Forever Edinburgh: A Winter Evening in Edinburgh

It’s winter. It’s cold outside, and it’s either raining right now or it will be shortly. The good news is that Edinburgh is full of memorable places to see and things to do, no matter what the weather throws at you.

Cosy pubs and bars

While you’re out exploring all that Edinburgh has to offer, you’ll need a few places to get warmed up, and where better to start than ‘in the pub by the fire’. In the heart of the Old Town, The Bow Bar (80 Victoria St) offers an excellent beer selection to enjoy while you warm up, and it’s a similar story at renowned Tollcross pub Bennets Bar (8 Leven St). In terms of historic pubs, they don't get more historic than The Sheep Heid Inn (43 The Causeway) in Duddingston. There's been a pub on this site since 1360, making it the city's oldest watering hole; the recently-restored skittles alley alone makes it well worth a visit.

Down in Leith, check out Nobles (44a Constitution St), originally opened in 1896 and still featuring some of its Victorian features including some delightful stained glass windows. For a quick winter warmer, head over to Gorgie and the much-loved Athletic Arms (1 Angle Park Ter). Their whisky list is incredibly extensive, and the back room is called ‘the Snug’ – doesn’t get much cosier than that. At the Bellfield Brewery (46 Stanley Pl) in Abbeyhill, the beer garden is equipped with patio heaters, booths, and regular kitchen pop-ups – you can get warmed up while still outside. 

First-class coffee

Edinburgh has one of the UK’s best coffee scenes, with independent speciality coffee bars dotted all over the city. Fancy a flat white in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle? Head to The Source Coffee Co (4 Spittal St), who serve exciting coffees sourced from around the world and roasted at their very own roastery. In the Old Town, The Milkman (7 Cockburn St) pair modern espresso with restored vintage signage that reveal the cafe's former life as a newsagent. And if you want to take in Edinburgh’s evening ambience but don’t fancy a trip to the pub, there are also a host of great cafes that stay open a bit later. Thomas J Walls (35 Forrest Rd) is an excellent espresso bar in a former opticians' and is open til 7pm, as are The Maytree chocolate cafe (123 Bruntsfield Pl) and the cool Scandi-inspired Project Coffee (192 Bruntsfield Pl) up in leafy Bruntsfield.

A bite to eat

For dinner with an excellent view, head to The Outsider (15 George IV Bridge). The split-level bistro has a laid-back charm, and an excellent outlook across the Old Town to Edinburgh Castle. Up in Bruntsfield, Leftfield (12 Barclay Ter) pairs excellent seafood with a view across the historic Bruntsfield Links (one of the city's oldest golf courses) all the way to Arthur's Seat. In Leith, The King’s Wark (36 Shore) is a modern gastropub with a storied history. Since its inception in the 1400s it's been a royal residence, a storehouse and an armory store – come for the history, stay for a hearty dinner.

Heading along the coast, there are few Edinburgh landmarks as iconic as the Forth Bridges. The UNESCO World Heritage site is an incredible piece of Edinburgh history, and it looks spectacular at night. Just a 25-minute train journey from Edinburgh, head to the quaint seaside suburb of South Queensferry for dinner at the rustic Hawes Inn (7 Newhalls Rd) or the more modern Scotts Bar & Restaurant (Port Edgar Marina) and take in the unique nighttime view.

Live music and comedy

Nothing warms you up quite like a good sing-along (even if you're not the one singing), and there are a host of lively music bars across Edinburgh to draw you in from the cold. Folk fans are served by two iconic institutions on the border of the Old Town and Newington. Sandy Bell’s (25 Forrest Rd) is a small but extremely cosy bar that offers near-nightly folk sessions as well as a huge selection of whiskies, while the Royal Oak (1 Infirmary St) hosts weekly folk gigs in the basement bar.

Just around the corner is another very different basement music bar. The Jazz Bar (1a Chambers St) is the place to be for jazz fans, with multiple live gigs every night from bands and artists from around the world, and plenty of delicious cocktails to go around. Alternatively, spend an evening chuckling away in one of Edinburgh’s comedy clubs. Monkey Barrel (9 Blair St) plays host to regular touring shows from Fringe hits and alternative comedians from across the UK, and The Stand (5 York Pl) offers a similar mix of new material nights, touring shows and mixed bills.

Out and about

For a fun winter night out, head to one of Edinburgh’s cinemas. Take your pick from Morningside's art deco, family-run Dominion (18 Newbattle Ter), the century-old Cameo Cinema (38 Home St) in Tollcross, or the leather armchairs of The Scotsman Picturehouse (20 North Bridge). And of course, the longer the nights, the more opportunities for Edinburgh to light up and take on a magical glow. Castle of Light returns from 18 Nov, lighting up Edinburgh Castle with a kaleidoscope of illuminations and projections, while the Royal Botanic Garden’s Christmas light show begins on 17 Nov with more than a million lights twinkling away across the gardens.