Think of Edinburgh, and it is unlikely the city’s nearby beach comes to mind, but Portobello is a thriving seaside suburb just three miles east of the centre.
Overlooking the Firth of Forth estuary, the beach is a sandy two-mile stretch with calm water used by keen swimmers, sailors, rowers and stand-up paddleboarders all year round.
Nicknamed Porty, it is compact with a youthful side seen in the brightly painted restaurants, cafés, cottages and Victorian villas along its 19th century promenade, while the rest of the town has wine bars, bakeries, coffee shops and book shops. Dubbed the Brighton of the North, it has attracted creatives, who benefit from all the city of Edinburgh offers.
It prides itself as a year-round seaside destination, but August’s Edinburgh Fringe festival brings its busiest period.
How to get there and around
Edinburgh’s city centre Waverley rail station is a few minutes’ walk to the buses on the main road of Princes Street. From here, the Lothian Region buses, including numbers 19, 26, 44 and 124, go regularly to Portobello, taking 15-20 minutes.
You can also walk (about an hour and 10 minutes) from Leith, the port end of Edinburgh. Or take the train from Waverley to Musselburgh (less than 10 minutes) to the east of Portobello and walk 25 minutes to the beach.
Where to stay
Portobello has B&Bs and guesthouses rather than hotels. Seabreeze Guesthouse is in a Victorian villa, towards the southern end of the promenade. It is fairly simple and has sea-view king-size rooms from £80 a night (minimum three-night stay). There’s parking, but pets aren’t allowed and steps to the door make it hard for accessibility.
Slightly further east towards Musselburgh Beach is Ark at Anchor. Great for families or groups of friends (no dogs, but it is wheelchair-accessible), there are three rooms, sleeping six for £2,236 for three nights. Sitting right on the promenade wall, its pale wood and cool-toned interior give a relaxed coastal feel. It has plenty of floor-to-ceiling glass and a balcony to soak up that view.
Day one
Up with the sun
The Beach House is always busy. Get there early to bag an outside seat on the promenade and avoid the inevitable queues for takeaways from the hatch.
Much of the food is organic and grown at its nearby allotment. Brunch is particularly good, from pancakes topped with Scottish lavender, strawberries and Greek yoghurt, to Turkish eggs with spiced butter and sourdough. The famous patisserie-like cakes are taken seriously.
Hit the beach
Once fuelled, you quite literally step on to the sandy beach. Walk its length to the next at Musselburgh (2.5 miles), which is best done at low tide. Look out over the town of North Berwick and its conical hill, North Berwick Law.
Hit the shops
The high street sits just behind the promenade and is full of independent shops. Portobello Books (which organises the annual October Book Festival) is a bibliophile’s dream, along with a tepee reading corner for children. Pick up a coffee next door at Tanikifi, baked goods at Twelve Triangles – or head to Tills & Company, a second-hand bookshop-cum-café.
Every first Saturday of the month (9.30am-1.30pm), Portobello Local Market takes place in Brighton Park, with food, coffee and crafts such as pottery on offer.
Time for a sundowner
Wine bar Smith & Gertude’s USP is cheese and wine flights. Its extensive list includes more unusual wines from Georgia, Slovakia and Lebanon plus a regularly changing list of “fine ciders” made using traditional methods. It’s walk-ins only, and open Wed-Sun, 11am-10pm and to 11pm Fri-Sat.
For a pint, just a few doors down is Porty Vault (Weds-Sun) a brewery pub making its own beer which also has a dog-friendly pop-up, Bundits, dishing out top-notch burgers.
Dinner reservation
A stalwart of Portobello is Malvarosa (Thur-Sun; 12.30pm-10pm). It serves authentic tapas, with dishes such as crispy squid, aubergine with honey and orange, and wild Argentina prawns, while the paella is a must-order.
Day two
Don’t miss
The Portobello Swim Centre is home to Edinburgh’s last remaining Victorian Turkish baths (pre-booked one hour 45-minute slots, £9.60). Built in 1898, it remains largely unchanged. Three hot chambers get progressively hotter (the plunge pool is currently closed).
Lunch time
Bross bagels’ (Mon-Sun, 9am-4pm) Montreal-style bagels are hefty and their popularity has practically made it a symbol of Edinburgh’s food, with another outpost in the city. Big-hitting fillings include chicken schnitzel, haggis or buffalo cauliflower, plus there are even open pizza bagels.
Time to relax
From Portobello Town Hall, get the 21 bus to Leith Theatre, then walk about 15 minutes north towards the port, where the Royal Yacht Britannia (£19.50, children £9.25) has been docked since 1998 following 43 years in service. Nosey around the decks, including where the Royal Family ate, slept and entertained.
If you prefer a hike, get the bus to Arthur’s Seat. No 26 goes from the high street to Meadowbank Stadium, near the entrance of Holyrood Park. Reach the top (251 metres above sea level) along well-trodden zigzag paths to be rewarded with sprawling views over the city.
A final treat
Oscar’s Gelato is proper Italian-made and oh-so-creamy thanks to its whole milk sourced from Bonaly Dairy Farm, eight miles away. You can’t miss the brightly coloured kiosk on the promenade or there is a café on Brighton Place.
Three things you might not know about Portobello…
1) Portobello is claimed to be the birthplace of the 99 Flake. It is said that in 1922, ice-cream parlour owner Stefano Arcari broke a Flake chocolate in half and stuck it in an ice cream. It was named after the shop’s address: 99 Portobello High Street.
2) There was a large open-air pool in Portobello from the 1930s until it was demolished in 1988. Sean Connery worked as a lifeguard there in the 50s.
3) Novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott was kicked by a horse on Portobello beach while training with Edinburgh Light Horse (a regiment of the British Army) in 1802. It was here while resting he wrote the first canto of the poem The Lay of the Last Minstrel.