Dalkeith
Dalkeith is a historic market town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk.
It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1541. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-century castle. It had a population of 15,146 in 2022.
Getting to Dalkeith
From the airport, follow ring-road A720 to congested Sheriffhall roundabout (a flyover is long overdue) then A6106 for the last mile into Dalkeith. You can also take Skylink Bus 400 to Fort Kinnaird on the southern edge of the city, then change to the buses below. From Edinburgh, use Lothian Bus 3 (and night bus N3), 29, X29, 33 or X33.
Worth seeing
- 01Dalkeith Palace
The palace is an imposing 1702 sandstone mansion which replaced an earlier castle; you can admire from outside but can't visit within.
- 02Dalkeith Museum
Built 1853, the Corn Exchange (which runs through to High St) has been refurbished as a museum.
- 03National Mining Museum Scotland
Things to do
Football: Bonnyrigg Rose play soccer in Lowland League East, the fifth tier. Their home ground is New Dundas Park (capacity 2640) in Bonnyrigg, along A6094 two miles southwest of Dalkeith town centre. Tour de France passes through town on F 2 July 2027. This is Day 1, racing 185 km from Edinburgh to Carlisle. Check local media for road closures - A7 is likely to be closed for several hours.
Where to eat
Cavaliere serves Italian food at 124 High St. It's open Su-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-midnight. Itihaas is a Bangladeshi restaurant at
Getting around Dalkeith the local way
- Go nextMost onward routes involve connecting via Edinburgh, but another day trip is to take the train south from Eskbank to Tweedbank.
From Wikivoyage: Dalkeith, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Zigzig20s (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.