Living in Leith, Edinburgh
Edinburgh's historic port, regenerated over the last twenty years. The Shore with its restaurant strip, the Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal, the Water of Leith walkway, and a famously strong independent identity from the city centre.
Leith was an autonomous burgh until 1920, when it was annexed by Edinburgh after a controversial referendum (Leith voted against the merger). The historic port at the mouth of the Water of Leith on the Firth of Forth was central to Edinburgh's trade for centuries; through the late twentieth century it declined into industrial dereliction. From the 1990s onward — Trainspotting was filmed here in 1996, partly using the Banana Flats — Leith has regenerated dramatically, with the Ocean Terminal shopping centre, the Royal Yacht Britannia moored as a museum, The Shore restaurant strip on the old docks, and substantial new residential developments.
Who lives here
A genuinely mixed population. Long-term Leith families remain in council housing (Banana Flats, Cables Wynd House); young professionals and creatives fill the regenerated dock blocks; students from Edinburgh University and Queen Margaret are present; international residents (especially the Italian, Polish, Romanian, and African communities) form distinct subgroups. The wijk's identity remains visibly distinct from central Edinburgh — Leithers are Leithers.
What it's like during the day
Daily and active. The Shore fills with diners and walkers along the Water of Leith path. Leith Walk — the long boulevard connecting Leith to the city centre — handles daily shopping with Polish delis, kebab houses, halal butchers, and independent boutiques. Ocean Terminal on the western edge handles mainstream shopping. The Royal Yacht Britannia draws steady tourist traffic but the wijk doesn't feel tourist-driven outside that footprint.
What it's like in the evening
One of Edinburgh's strongest food and bar scenes. The Shore concentrates the high-end restaurants (The Kitchin — Tom Kitchin's Michelin-starred — Restaurant Martin Wishart, The Plumed Horse, Norn). Leith Walk and Constitution Street hold the bars and casual eating. Late-night drinking on The Shore runs until 1 AM. The atmosphere is local first, tourist-light, mixed across ages.
Getting around
The Edinburgh Tram terminates at Newhaven on Leith's northern edge and runs through The Shore and Foot of the Walk to Princes Street and onward to the Airport. Lothian Buses 11, 16, 22, 35, 36, 49 cover the Walk and the Shore — bus 35 to Ocean Terminal is the iconic Leith bus route. Cycling is feasible on the Water of Leith walkway and along Leith Walk's segregated cycle lanes.
Eating and shopping
The food scene is one of the most varied in Edinburgh. The Kitchin, Martin Wishart, Norn, The Plumed Horse anchor the fine-dining end. Fishers and The Ship on the Shore handle traditional seafood. Polish delis, Romanian bakeries, halal butchers, and the Leith Market on Dock Place (Saturday) cover the everyday. Sainsbury's on Leith Walk, Tesco on Duke Street, and Lidl on Easter Road are the supermarkets.
When NOT to pick it
If you want New Town polish, an Old Town address, or a short walk to Princes Street. Leith is a forty-five-minute walk or twenty-minute tram from the centre, and the wijk's mixed character means some blocks remain rougher than others — Leith Walk's upper half can feel worn at night. The regeneration is ongoing and some streets carry construction noise. Leith is at its best for people who want an independent neighbourhood feel, the best restaurant strip in Scotland, the Water of Leith walkway at the door, and don't mind being twenty minutes from the centre.