Coastal suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland
Portobello
Portobello is a coastal suburb of Edinburgh in eastern central Scotland.
It lies 3 miles (5 km) east of the city centre, facing the Firth of Forth, between the suburbs of Joppa and Craigentinny. Although historically it was a town in its own right, it is officially a residential suburb of Edinburgh. The promenade fronts onto a wide sandy beach.
How locals move
Getting around Portobello the local way
- Get inLeith was the historic port of arrival for packet ships from London (three days upchucking beats nine days jolting in a stagecoach) but there are nowadays no ferries to Leith, and it's too small for modern cruise liners: these anchor out in the Firth and bring their guests by tender either here or to South Queensferry.
- Get inN16 follows the shore to Newhaven, Granton and Silverknowes, N14 follows Ferry Road to Goldenacre and Muirhouse.
- Get inIt's often congested, but so too is the direct route along Queensferry Road, Telford Road and Ferry Road.
- Get aroundBus 21 goes west along Ferry Rd to Corstorphine and Gogar, and also takes you east to Craigentinny, Portobello beach and Craigmillar.
- Go nextWest further inland on Ferry Road is Goldenacre sports ground and the north access to the Botanic Gardens in Canonmills.
From Wikivoyage: Edinburgh/Leith, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.