Sunshine on Leith: Explore Leith, Newhaven and the Shore

Art and Live Music

Leith and Newhaven have long been a home base for the city’s artists. The combination of large former industrial buildings, an independent mindset, and a fairly pervasive can-do attitude has influenced artists for years, and it shines through in some of the art spaces currently calling Leith home.

There’s the Out of the Blue Drill Hall (36 Dalmeny St), the long-established and much-loved arts space that’s home to studios, exhibitions, cinema screenings, a print studio and a cafe. Their regular Flea Markets and Arts Markets are a great chance to pick up some treats, and their Christmas market is legendary – make a note now, first weekend of December, you won’t regret it.

Just down the road, you’ll find Leith Depot (138 Leith Walk), one of the city’s very best grassroots gig venues. The independent bar and venue is a Leith stalwart, and after a major refit its gig space is more accessible than ever. Head here for excellent shows from local promoters and bands, and head into the bar next door for some very, very good pub food. The Depot team also have a hand in the reinvention of the Leith FAB Cricket Club (1 Leith Links) as one of Edinburgh’s best spaces for live music. The Cricket Club hosts an array of gigs and club nights, with its brilliant retro feel and palpable community spirit making for some great nights out.

Bard. Photo by Murray Orr

Down at the Shore, Bard (1 Customs Wharf) is a shop, studio and gallery dedicated to Scottish craft and design, aiming to showcase the very best of Scotland’s design talent. Over on Ferry Road, Embassy Gallery (7 Ferry Rd) is an independent, artist-run space which offers support and exhibition opportunities to new and emerging artists. They host six commissioned exhibitions a year, as well as events and shows by gallery members.

In Newhaven, just off the Hawthornvale cycle path, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (21 Hawthornvale) has everything you want in a gallery. It’s home to a host of artists’ studios, so it has that active, vibrant feel. There’s a regular exhibition programme, so there’s always something new to check out. And there’s a brilliant on-site cafe, if you’ve just cycled in from the other side of town and need a cup of tea and a breather.

Records, Books and Gifts

If you’re a browser, a collector, or just someone who likes picking up nice objects and saying ‘oooh’, then Leith’s independent shops have plenty for you. The great news is that they’re all in walking distance of one another. Vinyl Villains (5 Elm Row) have stocked a wide range of vinyl records and other musical treats for over 40 years, with an extensive and diverse mix on offer.

Head down the Walk and you’ll find the new kids on the block at Lounge 33 (373-375 Leith Walk). Modelled after a Japanese ‘jazz kissa’, this is a space for listening to vinyl records as intended: in comfy surroundings, through a great soundsystem, maybe with a coffee in hand. The stock veers towards jazz, soul and hip-hop; the food and drink is from local indie suppliers; the vibes are extremely chill and welcoming. Continue across Great Junction Street and you’ll find more good vibes at… Good Vibes (151-153 Constitution St). It’s home to a beautifully curated selection of records from across the musical map, as well as a thoughtfully selected range of books, gifts and some extremely desirable baseball caps.

Records and books at Good Vibes on Constitution Street (photo courtesy of Good Vibes).

If books are your bag, Leith has you covered. Back at the foot of the Walk, Argonaut Books (15-17 Leith Walk) is one of the city’s very best independent bookshops. The racks are stuffed with great new releases as well as a selection of classics, there’s a brilliant range of kids’ picture books and an excellent zine collection, and it’s staffed by a team of book lovers who are more than happy to help you find your next read. If you’re gifting a book and you need a card to go with it, head next door to Logan Malloch (13 Leith Walk). This independent gift shop stocks cards, prints and gifts from makers and designers from across Scotland and beyond. Back up the road, Leith Makers (105 Leith Walk) is the place to go if you’re looking for a unique gift: the shop stocks a wide range of artworks and curios by local artists, and there’s a lovely upstairs exhibition space as well.

Head down Junction Street and you’ll find Edinburgh Community Bookshop (179-181 Great Junction St), a treasure trove of pre-loved literature with a twist: each month, the shop supports a new Edinburgh charity. If you want to help a good cause while filling your reading list, this is the spot for you. And if you venture right back to the top of Leith Walk, you’ll be rewarded with The Cookbook Shop (19A Haddington Pl). Scotland’s only dedicated culinary bookshop is packed with cookbooks, food and drink magazines and broader food writing, plus a host of other foodie treats.

Coffee Culture

Of course, with all that walking you might need a little pick-me-up, and Leith’s host of independent coffee shops have you covered. At the top of Easter Road, the excellent Little Fitzroy (46 Easter Rd) has been serving up brilliant flat whites for years now, with a dedicated following among Leithers. Their expanded seating area (brilliantly nicknamed ‘Little Sitzroy’) makes it ideal for a meet-up before a bit of exploring.

Head further into Leith and you’ll find more great coffee – Williams and Johnson (1 Customs Wharf) are based in the Custom House complex, roasting their beans on-site. There’s a secluded indoor cafe space inside and excellent dockside views outside. Over in Newhaven, Mr Eion (44 East Trinity Rd) stock a range of their coffees to make at home, as well as serving up an excellent range of espresso-based drinks. Down by the waterfront, Norah (3 Pier Pl) offers a great cup of coffee alongside some excellent breakfast and brunch dishes in a beautifully laid-back environment. Elsewhere, the Leith outpost of local legends Artisan Roast (72-74 Leith Walk) makes full use of its historic building with comedy nights, yoga classes and art workshops, while Haze (4-6 Shore) pick up the coffee mantle at the always-exciting Brown’s warehouse. Their coffee is excellent, their ice cream sandwiches are outlandish, and their location helps turns a morning coffee into a lunch date and before you know it you’re having a full-scale day out. 

Taprooms, Bars and Distilleries

Leith, Newhaven and the Shore are ideal for this kind of ‘impromptu day out’ – they’re well-connected to the rest of town by bus or cycle routes, but once you get here you can’t help bump into the places you’re looking for. Take Newbarns Brewery (13 Jane St); the gorgeous, rustic-industrial charm of the taproom and the super-cool beer garden lures in folk from far and wide, and the excellent beer made on-site on the other side of the taproom wall keeps them there. You think ‘maybe we’ll check out another taproom’, pull out your map, and you realise that Campervan Brewery (112 Jane St) is literally down the street. So you head there: more beer freshly made on site, and another breezy bar space with plenty of room to sit al fresco if the weather holds up.

Newbarns Taproom. Photo by James Porteous, courtesy of Newbarns Brewery

If you’re in Newhaven and looking for a local pint, two local legends are well worth a visit – the Starbank Inn (64 Laverockbank Rd) and the Old Chain Pier (32 Trinity Cres) with its excellent beer garden. Or maybe you'll end up down at the Shore, soaking up the sun (weather permitting). The Moonwake taproom (6A Tower Street) is just off the Shore, and serves up some excellent pints from another of Leith’s excellent independent breweries. At this point you might fancy a nightcap; handily, there’s an enormous, jet black whisky distillery at the end of the road. The Port of Leith Distillery (11 Whisky Quay) has already become an iconic site in just a few years, and it’s just as impressive inside. Head to the top floor for excellent waterside views, brilliant food, lovely ambience and, yes, a dram or two.

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Plan your journey to Leith, Newhaven and the Shore at edinburgh.gov.uk/planyourjourney

For more Leith inspiration, visit edinburgh.org/leith