Pubs with Rooms for the Edinburgh Festival and Hogmanay
One inn on the Royal Mile and four village pubs on the edge of the city, for the Fringe in August and Hogmanay, with honest distances.
Last reviewed November 2026.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August and Hogmanay at the end of the year are the two busiest times for rooms in the city. There’s only one pub with rooms in the Old Town that we’ve found, the Inn on the Mile, so if you want to stay above a pub you’re likely to be looking further out.
The village pubs below are five to eight miles from the centre, so they work best if you’re happy to travel in. Distances are straight-line map estimates from central Edinburgh, not driving or journey times, and we haven’t checked the bus routes. We don’t hold dates, prices or availability, so check those on each pub’s page for your dates.
In the Old Town
Photo: Stinglehammer, CC BY-SA 4.0
Royal Mile. About 0.5 miles from the castle and 0.6 from Holyrood, with nine rooms above a pub and kitchen, and a short walk from Waverley station. Live music and sport every night, per the pub. No pets in the hotel, and no lift.
Village pubs outside the city
Lasswade. About 5.5 miles from central Edinburgh, with 11 rooms and meals served daily from noon. The pub says its bus into the centre takes about 20 minutes. We couldn't confirm a dog policy.
Balerno. About 7.5 miles from central Edinburgh, with five rooms and a complimentary grab-and-go breakfast. The Lothian 44 bus stops on Main Street. Dogs in the bar, not the bedrooms.
Ratho. About 7.5 miles from central Edinburgh, with four rooms from £130 a night with breakfast, on the Union Canal. Its Christmas 2026 page lists a Hogmanay night with a £25 ticket. Dogs are allowed in two rooms.
South Queensferry. About 8 miles from central Edinburgh, a listed coaching inn from Stevenson's Kidnapped with 14 rooms. Dogs can stay for £15 a night.
Questions people ask
Is there a pub with rooms near the Royal Mile?
Yes, the Inn on the Mile, with nine rooms above a pub and kitchen on the High Street, about half a mile from Edinburgh Castle in a straight line and a short walk from Waverley station. Its own site says there is live music and sport every night, and it has no lift, so ask for a room away from the bar if you want quiet.
Should I book early for the Fringe or Hogmanay?
Yes. Both are busy periods for rooms in the city, and a pub with only nine or fewer bedrooms has little to spare. We hold no live availability or prices, so check the booking page for your dates.
Which pubs are practical for a festival week without a car?
The Inn on the Mile, in the Old Town. The Hawes Inn is about a mile from Dalmeny station, which is on the line into the city. The Balerno Inn says the Lothian 44 bus stops on its Main Street, and Currie station is about 1.8 miles away. The Laird & Dog says its bus into the centre takes about 20 minutes. For the Bridge Inn at Ratho we haven't checked the bus routes, but it runs a courtesy bus within five miles of Ratho on Friday and Saturday evenings, booked in advance.
Is there a tourist tax in Edinburgh?
Yes. A 5% visitor levy applies to paid overnight stays in the City of Edinburgh Council area from 24 July 2026, on the room cost for up to the first five consecutive nights. The Inn on the Mile and the Balerno Inn both say on their own sites that they collect it. It applies at the Hawes Inn and the Bridge Inn too, as both are inside the council area, but not at the Laird & Dog, which is across the boundary in Midlothian.