The 8 Best Small Towns Near Edinburgh for an Easy Day Trip
Seaside burghs, palace towns, and cobbled Borders villages, all within easy reach of the Scottish capital.
Serene beach scene in Edinburgh, Scotland with long shadows cast on the sand. · Sam J
Edinburgh is one of Europe's most rewarding cities, but some of its best days out begin the moment you leave it. Within an hour of Waverley station you can be walking a North Sea beach, standing under the Forth Bridge, or wandering a 16th-century burgh that looks barely touched since Mary Queen of Scots passed through.
These eight towns are all real, easy to reach by train, bus, or a short drive, and small enough to cover on foot in a day. Several are stops on popular guided tours, but every one of them works perfectly as an independent escape too.
We've ordered them best-first for a classic day trip, with a quick note on who each suits and exactly how to get there from the city. Pick one for a slow lunch and a coastal walk, or string two together if you have a car.
Planning a trip to Edinburgh?
1
North BerwickEast Lothian, about 30 minutes east of Edinburgh Google
This breezy seaside town is the easiest great day out from Edinburgh, with two sandy beaches, a working harbour, and the volcanic plug of North Berwick Law rising behind the rooftops. The Scottish Seabird Centre runs boat trips out to the Bass Rock, home to the world's largest colony of northern gannets, a genuinely jaw-dropping sight in summer. Climb the Law for views across the Firth of Forth to Fife, then reward yourself with an ice cream from Alandas or fish and chips by the harbour. It feels like a proper Scottish coastal town rather than a tourist set piece.
- Boat trip to the Bass Rock gannet colony
- Climbing North Berwick Law for Firth of Forth views
- The Scottish Seabird Centre
- Fresh seafood at the harbour
Best for: beach walks and wildlife
Getting there: Direct ScotRail train from Edinburgh Waverley to North Berwick, about 35 minutes
2
South QueensferryWest of Edinburgh, about 25 minutes by car or bus Google
Tucked beneath the three great bridges that span the Firth of Forth, South Queensferry has one of the most photogenic settings in Scotland. The cobbled High Street is lined with old terraced houses, pubs, and tearooms, and the red cantilevers of the Victorian Forth Bridge loom overhead like something from an engineering dream. From the waterfront you can catch a Maid of the Forth cruise to Inchcolm Island and its remarkably intact medieval abbey. It's an effortless half-day, and the Hawes Inn (immortalised by Robert Louis Stevenson in Kidnapped) is a fine spot for lunch.
- Views of all three Forth bridges
- Boat trip to Inchcolm Island and abbey
- The historic Hawes Inn
- Strolling the cobbled High Street
Best for: an easy half-day with a boat trip
Getting there: Bus or a short drive (about 25 minutes); or train to Dalmeny station, then a 10-minute walk
3
CulrossFife, about 45 minutes northwest of Edinburgh Google
Culross (say "Coo-ross") is the most complete surviving example of a Scottish burgh from the 17th and 18th centuries, a cluster of ochre-walled houses, crooked lanes, and red pantile roofs run by the National Trust for Scotland. Fans of Outlander will recognise it instantly as the village of Cranesmuir, with the Mercat Cross and Culross Palace doubling as filming locations. Wander up to the abbey ruins, poke around the palace's restored mustard-yellow rooms and terraced garden, then have a coffee in the village. It's tiny, atmospheric, and gloriously photogenic.
- Culross Palace and its terraced garden
- Outlander filming locations around the Mercat Cross
- Culross Abbey ruins
- The painted Town House
Best for: history buffs and Outlander fans
Getting there: About 45 minutes by car; best reached on a guided Outlander tour or by car as bus links are limited
4
LinlithgowWest Lothian, about 20 minutes west of Edinburgh Google
Linlithgow is a handsome market town built around the roofless shell of Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and one of Scotland's grandest royal ruins. The palace sits beside Linlithgow Loch, so you can walk the full loop around the water with the ruin and St Michael's Church reflected in it. The town centre has good independent cafes and the Union Canal runs through, where you can take a short boat trip or walk the towpath. It's one of the quickest escapes from the city and packs a lot of history into a small space.
- Linlithgow Palace and its great hall
- The loch walk with palace views
- St Michael's Parish Church
- Union Canal boat trips
Best for: royal history on a tight schedule
Getting there: Frequent ScotRail trains from Edinburgh Waverley, about 20 minutes
5
MelroseScottish Borders, about 1 hour 15 minutes south of Edinburgh Google
The prettiest town in the Borders, Melrose is built around the rose-pink ruins of Melrose Abbey, where the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce is said to be buried. It's a genteel place of stone houses, antiques shops, and good restaurants, with the Eildon Hills rising just behind for a rewarding afternoon walk. Sir Walter Scott's mansion at Abbotsford is a short drive away and well worth combining. The Borders Railway from Edinburgh stops at nearby Tweedbank, putting this once-remote town within easy reach again.
- Melrose Abbey and Robert the Bruce's heart
- Walking the Eildon Hills
- Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott's home
- Independent shops and cafes on Market Square
Best for: abbey ruins and Borders scenery
Getting there: Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank (about 1 hour), then a short bus or taxi to Melrose
6
AnstrutherEast Neuk of Fife, about 1 hour 30 minutes northeast of Edinburgh Google
The liveliest of the East Neuk fishing villages, Anstruther curves around a busy little harbour lined with crow-stepped cottages and bobbing boats. It's home to the award-winning Anstruther Fish Bar, regularly named among Britain's best chippies, and the Scottish Fisheries Museum tells the story of the herring trade that built the coast. From the harbour you can take a boat to the Isle of May, a national nature reserve thick with puffins in early summer. String it together with neighbouring Crail and Pittenweem for a perfect East Neuk day.
- Anstruther Fish Bar
- Boat trip to the Isle of May for puffins
- Scottish Fisheries Museum
- The harbour and walk to Crail
Best for: seafood and coastal villages
Getting there: About 1 hour 30 minutes by car, or a guided Fife day tour from Edinburgh
7
PeeblesScottish Borders, about 50 minutes south of Edinburgh Google
Set on a bend of the River Tweed, Peebles is a relaxed, prosperous Borders town with one of the best independent high streets in Scotland: bookshops, delis, woollen mills, and the excellent Cocoa Black chocolate shop. Riverside walks lead to the romantic ruin of Neidpath Castle, perched dramatically above the Tweed. It's a favourite with hillwalkers and cyclists, and the surrounding Tweed Valley is full of mountain bike trails at Glentress. Come for a long lunch and a walk along the water.
- The independent shops along the High Street
- Riverside walk to Neidpath Castle
- Glentress mountain bike trails nearby
- Cocoa Black chocolate and patisserie
Best for: shopping, walking, and a slow lunch
Getting there: Direct bus from Edinburgh (X62), about 50 minutes to 1 hour; no train
8
FalklandFife, about 1 hour north of Edinburgh Google
A storybook village at the foot of the Lomond Hills, Falkland is dominated by Falkland Palace, the Renaissance country retreat of the Stuart monarchs, complete with the oldest real (royal) tennis court still in use anywhere in the world. The conservation village around it is a tidy grid of stone cottages that stood in for 1940s Inverness in Outlander. It's a quiet, lovely place for a wander, and serious walkers can head straight up the Lomond Hills for big views over Fife. Stop for tea and cake at one of the village cafes before you leave.
- Falkland Palace and its royal tennis court
- Outlander filming locations in the village
- Walking up the Lomond Hills
- Village cafes and gardens
Best for: a peaceful palace village
Getting there: About 1 hour by car; limited public transport, so easiest with a car or on a guided tour
Good to Know
Getting around Many of these towns (North Berwick, South Queensferry/Dalmeny, Linlithgow) are on direct train lines from Edinburgh Waverley or Haymarket, making them cheap and easy without a car. The Fife and Borders villages are simpler with a car or a guided day tour.
When to go Late spring and summer are best for the coast: puffins on the Isle of May and gannets on the Bass Rock are most active from May to July. Borders towns like Melrose and Peebles are lovely in autumn when the Tweed Valley turns gold.
Book ahead Boat trips to Inchcolm and the Isle of May run on tides and weather and sell out in peak season, so reserve in advance. Outlander and Fife day tours from Edinburgh also fill quickly in summer.
Tickets If you plan to visit several National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland sites (Culross Palace, Linlithgow Palace, Falkland Palace, Melrose Abbey), a membership or Explorer Pass can pay for itself over a few days.
From a gannet colony off North Berwick to the painted rooms of Culross, the small towns around Edinburgh prove that some of Scotland's best days out are barely an hour from the capital. Pick one for a relaxed coastal walk, pair two Borders or Fife villages by car, or let a guided tour handle the driving. Whichever you choose, you'll be back in the city in time for dinner.