A Characterful Georgian Guest House Close to Arthur's Seat
Arrive at Bellevue Guest House and the welcome starts before you have even unpacked: a polished mahogany door, stone lions at the entrance and an original Georgian staircase leading up from the hall. This is the kind of Edinburgh stay that feels personal from the first minute, with period character, friendly hosts and the Old Town close enough for an easy bus ride or a confident walk.
The practical wins are just as strong. Free on-site parking is rare in EH9, continental breakfast is included in most rates, and Holyrood Park is about 15 minutes away on foot for a morning climb up Arthur's Seat. Lothian buses stop close by for the Royal Mile and Waverley, so Bellevue works well for travellers who want a characterful guest house with parking, breakfast and straightforward access to central Edinburgh.
Ten Minutes from the Royal Mile, on the A701 Bus Spine
Newington is the leafy southern quarter that begins where the Old Town's South Bridge runs out, with Victorian tenements and Georgian terraces following the A701 past the University of Edinburgh's south campus and the independent restaurants on Clerk Street. Bellevue Guest House sits at 40 Minto Street, where the A701 has just left South Clerk Street and is heading south to Liberton.
The address is functionally closer to the Royal Mile than most New Town hotels: Lothian routes 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 47, 47B and 49 all stop at Salisbury Place metres from the front door, with night services N3, N31 and N37 covering after midnight. The combined daytime headway is every 2-3 minutes; door to South Bridge is typically 10 minutes; Arthur's Seat is a 15-minute walk east, Edinburgh Castle a 25-minute walk or a short bus ride north, and Edinburgh Waverley 1.2 miles away. The leafy Grange Conservation Area lies one block west, described by the City of Edinburgh Council as characterised by stone-built architecture of restricted height enclosed by stone boundary walls.
Free Parking, Breakfast and Helpful Details Up Front
What is genuinely unusual for a guest house this close to central Edinburgh is the parking. There are free on-site spaces, subject to availability and not bookable in advance, so it is worth advising an arrival time when you book. When the on-site spaces are taken, the back-up is pay-and-display on Minto Street and the adjacent residential streets. Check signage carefully for daytime restrictions and residents-only bays.
Breakfast is continental and included in most rates: cereals, pastries, fruit, tea, coffee and juice, served until 9 am. If you are a late riser or expecting a full Scottish hot breakfast, Clerk Street five minutes north has cafés that open earlier. Reception is not 24-hour; check-in is 15:00 to 23:00 and you'll need to confirm your arrival window. The property does not accept cash payments, so bring a card. Children under 10 cannot be accommodated. The building is 1835 Georgian, so expect smaller rooms (the Small Double is ~6.6 m²) and compact bathrooms in some configurations.
Why Book Bellevue Guest House?
Bellevue is strongest for travellers who want Edinburgh character, breakfast and parking without paying Old Town hotel prices or giving up easy city access.
Parking that matters
Free on-site spaces are available subject to availability, a rare practical win in EH9 and especially useful if you are driving into Edinburgh.
Old Town access
The Royal Mile is about 10 minutes away by frequent Lothian bus, with Salisbury Place stop just metres from the front door.
Georgian character
The 1835 terrace, original staircase and warm guest-house feel give the stay more personality than a standard budget hotel.
Best-fit guests
A strong match for couples, drivers, festival visitors and walkers who want breakfast included, friendly hosts and Arthur's Seat within a 15-minute walk.
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Interesting Points About Bellevue Guest House
- The property's own site identifies the address as part of an 1835 Georgian terrace, giving Bellevue a stronger period-building story than most budget Edinburgh guest houses
- Lothian Buses Salisbury Place stop is metres from the door, served by routes 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 47, 47B and 49, with a combined daytime headway of every 2-3 minutes into the Old Town
- Free on-site parking at EH9 2BR is genuinely rare for this side of central Edinburgh, especially with the Royal Mile about 10 minutes away by bus
- Bus stop, free parking, continental breakfast and a genuinely affordable nightly rate all feed the location praise that surfaces more often than any other theme in Bellevue's guest feedback
Rooms & Accommodation at Bellevue Guest House
Triple Room
Sleeps 3 · 19 m² · Private en-suite (shower)
The largest room on offer at 19 m² with private en-suite (shower, free toiletries, towels, hairdryer). Flat-screen TV, hospitality tray with kettle, tea, coffee and hot chocolate, wardrobe, hypoallergenic linen and a bedside socket. Carpeted, non-smoking, suited to three adults or a small family.
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Double Room
Sleeps 2 · 8.2 m² · Private en-suite (shower)
The most-booked configuration: a compact 8.2 m² double with private en-suite (shower, toilet, hairdryer, free toiletries, towels) and the same full kit as the larger rooms: flat-screen TV, hospitality tray, kettle, heating and hypoallergenic linen. Best for couples who want Bellevue's standard double setup rather than paying for the larger Triple or Family Room. Guests regularly single out the bed comfort. Carpeted, non-smoking.
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Small Double Room
Sleeps 2 · 6.6 m² · Private en-suite (shower)
Bellevue's entry-level configuration: a 6.6 m² double with the same private en-suite fittings as the larger rooms (shower, toilet, free toiletries, towels, hairdryer). Honest about the size: it is the smallest of the seven rooms and best suited to a solo traveller or a couple looking for the lowest-rate option on a one or two night stay. Carpeted, non-smoking.
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Twin Room
Sleeps 2 · 9 m² · Private en-suite (shower) · Desk
Two single beds in a 9 m² configuration with a private en-suite, plus a desk in addition to the standard hospitality tray. This is the practical pick for friends or colleagues sharing, or a guest who needs a workspace. Flat-screen TV, kettle, heating, hypoallergenic linen, carpeted, non-smoking.
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Family Room
Sleeps 4 · 12 m² · Private en-suite (shower) · Desk
Bellevue's only family-suitable configuration at 12 m², with private en-suite, a desk, wardrobe and the full hospitality kit: kettle, tea/coffee tray, flat-screen TV, heating and hypoallergenic linen. Best for families with older children or small groups who want one shared room. Floor-length curtains, carpeted, non-smoking. Children must be 10 or over to be accommodated; cots and extra beds are not available.
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Best Suited For
- Drivers: free on-site parking is genuinely rare inside the EH9 postcode, with on-street pay-and-display as the back-up
- Couples: two-person trips leave some of the warmest feedback, with the bus stop a few steps from the door
- Festival visitors arriving for the Fringe / International Festival in August and Hogmanay at New Year, who would rather stay just south of the Old Town and use the 10-minute Lothian bus
- Walkers: Arthur's Seat is a 15-minute stroll east, the Royal Mile a 25-minute walk north up Nicolson Street
- Guests after a genuinely affordable nightly rate with breakfast and parking included, a combination that is hard to find north of the Meadows
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You expect a 24-hour staffed reception: check-in is 15:00 to 23:00 and reception is not 24-hour; advise an arrival window in advance
- You want a full hot Scottish breakfast: breakfast is continental only and finishes at 9 am; if you're a late riser, plan accordingly
- You're travelling with under-10s: children must be 10 or over to be accommodated, and cots / extra beds are not available
- You're paying in cash: Bellevue does not accept cash; card only
- You're travelling with a dog: pets are not allowed
- You're noise-sensitive about a busy A-road: Minto Street is the A701; request a rear-facing room when you book (back rooms overlook a garden and guests report birds rather than traffic as the morning sound)
- You expect a swimming pool, spa, gym, on-site bar or restaurant: none are present
Amenities & Facilities
In-Room
- Free Wi-Fi (a consistent guest favourite)
- Flat-screen TV with cable channels in every room
- Heating throughout
- Hospitality tray with kettle, tea and coffee
- Hairdryer and free toiletries
- Hypoallergenic / allergy-free bedding
- Wardrobe, bedside socket, carpeted floors
- Non-smoking throughout
Bathroom
- Private en-suite with every room
- Shower, toilet, sink
- Free toiletries, towels and toilet paper
- Hairdryer
- Compact bathrooms in the smaller room types, sized to the Georgian floor plan
Food & Drink
- Continental breakfast included (cereals, pastries, fruit, tea, coffee), served until 9 am
- Hospitality tray in every room with kettle, tea, coffee
- Condita (modern Scottish tasting menu, Salisbury Place), 3-minute walk
- Zia Italia and Bella Roma (neighbourhood Italian), short walk on Minto Street
- Voujon (Indian / Bangladeshi), short walk on Newington Road
- The Southern (gastropub) and Old Bell Inn (pub), within a few minutes' walk
- Not available: On-site restaurant or bar
- Not available: Hot / cooked breakfast on site
Parking & Transport
- Free on-site parking, subject to availability and not bookable in advance
- Pay-and-display on-street parking on Minto Street and neighbouring streets (check signage for residents-only restrictions)
- Lothian Buses 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 47, 47B and 49 stop at Salisbury Place metres from the door, about 10 min to South Bridge
- Night services N3, N31 and N37 cover after midnight
- Edinburgh Waverley station, 1.2 mi north · ~15-20 min door to door by bus
- Edinburgh Haymarket station, 2.5 mi west
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI), 10 mi · Airlink 100 from Waverley Bridge ~30 min, then any 3/7/8/29/31/47/49 south
- TapTapCap your contactless card on board to cap your daily Lothian fare automatically
Property-wide
- Free Wi-Fi in all areas
- Family rooms available
- Hypoallergenic / allergy-free rooms available
- Ground-floor rooms may be available on request
- Luggage storage on request
- Bicycle storage on request
- Garden visible from rear-facing rooms
- Not available: Lift to upper floors
- Not available: Swimming pool
- Not available: Gym / fitness centre
- Not available: Spa / wellness
Services & Policies
- Check-in 15:00 to 23:00; advance notice of arrival time required
- Check-out by 10:00
- Card payment only (cash not accepted); card pre-authorisation reserved on arrival
- Children must be 10 or over; 18+ charged as adults
- No deposits taken before arrival
- Non-smoking throughout
- Not available: Pets
- Not available: Cots or extra beds
- Not available: Hen / stag / similar parties
- Not available: 24-hour reception
40 Minto Street, Newington: A Georgian Base for the Old Town
Minto Street sits in the heart of Newington, the leafy southern quarter where the Old Town's South Bridge gives way to a long ribbon of Victorian tenements and Georgian terraces on the A701. The street runs south through the University of Edinburgh's south campus toward Liberton and the Pentland Hills; the Grange Conservation Area, with its restricted-height stone-built villas, lies one block west, and Holyrood Park and Arthur's Seat lie one block east.
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 A701 corridor outside the door is one of Edinburgh's busiest southern bus spines with a daytime headway of every 2-3 minutes. Arthur's Seat is 0.8 mi away (a 15-minute walk east); Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse, the Royal Mile and the National Museum of Scotland all sit within a 10-minute Lothian bus ride. Edinburgh Waverley is 1.2 mi north; Edinburgh Airport is a 30-minute Airlink 100 from Waverley Bridge plus a short 3/7/8/29/31/47/49 south.
Day-to-day, Newington reads as residential and student-flavoured: the long parade of independent restaurants on Clerk Street and Newington Road (Condita, Zia Italia, Voujon, The Southern, Old Bell Inn, Summerhall Café), the University of Edinburgh's south campus, and a calmer, more lived-in feel than the Royal Mile's tourist density a mile north.
- Arthur's Seat (Holyrood Park): 0.8 mi · ~15-min walk east · The 251-metre extinct volcano that defines Edinburgh's skyline silhouette and gives a 360° panorama from the city out to the Firth of Forth.
- National Museum of Scotland: 1 mi · ~10 min by bus or a 20-min walk north · Free admission; home to Dolly the Sheep and the Grand Gallery, one of Edinburgh's top wet-weather refuges.
- The Real Mary King's Close: 1.2 mi · ~8 min by bus into the Old Town · Underground 17th-century streets buried beneath the Royal Mile, accessible only by guided tour.
- Palace of Holyroodhouse: 1.6 mi · ~10 min by bus · King Charles III's Scottish residence at the foot of the Royal Mile, with the ruins of Holyrood Abbey alongside.
- Edinburgh Castle: 1.6 mi · ~10 min by bus · The fortress on the volcanic plug above the Old Town; home to the Scottish Crown Jewels and the One O'Clock Gun (daily except Sunday).
- Scottish National Gallery: 1.5 mi · ~10 min by bus · Free national art collection on The Mound, with works by Titian, Vermeer and the Scottish Colourists.
- Edinburgh Zoo: 4.1 mi · ~20-min drive or ~40 min by bus · Famous for the daily penguin parade, koalas and sun bears.
- Forth Bridge: 9 mi north-west · ~25-min drive · The 1890 cantilever rail bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right.
Getting to Key Locations
Arthur's Seat & Holyrood Park
Less than a mile from the front door and reachable on foot in about fifteen minutes, Arthur's Seat is the extinct volcano at the heart of Holyrood Park and gives a 360° panorama of Edinburgh from 251 metres up for the price of a pair of trainers. The full loop with the Salisbury Crags ridgeline takes roughly two hours; the photogenic windows are sunrise and the hour before sunset. Holyrood Park itself contains Dunsapie Loch and the ruined St Anthony's Chapel.
View on Map
Photo: Peter Stevens, CC BY 2.0
Edinburgh Castle
A ten-minute Lothian bus north of Minto Street and the city's defining silhouette, Edinburgh Castle holds the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny on its volcanic plug above Princes Street Gardens. Book a timed ticket online before you go, because slots routinely sell out on Fringe and Hogmanay weekends. The One O'Clock Gun fires from the ramparts every day except Sunday. Pair the visit with the descent down the Royal Mile toward Holyroodhouse for a half-day from Bellevue.
View on Map
Photo: Maccoinnich (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 3.0
National Museum of Scotland
10 min bus
Ten minutes by bus from Minto Street, 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, one of the best free vantage points in Edinburgh.
View on MapHow to Get to Bellevue Guest House from Edinburgh Waverley
- Leave Waverley via the Market Street exit: Exit Edinburgh Waverley via the Market Street exit and walk up onto North Bridge. It is about five minutes uphill.
- Walk south to a North Bridge / South Bridge bus stop: On North Bridge / South Bridge, find a southbound bus stop. Three stops in succession cover Lothian routes 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 47, 47B and 49: Surgeons' Hall, then St Patrick Square, then Bernard Terrace. Combined daytime headway is every 2-3 minutes; night services N3, N31 and N37 cover after midnight.
- Stay on for ~10 minutes through Newington: The bus runs through South Bridge, Nicolson Street, Clerk Street and Newington Road, then onto Minto Street. Tap a contactless card on board and TapTapCap caps your daily Lothian fare automatically. A single adult fare is £2.40; the daily contactless cap is £5.50 (Lothian Buses, 2026 rates).
- Alight at Salisbury Place / Minto Street: Alight at Salisbury Place or Minto Street. Bellevue Guest House is the very next door on the east side of the carriageway at number 40, behind the iron railings and the pair of stone lions. Total door-to-door from Waverley is 15-20 minutes by bus; on foot it's about 25 minutes (1.2 mi) along South Bridge, Nicolson Street, Clerk Street and into Minto Street; by taxi it's about 6-8 minutes and roughly £8 to £12.
Edinburgh and the Surrounding Area
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, a UNESCO World Heritage city of around 530,680 people (National Records of Scotland mid-year estimate, 2024), defined by its medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town, its volcanic Castle Rock and an event calendar that genuinely sets the city's pulse. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world's largest performing arts festival; the 2025 edition ran 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featured 53,942 performances of 3,893 shows across 301 venues. The Edinburgh International Festival, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Book Festival all overlap in a single August fortnight; the city then resets and runs into Hogmanay, one of the world's most famous New Year street parties.
For better value and calmer weather, the May-June and September shoulder seasons are noticeably quieter; February-March brings the Six Nations rugby at Murrayfield, which books out the Old Town. Bellevue Guest House sits near the Edinburgh Festival Theatre (about a 15-minute walk) and Queen's Hall (about 500 metres up the road), both major music and theatre venues. That is a useful pairing with the August festival fortnight when central Old Town rates more than double.
One perfect day in Edinburgh: Calton Hill, Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat
A city-level itinerary covering Calton Hill, Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, The Real Mary King's Close, Victoria Street, St Giles' Cathedral, Princes Street Gardens, Arthur's Seat and a South Queensferry day trip. It gives a first-time Bellevue guest a useful orientation before arrival.
What Guests Say About Bellevue Guest House
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Good
Bellevue Guest House reads consistently as a location-led, value-driven choice in Newington for travellers who want a characterful 1835 Georgian B&B rather than a conventional hotel. Reviews skew warm: couples particularly like the door-step bus stop, and the location and the staff draw the most consistent praise in guest feedback. The strongest praise themes are the hosts (repeatedly named in reviews as warm and accommodating), the bus access, the free on-site parking and the rear-facing rooms overlooking a garden. The honest watch-outs are smaller rooms in the entry-level configurations, a continental-only breakfast that ends at 9 am, and the cash-not-accepted policy.
Peaceful stay in a lovely neighbourhood. The room was large, the beds comfortable, and our back-of-house bedroom meant birds rather than traffic woke us. The bus right outside took us anywhere in the city.
Isao
Good price given the proximity to the centre, walkable in or a ten-minute bus. Easy check-in, friendly lady, warm and comfortable room. A couple of small cleanliness niggles in the bathroom but overall fine.
Quiet property within easy walk or bus ride of every Edinburgh sight worth seeing, and genuinely warm, accommodating staff.
Cosy room, breakfast included, perfect location and a lovely host. A bit noisy at times, but everything else was spot-on.
A gorgeous tucked-away town house. Easy walk into town, our own key to come and go, welcoming breakfast and an adorable host.
Very comfortable. Easy check-in and check-out, a nice ensuite room, a very pleasant house manager, and the bus stop right outside gave us excellent city-centre access.
Good to Know Before You Book
Check-in is flexible within the afternoon and evening window
The check-in window runs from 3pm until 11pm, with luggage storage available on request. Because reception is not 24-hour, confirm your arrival window before you travel using the special-requests box when you book or by calling +44 131 668 1658 in advance.
Bring a card: cash is not accepted
All major debit and credit cards work, and the property may pre-authorise the card on arrival. Bellevue does not accept cash payments, so make sure you have a payment card with you before check-in.
Breakfast finishes at 9 am
Breakfast is a generous continental spread (cereals, pastries, fruit, tea, coffee, juice) included in most rates, served until 9 am sharp. If you're a late riser, the cafés on Clerk Street five minutes north open earlier and are a good plan-B; you can also ask about a takeaway option the night before.
Children aged 10 and over are welcome
Children 10 and over are welcome; under-10s cannot be accommodated. Cots and extra beds are not available, and the adult rate kicks in from age 18. Pets are not allowed, and the property does not accept hen, stag or similar parties.
Photos of Bellevue Guest House
Bellevue Guest House FAQs
Bellevue Guest House is at 40 Minto Street, Edinburgh EH9 2BR, a darkened sandstone Georgian terrace in Newington on the A701 corridor about 1.2 miles south of the Royal Mile. Lothian Buses' Salisbury Place stop is metres from the front door, served by routes 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 47, 47B and 49 with a combined daytime headway of every 2-3 minutes.
The Royal Mile is 1.2 miles north, about a 25-minute walk along South Bridge, Nicolson Street and Clerk Street, or a 10-minute Lothian bus ride from the stop at the front door. Arthur's Seat is 0.8 miles east, a 15-minute walk through Holyrood Park. Edinburgh Waverley station is 1.2 miles north.
Yes, a continental breakfast is included in most rates. It is a generous spread (cereals, pastries, fruit, tea, coffee, juice) served until 9 am. If you want a hot Scottish breakfast or are a late riser, the cafés on Clerk Street five minutes north are the standard plan-B; you can also ask the host about a takeaway option the night before.
Yes, free on-site parking is available subject to availability (limited spaces, not bookable in advance). When the on-site spaces are taken, the back-up is pay-and-display on-street parking on Minto Street and adjacent residential streets. Check signage carefully for residents-only restrictions. Free parking inside the EH9 postcode is genuinely unusual.
Check-in is 15:00 to 23:00 and check-out is by 10:00. Reception is not 24-hour, so you'll need to confirm your arrival window in advance via the special-requests box when you book or by calling +44 131 668 1658. Luggage storage is available on request before check-in or after check-out.
Children must be 10 or over to be accommodated; under-10s cannot be hosted. Cots and extra beds are not available, and guests are charged the adult rate from age 18. Pets are not allowed. The property also does not accept hen, stag or similar parties.
Salisbury Place is the bus stop at the door, metres from the front entrance. It is served by Lothian Buses routes 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 47, 47B and 49 during the day, plus night services N3, N31 and N37 after midnight. Door to South Bridge is typically 10 minutes; tap a contactless card on board and TapTapCap caps your daily Lothian fare automatically.
Card only: Bellevue does not accept cash payments. All major debit and credit cards are accepted, and the property may pre-authorise the card on arrival. No deposits are taken before arrival.
Other Great Edinburgh Stays from ShoutHotels
Allison House 16
Bellevue's closest nearby alternative, a family-run Georgian guest house at 16 Mayfield Gardens, a few minutes' walk south through the same Newington conservation area. Free on-site parking, self check-in any time after 14:00, and the same 10-minute Lothian bus into the Old Town.
Ivy Braveheart Guest House
A central-Edinburgh guest house alternative when the Newington side is full, with the same independent feel, value-led pricing and walkable Old Town access.
Haymarket Station Rooms
A West End alternative for guests who'd rather base themselves by the transport hub: Victorian tenement rooms 100 metres from Haymarket station and the airport tram, with self check-in and Princes Street a ten-minute walk away.
Ready to Book Bellevue Guest House?
Choose Bellevue if you want a characterful Newington guest house with free parking, breakfast included and the Old Town close without sleeping in the thick of it. Seven en-suite rooms sit inside an 1835 Georgian terrace at 40 Minto Street, in a location guests praise more consistently than anything else about the stay.
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