Ten Minutes to the Royal Mile by Bus, Free Parking at the Door
Pull off the A7 onto Mayfield Gardens and one of the small free on-site bays at Allison House 16 has your name on it, or, when those are taken, Peel Terrace is sixty seconds round the corner with no permit and no overnight charge, day or night. Step back out and the Mayfield Gardens bus stop is straight in front of you, with Lothian routes 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 37 and 47 running every two to three minutes through Minto Street, Newington Road and Clerk Street to South Bridge: ten minutes flat door-to-door to the Royal Mile, no taxi, no Uber, no €30 parking on the High Street. Open the curtains of one of the larger Newington bedrooms and the morning light catches the original cornicing the family has kept above the picture rails since they took the keys.
The building is a mid-19th-century sandstone townhouse on a leafy terrace in the Newington conservation area, operated by Allison House Hotel Limited alongside next-door sister property Allison House 17 at number 17. Guest feedback returns to the same strengths again and again: dependable free Wi-Fi, clean and comfortable rooms, and that walk-to-the-bus location. The property previously traded as "Auld Reekie Guest House", which is why some older third-party links still carry that name. Same owners, same address, refreshed brand.
10 Minutes from the Old Town on Edinburgh's Busiest Bus Corridor
What looks on a map like "outside the centre" is, in practice, closer to the Royal Mile by bus than most New Town hotels are on foot. The A7/A701 spine that runs past the front door is Edinburgh's busiest southern bus corridor, with a daytime headway of every 2–3 minutes. Step out of the door, walk to the Mayfield Gardens stop, and Lothian routes 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 37 and 47 all head straight up Minto Street, Newington Road and Clerk Street to South Bridge, usually 10 minutes door-to-door. Night services N3, N31 and N37 cover after midnight.
Within walking distance is the daily life of Newington: Holyrood Park and Arthur's Seat (1.1 mi, the easiest "mountain" hike in any UK capital), The Meadows (1.2 mi, the student-and-family green lung), the National Museum of Scotland (1.4 mi, free admission, holds Dolly the cloned sheep), the University of Edinburgh's George Square campus and Old College, and a strong row of independent restaurants on Mayfield Gardens and Causewayside (Haldi, Delhi Diner, Wee Greek Kitchen, Kate's, Leslies Bar). Edinburgh Waverley is 1.5 mi north; Edinburgh Airport is a 30-minute Airlink 100 from North Bridge.
Photo: Peter Stevens, CC BY 2.0
Self Check-In, Free Parking and Honest Trade-Offs
What's honest to say up front: this is a self check-in property, you will not be greeted at a reception desk. You receive an emailed access code the day before arrival; staff are on site 08:00–11:40 and 14:00–18:00 and the telephone is answered 14:00–18:00 Mon–Fri. Self check-in runs any time after 14:00. Breakfast is not served on-site, but a five-minute walk gets you to a strong line-up of cafés and brunch spots on Mayfield Gardens, Causewayside and South Clerk Street. The Georgian building has no lift, request a ground-floor room when you book if stairs are an issue.
What is genuinely unusual for a guest house this close to central Edinburgh is the parking. There are a small number of free on-site spaces (first-come first-served, not bookable). When those fill, Peel Terrace one street from the front door takes overnight cars for free at any hour, with no permit needed. That combination, central-bus-corridor location plus genuinely free overnight parking, is why returning Fringe-week, Six Nations and Hogmanay guests book Mayfield Gardens specifically rather than central hotels.
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Interesting Points About Allison House 16
- Previously traded as Auld Reekie Guest House at the same Mayfield Gardens address; the property's public listing URL still includes 'auld-reekie-guest-house', evidence of an unbroken guest-house operation in this Georgian terrace going back well over a decade.
- With only four room types, years of guest feedback keeps circling back to the same praise (the parking, the bus corridor and the value), a consistency of word-of-mouth that is genuinely unusual for a small family-run guest house.
- Listed at 4 stars rather than the more typical 2-3 stars for a family-run Edinburgh guest house, reflecting an in-room amenity inventory (en-suite, Freeview flat-screen, kettle, hairdryer, full hospitality tray) closer to what budget hotels are graded against.
- Upper-floor rooms at the back of the property can look across to the Royal Observatory ridge and Arthur's Seat, a sightline genuinely uncommon at this price band along the southern Newington approach corridor.
Rooms & Accommodation at Allison House 16
Standard Double Room
Sleeps 2 · 11 m² · Double bed · Private en-suite · Non-smoking
Mid-tier Georgian double with preserved proportions, a private en-suite with bath or shower, free Wi-Fi and a hospitality tray. Some Standard Doubles overlook the back gardens, the Royal Observatory or Arthur's Seat, view-facing rooms are subject to availability and not bookable to a specific orientation.
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Comfort Triple Room
Sleeps 3 · 18 m² · Triple configuration · Largest room type · Non-smoking
The largest of the four room types at 18 m², best for three friends sharing or a small family with two children aged 6+ (children 6+ are charged as adults; cots and extra beds are not available, so the booked configuration is the configuration). Private en-suite, hospitality tray and free Wi-Fi.
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Small Double Room
Sleeps 2 · 10 m² · Double bed · Private en-suite · Non-smoking
Compact double in the same cream-and-taupe palette as the rest of the house, an honest entry-level pick for couples on a short Edinburgh stay who'll be out exploring most of the day. Private en-suite, hospitality tray and free Wi-Fi.
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Single Room with Private External Bathroom
Sleeps 1 · 8.5 m² · Single bed · Fully private external shower room · Non-smoking
The lowest-priced room: a single bed with a fully private shower room one step outside the bedroom door (you have your own key. It is not a shared bathroom). The configuration exists because the Georgian building was not laid out with en-suites in mind. Hospitality tray and free Wi-Fi.
Check PricesIs Allison House 16 Right for You?
Best Suited For
- Drivers who want free overnight parking this close to central Edinburgh: a small number of on-site spaces plus free 24/7 overflow on Peel Terrace, no permit
- Couples: reviewers repeatedly single out the quiet Newington location as what couples enjoy most
- Solo travellers and academics visiting the University of Edinburgh's George Square or King's Buildings campuses
- Fringe-week, Hogmanay and Six Nations guests who refuse to pay Old Town rates and are happy with a 10-minute bus into town
- Independent travellers who prefer a self check-in family-run guest house to a polished hotel desk
- Groups of three sharing the Comfort Triple Room: 18 m² and the largest room type
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You expect a 24-hour staffed reception: the property is self check-in via emailed access code; staff are on site 08:00–11:40 and 14:00–18:00 only
- You need a hot breakfast included: breakfast is not served or included; budget for nearby cafés on Mayfield Gardens, Causewayside or South Clerk Street
- You need a lift: the Georgian building has stairs only; request a ground-floor room when you book if stairs are an issue
- You're travelling with a dog: pets are not allowed
- You're travelling with a baby or toddler: cots and extra beds are not available, and children 6+ are charged as adults
- You expect a swimming pool, spa, gym, on-site bar or restaurant: none are present
- You're booking at very short notice and won't be near email: self check-in relies on the access-code email landing in time
Amenities & Facilities
In-Room
- Free Wi-Fi (a consistent guest favourite; occasional reliability dips reported downstairs)
- Flat-screen TV in every room
- Heating throughout
- Hairdryer, hospitality tray with kettle, tea and coffee
- Iron and ironing facilities, desk, wardrobe, clothes rack
- Free toiletries, towels, fresh bed linen
- Carpeted floors and blackout curtains
- Non-smoking throughout
Bathroom
- Private bathroom with every room (en-suite on the doubles and triple; fully private external shower room with own key for the Single)
- Bath or shower depending on room
- Free toiletries
Food & Drink
- In-room hospitality tray with kettle, tea and coffee
- Haldi (38 Mayfield Gardens) and Delhi Diner, modern Indian, ~2 min walk
- Wee Greek Kitchen and Kate's on Causewayside, independent café and Greek, ~10 min walk
- Leslies Bar, Victorian real-ale pub on Ratcliffe Terrace
- Holyrood Distillery and Summerhall (Pickerings Gin / Barneys Beer) within 20–25 min walk
- Not available: Breakfast on-site
- Not available: On-site restaurant or bar
Parking & Transport
- Free on-site parking, small number of spaces, first-come first-served, not bookable
- Free 24/7 on-street overflow on Peel Terrace, one street away, no permit required
- Lothian Buses 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 37 and 47 stop at the Mayfield Gardens stop outside; ~10 min to South Bridge
- Night bus services N3, N31 and N37 cover after midnight
- Edinburgh Waverley station, 1.5 mi · ~15–20 min door-to-door by bus
- Edinburgh Haymarket station, 2.8 mi
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI), 10 mi · Airlink 100 from North Bridge ~30 min, then any 3/7/8/29/31/37/47 south
- TapTapCap your contactless card on board to cap your daily Lothian fare automatically
Property-wide
- Free Wi-Fi in all areas
- Rear garden visible from some rooms
- Family-friendly for children 6+ (charged as adults)
- Luggage storage during the day before / after check-in window
- Not available: Lift to upper floors
- Not available: Swimming pool
- Not available: Gym / fitness centre
- Not available: Spa / wellness
Services & Policies
- Self check-in via emailed access code any time after 14:00
- Staff on site 08:00–11:40 and 14:00–18:00 daily
- Telephone answered 14:00–18:00 Mon–Fri (voicemail outside)
- Quiet hours 21:00–07:00
- Payment is taken at the time of booking; cash on site for any extras
- Damage policy: up to £150 charge for damages discovered after check-out
- Edinburgh Short-Term Let Licence: E, EH71065F
- Non-smoking throughout
- Not available: Pets
- Not available: Cots / extra beds
- Not available: Hen / stag parties
16 Mayfield Gardens, Newington, A Quiet Georgian Base 10 Minutes from the Old Town
Mayfield Gardens sits inside the Craigmillar Park Conservation Area (formally designated by the City of Edinburgh Council in 1997), with the neighbouring Blacket Conservation Area, Edinburgh's very first, designated in 1972, one block to the north. The terraces here are mid-19th-century, developed after the radical politician Duncan McLaren acquired the Mayfield estate in 1863, with streets named for fellow reformers (Cobden, Peel, Bright). Allison House 16 is at 16 Mayfield Gardens, EH9 2BZ, a residential, university-flavoured address about a mile from George Square and the University of Edinburgh's main library.
What looks on a map like "outside the centre" is, in practice, closer to the Royal Mile by bus than most New Town hotels are on foot. The A7/A701 spine outside the door is Edinburgh's busiest southern bus corridor with a daytime headway of every 2–3 minutes. Holyrood Park and Arthur's Seat are 1.1 mi away (a 25-minute walk or seven minutes by bus). The Meadows, the National Museum of Scotland, the Old Town and Edinburgh Castle all sit within a 10-minute Lothian bus ride. Edinburgh Waverley is 1.5 mi north; Edinburgh Airport is a 30-minute Airlink 100 from North Bridge plus a short 3/7/8/29/31/37/47 south.
Newington's day-to-day character is residential and student-flavoured: a strong row of independent restaurants and cafés along Mayfield Gardens and Causewayside (Haldi, Delhi Diner, Wee Greek Kitchen, Kate's, Leslies Bar), the Holyrood Distillery a 25-minute walk down toward Pleasance, and Summerhall, the former Royal Dick veterinary school now home to Pickerings Gin and Barneys Beer, about 20 minutes on foot.
- Holyrood Park & Arthur's Seat: 1.1 mi · ~25-min walk or ~7 min by bus · An extinct volcano in the middle of the city, the easiest 'mountain' hike in any UK capital.
- The Meadows: 1.2 mi · ~20-min walk · The student-and-family green lung between Newington and the Old Town.
- National Museum of Scotland: 1.4 mi · ~10 min by bus · Free admission; the only place in Scotland that holds Dolly the cloned sheep.
- Edinburgh Castle: 2.0 mi · ~10 min by bus · The dominant skyline silhouette and home of the Scottish Crown Jewels.
- Palace of Holyroodhouse: 1.9 mi · ~10 min by bus · The King's official Scottish residence; the Royal Mile ends here.
- Camera Obscura & World of Illusions: 1.7 mi · ~10 min by bus · Edinburgh's oldest purpose-built tourist attraction, on Castlehill since 1853.
- Portobello Beach: 4.0 mi · ~20 min by car / 30 min by bus · A two-mile sand beach with a Victorian promenade, Edinburgh's seaside.
- Edinburgh Zoo: 4.4 mi · ~20 min by car · Famous penguin parade and one of the city's biggest paid attractions.
Getting to Key Locations
Photo: Peter Stevens, CC BY 2.0
Edinburgh Castle
Two miles north of the property and reachable in ten minutes on any Lothian 3/7/8/29/31/37/47, Edinburgh Castle is the city's defining silhouette and home of the Scottish Crown Jewels. Book a timed ticket online before you go, castle slots can sell out on Fringe and Hogmanay weekends. Pair it with the Royal Mile descent toward Holyroodhouse for a half-day from Mayfield Gardens.
View on Map
Arthur's Seat & Holyrood Park
25 min walk
About a mile from the front door, a 25-minute walk or seven minutes by bus, Arthur's Seat is the extinct volcano at the heart of Holyrood Park and gives you a 360° view of Edinburgh from 251 metres up for the price of a pair of trainers. The full loop with the Salisbury Crags ridgeline is roughly two hours; sunrise and the hour before sunset are the photogenic windows.
View on Map
Photo: Maccoinnich (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 3.0
National Museum of Scotland
10 min bus
Ten minutes by bus from Mayfield Gardens, the National Museum of Scotland is free to enter and runs from Iron Age torcs through to Dolly the cloned sheep across seven floors of galleries. Budget two to three hours and grab the rooftop terrace view of the Old Town on the way out.
View on MapHow to Get to Allison House 16 from Edinburgh Waverley
- Leave Waverley via the Waverley Steps: Exit Edinburgh Waverley via the Waverley Steps escalator up to Princes Street, about two minutes from the platform to the street.
- Walk south across North Bridge: Cross Princes Street and walk south over North Bridge. At the South Bridge / Nicolson Street stops, board any Lothian Buses 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 37 or 47 heading south. Combined daytime frequency on this corridor is every 2–3 minutes; night services N3, N31 and N37 cover after midnight.
- Stay on for ~11 minutes through Newington: The bus runs through South Bridge, Nicolson Street, Clerk Street, Newington Road and Minto Street. Tap a contactless card on board, TapTapCap caps your daily Lothian fare automatically.
- Alight at the Mayfield Gardens stop: Alight at the Mayfield Gardens stop between Salisbury Place and East Savile Road. Allison House 16 is one minute on foot from the bus stop. Total door-to-door is 15–20 minutes.
Edinburgh and the Surrounding Area
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, a UNESCO World Heritage city of around 465,000 people, defined by its Old Town and New Town, its volcanic Castle Rock, and an event calendar that genuinely sets a city's pulse: the Fringe (7–31 August 2026), the Edinburgh International Festival (7–30 August), the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Book Festival all overlap in a single August fortnight, then the city resets and runs straight into Hogmanay (29 December 2026 – 1 January 2027). Six Nations rugby weekends at Murrayfield in February–March book the central hotels solid, which is when Mayfield Gardens earns its keep.
For better value and clearer weather, the May–June and September shoulders are noticeably calmer; April brings the Edinburgh Science Festival (4–19 April 2026), and June the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston (18–21 June). The Edinburgh Visitor Levy takes effect on overnight stays from 24 July 2026 and is collected by the property on top of the room rate.
Edinburgh travel guide, top 10 things to do
DoTravel's December 2025 city orientation walks through ten Edinburgh landmarks, eight of which are within a Lothian-bus ride or short walk of Mayfield Gardens.
What Guests Say About Allison House 16
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Good
Allison House 16 reads consistently as a competent, honest, well-priced family-run guest house that trades on location, parking and value rather than on luxury or service polish. Guests who book it understanding it is self check-in, no breakfast, and a Georgian building with stairs come away satisfied and frequently say they would book again, couples particularly like the location, and a notable concentration of repeat-visitor reviews back that up.
Really clean, easy self check-in, very comfortable bed and excellent blackout curtains. No bath in my room and I'd love a Do Not Disturb sign for a proper lie-in.
Alison
Convenient for visiting our daughter, with a lovely outlook over the back gardens. Getting in took a bit of working through the instructions.
Cosy room, great window view and a really comfortable mattress. The tea and coffee tray was a nice touch. About ten minutes from the centre by bus or car.
Close to everything, room clean and tidy, and I loved the patio doors out to the garden. Bed firm and pillows flat for my taste; Wi-Fi downstairs was patchy.
Beautiful Georgian street, very clean room, lovely carpets and a comfy bed, and the bus straight into town stops at the door. Getting through the access-code process for a short-notice booking was a bit fiddly.
Good bus links, great shower. The window in our room couldn't be opened, which was the only downside.
Peaceful spot but only ten minutes by bus from the city centre. Wi-Fi was unstable while we were there.
Good to Know Before You Book
Self check-in via emailed access code
You will not be greeted at reception. Check your email the day before arrival for the door code; staff are on site 08:00–11:40 and 14:00–18:00, and the phone is answered 14:00–18:00 Monday to Friday. For short-notice bookings, allow time for the code to land before you set off.
Breakfast is not served on-site
Bring a flask, or walk five minutes for a strong line-up: Wee Greek Kitchen, Haldi, Delhi Diner, Kate's on Causewayside and several cafés on South Clerk Street. Confirmed in the property's guest listing, breakfast is not included and not served.
Georgian building, no lift
All rooms are reached by stairs. If you need a ground-floor room, request it when you book and the property will allocate one if stock allows on your dates.
Free parking is real, but spaces are limited
A handful of on-site spots fill quickly on a first-come first-served basis. If they're gone when you arrive, Peel Terrace one street away offers free overnight kerbside spaces around the clock, with no permit needed, genuinely rare this close to central Edinburgh.
Photos of Allison House 16
Allison House 16 FAQs
Allison House 16 is at 16 Mayfield Gardens, Edinburgh EH9 2BZ, a quiet residential terrace in the Newington / Craigmillar Park Conservation Area, about 1.5 miles south of Edinburgh Waverley and 10 minutes by Lothian bus from the Old Town. The property previously traded as Auld Reekie Guest House, which is why some aggregator URLs and older reviews still reference that name. Same building, same family operator.
Self check-in is available any time after 14:00 via an access code emailed the day before arrival. Staff are on site 08:00–11:40 and 14:00–18:00 daily; the phone is answered 14:00–18:00 Monday to Friday with voicemail outside those hours. Check-out is by 10:30. Allow time for the access-code email to land if you're booking at short notice.
Yes, a small number of free on-site spaces are first-come first-served and not bookable in advance. When the on-site spaces are full, Peel Terrace one street away gives you free overnight kerbside parking at any hour, with no permit needed, so you are never paying for parking on a stay here. This combination is genuinely rare this close to central Edinburgh.
No, breakfast is not served on-site and is not included in the room rate. Every room has a hospitality tray with kettle, tea and coffee, and a five-minute walk gets you to a strong line-up of nearby cafés and brunch spots: Wee Greek Kitchen, Haldi, Delhi Diner, Kate's on Causewayside and several venues on South Clerk Street.
Exit Waverley via the Waverley Steps to Princes Street, walk south over North Bridge, and at the South Bridge or Nicolson Street stops board any Lothian Buses 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 37 or 47 heading south. Stay on for about 11 minutes and alight at the Mayfield Gardens stop (between Salisbury Place and East Savile Road). The property is one minute on foot from the stop. Total door-to-door time is 15–20 minutes; tap a contactless card on board to use TapTapCap pricing.
Take the Airlink 100 from Edinburgh Airport stops A or D direct to North Bridge, around 30 minutes, then any Lothian 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 37 or 47 south to the Mayfield Gardens stop. Total is roughly 45 minutes by public transport. A taxi is 20–25 minutes door-to-door; the property has free on-site parking with Peel Terrace as overnight overflow.
It means the single bed has its own fully private shower room one step outside the bedroom door, you have your own key, and it is not shared with other guests. The configuration exists because the Georgian building was not laid out with en-suites in mind. It is the smallest and lowest-priced of the four room types at 8.5 m². Exact nightly rates depend on the room type and your dates, and the current price is shown before you confirm.
No, the Georgian building has stairs throughout and there is no lift. Ground-floor rooms can be requested at the time of booking subject to availability, but the property does not advertise a formal accessibility certification. If stairs would be difficult, request a ground-floor room when you book.
Other Great Edinburgh Stays from ShoutHotels
Allison House 17
The literal next-door sister property at 17 Mayfield Gardens, same family operator, same conservation-area street, same parking and bus picture, with its own four room configurations for nights when 16 is fully booked.
Arrandale Guest House
A dozen doors along Mayfield Gardens at number 28, a refreshed Georgian terraced guest house with its own free parking, garden-view rooms and the same one-minute walk to the A7 buses into the Old Town.
Haymarket Station Rooms, West End
The practical pick on the other side of the city, a hundred metres from Haymarket station, for visitors who want dawn trains, the airport tram and Murrayfield within a fifteen-minute walk rather than the Newington bus corridor.
Ready to Book Allison House 16?
Four en-suite room types in a family-run Georgian guest house on Mayfield Gardens, with free on-site parking, free 24/7 Peel Terrace overflow, self check-in any time after 14:00 and a 10-minute Lothian bus to the Old Town. Guest feedback consistently praises the free Wi-Fi, the cleanliness, the comfort and the location.
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