Stockbridge

Stockbridge is where Edinburgh goes to brunch, browse and stroll, and it is the neighbourhood visitors most often say they wish they had found sooner. It sits just north of the New Town, about fifteen minutes downhill on foot from Princes Street, where the Water of Leith runs through what was once a separate village beside a ford used for driving cattle. The village feel survives. Raeburn Place, the main street, is lined with independent delis, bakeries, cafes, butchers and fishmongers, and Stockbridge is famous for having some of the best charity shops in Scotland, a reflection of its well-heeled residents. St Stephen Street, curving down from the New Town, is full of small boutiques, vintage shops and pubs set in basements and up steps. Circus Lane, a short cobbled mews of converted coach houses behind the grand curves of Royal Circus, has become one of the most photographed streets in the city, with St Stephen's church tower rising at the end; remember that people live here, so be considerate. Much of the area was developed in the early nineteenth century, partly on land owned by the portrait painter Sir Henry Raeburn, whose name lives on in its streets. The weekly Stockbridge Market, held on Sundays beside the river, sells local food, street food, crafts and produce and draws a crowd from across the city. The Water of Leith walkway passes through, linking Stockbridge with Dean Village upstream and the Royal Botanic Garden is just to the north. It is free, relaxed and a world away from the Royal Mile crowds.

A perfect Stockbridge morning: walk down from Princes Street through the New Town by Frederick Street or Howe Street, admiring the Georgian terraces, then cut along St Stephen Street and loop through Circus Lane for the photograph. Have brunch or coffee on Raeburn Place or by the river, browse the market if it is Sunday, then walk on to the Royal Botanic Garden, or follow the Water of Leith upstream to St Bernard's Well, a small classical temple over an old mineral spring, and on to Dean Village. Inverleith Park, a little further north, has one of the best long views of the castle and the Old Town skyline.

Art on the riverside: from Dean Village, a short walk up the riverbank takes you to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, whose two buildings, Modern One and Modern Two, face each other across Belford Road. They hold an excellent collection of twentieth-century and contemporary art, with a striking landform sculpture on the lawn and generally free admission to the permanent collection. Combining Stockbridge, the walkway and the modern galleries makes a superb low-cost day.

Practicalities: buses along Raeburn Place link Stockbridge with Princes Street, which helps on the way back, since the return walk is uphill. Stockbridge is busiest on Sunday mornings and at weekend brunch time, when popular cafes have queues, and quiet on weekday mornings. It is also a lovely place to stay if you prefer residential calm to Old Town bustle, with guesthouses and apartments rather than big hotels, and it suits couples and families alike. Evenings are low-key, with neighbourhood pubs and good restaurants rather than late-night bars. The charity shops reward patient browsers, especially for books, knitwear and the occasional designer find, and the delis are ideal for assembling a picnic to take to the Botanics or the riverbank. Whatever the season, Stockbridge shows the side of Edinburgh that residents love most: unhurried, local and very easy to enjoy.