
“Wonderful flat. We spent a very great time in Edinburgh. Thank you for everything.”
PB & co, Falaz, Turkey
“Thank you very much for all the facilities you have provided. The flat is perfect for visiting the city. Perfect location! We enjoyed our stay and will recommend the apartment to our friends.”
FR & co, Madrid, Spain
“What a wonderful apartment in an ideal location! We had a fantastic week. Views from the roof terrace are fantastic too.”
AH & LH, Southampton, England
“Thank you for the wonderful accommodation. We enjoyed Edinburgh so much and will be back.”
EL & co, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
“How great for us to have landed in a perfect spot: in the thick of it, yet finding sanctuary to pick up the old dogs with a pint and a nip. Great eateries, amazing views. Thanks for a terrific start to our Scotland adventure.”
MK & PK, Sitka, Alaska, USA
“The first reason for my rating five-star is the location of the accommodation; secondly, the appartment itself is of excellent standard and extremely well kept. The bottle of wine was also an excellent touch. As for value for money it is the best I found in my search for somewhere to stay.”
RJ, Antrim, Northern Ireland
“Thank you for the warm welcome and lovely flat with a great location. It had everything we needed. The city is beautiful and we really would live to stay longer.”
JK & JK, Lodz, Poland
“Wonderful city, nice people, outstanding views from the flat and terrace. Thanks for the warm welcome. We hope to return once again!”
WG, SG & MG, Herzogenrath, Germany
“We spent a very good weekend in this flat. Thanks for all. Merci beaucoup. 'The French connection.'”
BL & co, Boulogne Billancourt, France
“Great to be back. Had a brilliant time as ever. Very convenient indeed. Lovely flat. Magnificent location. Perfect for the Festivals.”
CH & PR, Birmingham, England
“We had a lovely time here. The flat was in a terrific location, cozy and very quiet. We hope to be back!”
DS & JS, Studio City, CA, USA
“The flat is ideally located. Comfortable in every way. Thanks so much.”
IR & VR, Kahnas, Lithuania
“We immediately felt at home in this wonderful city. The flat is fantastically located, and the view from the roof terrace is beautiful (even in the winter)!”
VL & RL, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
“Lovely flat. Great location. Wonderful city. We've seen and done so much. Thanks for making our honeymoon so easy and memorable.”
TD & JD, Fareham, Hampshire, England
“What a lovely, welcoming apartment! We had a great time here, and all the finer details made our stay all the more special.”
BM & JM, Brisbane, Australia & Cookstown, Northern
“Lovely flat in a fantastic city: just perfect. It really made our honeymoon memorable.”
AB & BB, Austin, TX, USA
“It was a beautiful time in Edinburgh. The apartment was perfectly prepared and we would like to come again!”
MSD & JSD, Munich, Germany
“Thanks for everything. Wonderful stay in Edinburgh. The flat was perfect: we especially enjoyed the fireplace in the evenings. We will be back to stay again.”
JM & TM, Takoma Park, MD, USA
“We loved staying here for 10 days. Great flat!”
AM & BM, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
“We enjoyed staying at the flat. Very sunny and comfy. A great location both for sightseeing and for the university.”
MT & IT, Tarku, Estonia
“When I bought my home in Jeffrey Street in 1949 and my husband carried me over the threshold in 1950, we could not have imagined its transformation into Flat 14. How delightful to return to celebrate our Diamond Wedding "where it all began" and to do so in such comfort.”
Edith and Terence Penelhum, formerly of 8 Jeffrey
“Great Location, wonderful flat: The flat is lovely with a great amount of light. We were very comfortable and happy. It's a very central location to see Edinburgh and walk to most places. Short walk from the train station. Host communicated well before arrival and sent keys well in advance.”
LN & co, Carlow, Co Laois, Ireland

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Key Features

More features

About the property

The local area

Getting there

Comments from some of our guests