Our Homes From Home – Broughton Place, New Town

Scottish guidebook guru, Peter Irvine, whose go-to guide ‘Scotland the Best’ is about to launch it’s 13th edition, calls this corner of Edinburgh the East Village. And this title is a good one because the area around Broughton Place does feel like a village, yet it only takes ten minutes to walk to Princes Street. The community village feel in the centre of the city is why people love this part of Edinburgh so much. Plus, the tram from the airport conveniently drops you at the top of the street.

Broughton Street is the thriving local High Street. You can shop very well here. I lived here for a year in a flat on the 4th floor. I was pregnant and had a one-year-old child, so we shopped locally that year. Buying enough for the meals we were cooking from the brilliant independent food shops made sense because the thought of hauling bulging shopping bags up those stairs wasn’t good! The cheerful butchers at Crombie’s were happy to sell me four sausages at a time, and there was something wonderful about that.

Our charming new home here sits just around the corner on Broughton Place. There’s a real elegance and an architectural quality to this street. It’s wide, giving the pretty buildings space to bbreathe and be admired. There’s a pleasing Georgian symmetry here. At the end is Lyon and Turnbull, the international auction house, where it’s always good to go and have a browse when their sale board is displayed outside. Wandering along this street, it’s clear that there’s a sense of communal pride in these homes.

Step inside our home on Broughton Place and you can immediately see what drew the owner to it. Even though you’re so central, this apartment feels quiet. It’s a true haven in the city. You have your own front door and the ceilings are high. There are lovely Georgian architectural details everywhere, the most special of which are original curved doors and bow ended rooms.

Great news for families and dog owners; this home is both family and dog-friendly. The sitting room has a dreamy, homely sense to it with its twin windows overlooking the street. There’s a curved end with a dining table and some of those beautiful doors too.

You’ll be able to find a good book and the perfect chair to curl up in here and if the book isn’t good, you can always sit and people watch the comings and goings on the street!

Cooks will love the ability to shop in the high-quality independent food shops on Broughton Street. Crombie the butcher has won many awards and Real Foods is a local institution for all things healthy. Opposite them, Something Fishy is excellent and has its own smokery. Self-catering Edinburgh apartments really come into their own when the local shops are as good as this and you’ll enjoy eating the spoils of your labour at the lovely dining table.

There are two lovely and peaceful bedrooms here, each overlooking neighbouring communal gardens. You should get a great night’s sleep. The master bedroom is wonderfully large and has an ensuite shower room.

And next door you’ll find a pretty twin bedroom.

Step back outside and there are some fabulous boutiques on Broughton Street. Lifestory carries an enviable range and Scandi homewares and it’s almost impossible to walk out of there without buying something useful and beautiful. Curiouser and Curiouser is also brilliant for gifts (often to yourself!)

Artisan Roast started the hipster caffeine scene in Edinburgh from this shop on Broughton Street and now have branches in Stockbridge and Bruntsfield, too.

One of the prettiest corner shops in the city is Narcissus, just around the corner from our home, and they always have a brilliant display outside their shop which changes with the seasons.

The options for dining out are very good here too. Le Roi Fou is an award-winning newcomer to the Edinburgh fine dining scene and Fhior celebrates modern Scottish dining with sourcing and hospitality at its heart. L’Escargot Bleu is a much loved French restaurant where you always eat well and the Italian food and coffee at Asti is excellent. For drinks, Pickles is one of the best local bars you’ll find anywhere in the world and you can buy cheese and charcuterie platters here too. The Barony Bar is an Edinburgh institution and The Ox serves a great Sunday lunch.

In 2018, the Ingleby Gallery opened locally having refurbished The Glasite Meeting House on Barony Street. This has to be one of the most beautiful private art galleries in the UK and a trip to see their latest exhibition is a must. Art lovers will also find the Scottish National Portrait Gallery close by on Queen Street.

If you’d like to stay in Edinburgh’s East Village, then you’ll find details and prices of our charming Broughton Place home here.

You’re sure to have a wonderful time staying here.