Most-reviewed stay
University Residence, Summer Stays
Pollock Halls (Summer Stays at the University of Edinburgh)
University residence at 18 Holyrood Park Road in Edinburgh's Southside and Newington.
Guesthouses And B&Bs
Seven guesthouses and B&Bs sit in this group, drawn from live listing data and concentrated in Southside and Newington, with a couple in Leith. Published from-prices run from £55 to £150 per night, and the cheapest bed sits in Leith, a short bus ride from the centre. Ratings run from 7 to 8.2 out of 10 on the 10-point scales, alongside one listing rated 4.5 out of 5, so the gap between cheapest and best-reviewed is real but modest.
Comparing Edinburgh B&B Prices And Ratings
Each listing shows a from-price for a midweek November double room for two adults, with the guest score kept on its own platform's scale. Mayfair Guest House is the cheapest of the seven at £55 per night, while Southside Guest House starts at £150 with a 4.5 rating from 182 reviews. Abbotsford, Arrandale and Kingsley sit between £100 and £106. The University of Edinburgh listing publishes no from-price here, so see current rates.
Mayfield Guesthouse, Doubles
Arrandale Guest House
Guesthouse · Southside and Newington
from £100 per night, double roomGuesthouse at 28 Mayfield Gardens in Edinburgh's Southside and Newington, with double rooms from £100 a night.
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Leith Guesthouse, Pilrig Street
Abbotsford Guest House
Guesthouse · Leith
from £105 per night, double roomGuesthouse at 36 Pilrig Street in Edinburgh's Leith, with double rooms from £105 a night.
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Minto Street Guesthouse, Doubles
Edinburgh Holiday Guest House
Guesthouse · Southside and Newington
from £120 per night, double roomGuesthouse at 7 Minto Street in Edinburgh's Southside and Newington, with double rooms from £120 a night.
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Leith Guesthouse, Double Rooms
Mayfair Guest House
Guesthouse · Leith
from £55 per night, double roomGuesthouse at 76 Pilrig Street in Edinburgh's Leith, with double rooms from £55 a night.
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Southside Guesthouse, Craigmillar Park
Kingsley Guest House
Guesthouse · Southside and Newington
from £102 per night, double roomGuesthouse at 30 Craigmillar Park in Edinburgh's Southside and Newington.
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Southside Guesthouse, Newington
Southside Guest House
Guesthouse · Southside and Newington
from £150 per night, double roomGuesthouse in Edinburgh's Southside and Newington.
Check availability →How To Choose Between Them
Start with location. Most guesthouses in this set sit south of the centre in Southside and Newington, with two in Leith, so the trade-off is between a slightly longer walk to Princes Street and a quieter street with lower rates. Next, weigh the rating against the price. Mayfair is the bargain of the group at £55 but carries the weakest score, a 7, while Kingsley pairs an 8.2 with a £102 starting rate. Decide how much a few rating points are worth to you before you book.
Room type matters too. Guesthouses typically offer doubles and twins rather than family rooms, so groups may fare better in an aparthotel. Ask whether breakfast is included before assuming it, since policies vary between listings even on the same street. Finally, read the room. Southside's 4.5 rating on 182 reviews tells a different story from Arrandale's 8 on 1,537, and both are worth ten minutes of your time.
Booking Windows For B&B Stays
Guesthouse prices in Edinburgh move with the calendar. August brings the Fringe and sharply higher rates, while Hogmanay and Six Nations rugby weekends squeeze supply in the same way. For softer prices aim midweek in November or January, when advertised city hotel rates sit well below the £202 annual average. A guesthouse has few rooms, so a cheap double disappears fast at peak times: book early for August, and check availability before dates firm up (see Last Minute Rooms).