Make The Most of Your City with Resident Rewards Edinburgh

Resident Rewards Edinburgh is the Forever Edinburgh programme designed to help Edinburgh residents make the most of their city – here's a look at what's on offer

Advertorial by Peter Simpson | 03 Dec 2024
  • Holyrood Distillery
Forever Edinburgh
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Edinburgh is an iconic city for a reason – it’s a great place to visit, and a great place to live – but annoyingly, regular everyday life has a habit of getting in the way of all the fun stuff the city has to offer. It can be easy to forget just how much there is to see and do across the city, and that’s where Resident Rewards Edinburgh from Forever Edinburgh comes in. Resident Rewards is a programme of discounts and offers designed to help Edinburgh locals explore their city, and make the most of its sites, attractions and hospitality. So if you want to make the most of living in one of Europe’s most interesting cities and save a bit of cash in the process, Resident Rewards is the place to go, and their Star Reward is a great place to start.

Each month sees a new Star Reward – an exclusive deal from an Edinburgh business or attraction, available to residents only. December’s Star comes from the excellent Lind & Lime gin distillery in Leith. EH postcode residents can get 25% off their Tour & Tasting in December; if you’re looking for an excuse for a pre-Christmas get-together, this could go near the top of the list. Deals on the way in early 2025 include 30% off the Decadent Duo: Gin & Chocolate Pairing at the newly opened Edinburgh Gin Distillery, as well as a discount at the Ten Hill Place Hotel in the Southside and a ‘kids go free’ deal at Camera Obscura.

If you’re more of a ‘selection box’ person and like a bit of variety, check out the Resident Rates. These are special rates on a host of well-loved Edinburgh attractions and venues for EH residents, with a wide range of options to choose from. Looking for a unique alternative to a night in the pub? With the Magical Bubbler Cocktails experience at the Department of Magic on Blair Street, you’ll put together your own cocktail concoction, and EH residents get 20% off. Got a sweet tooth? Edinburgh bakery Mimi’s Bakehouse offer a 20% discount on online orders of their cupcakes, brownies and traybakes, delivered to local residents within 48 hours. If you want a night off from cooking, Resident Rates offers a 10% discount on food and drink at Hot Toddy, just off the Royal Mile,  and 15% off at The Brasserie at The Scholar by Holyrood Park.

Resident Rates also offer a few opportunities to look at your home city with fresh eyes. Ricky’s Bicycle Tours take visitors on a pedal-powered journey on cycle paths and side streets from the city centre to the Shore – but for locals, it’s a great way to see Edinburgh from a fresh perspective (and maybe find a few new shortcuts for the next time you’re out on your bike). A £4 discount is available for EH residents. Alternatively, an Edinburgh Bus Tour is ideal for those of you who need a quick refresher on the city’s world-famous architecture, or a new vantage point for your photos. All Edinburgh Bus Tour buses are wheelchair-friendly, with audio guides available in multiple languages and subtitles on display screens, and Resident Rates get you 10% off your fare. For a full list of Resident Rates, check out the Forever Edinburgh website.

Resident Previews are early chances for Edinburgh residents to check out new exhibitions, events and experiences before they open to the general public. Past Resident Previews have included early access to exhibitions at the National Museum of Scotland, as well as early access to the revamped Nelson Monument on Calton Hill and exclusive tours of the new galleries at the National Galleries Scotland on the Mound – keep an eye on Forever Edinburgh’s socials and sign up to their Resident Newsletter to be the first to find out about new Resident Previews.

For a genuine, can’t-beat-it freebie, look out for Resident Free and Half Price Days. These are opportunities to try out local businesses and attractions at specific times for free or close to it. The Holyrood Distillery, in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat, is an amazing building that celebrates the city’s distilling history alongside cutting-edge technology and impressive architecture. It’s well worth the trip, and EH residents get a regular chance to visit the distillery for free thanks to Resident Rewards. 

Resident Rewards Edinburgh Gives Back aims to offer access to some of Edinburgh's finest experiences to local residents who might otherwise face barriers to access them. Working with the charity One City Trust, almost 500 leisure and culture experiences – from trips to Edinburgh Castle and Go Ape Dalkeith to tastings at Johnnie Walker Princes Street and visits to the Scotch Whisky Experience – will be available to distribute to community groups across the city.

Christmas is one of the most magical times to visit Edinburgh, but much like the residents that make the city so welcoming, that magic stays here year-round. Get out and explore some of the great stuff Edinburgh has to offer – consider it a Reward for all your hard work.


Sign up to the Forever Edinburgh resident newsletter for the latest updates at edinburgh.org/residentrewards

Forever Edinburgh is funded by the UK Government