ESPC uncovers Edinburgh’s hidden-gem neighbourhoods - and how much it costs to live in them
Key Takeaways
- Several lesser-known Edinburgh neighbourhoods offer buyers better value for money than the city’s most popular areas, while still providing strong amenities, transport links and access to green spaces.
- Areas such as Meadowbank, Slateford and Mayfield offer significantly lower average property prices than neighbouring hotspots, making them attractive alternatives for budget-conscious buyers.
- Family-focused locations including Mortonhall and Juniper Green combine a quieter, greener lifestyle with good schools and convenient access to Edinburgh city centre.
- Carrick Knowe and South Gyle provide affordable options in the west of Edinburgh, benefiting from excellent public transport connections, local amenities and strong commuter links.
- These “hidden gem” neighbourhoods demonstrate that buyers can often secure larger homes or better value by looking beyond Edinburgh’s most sought-after and expensive districts.
Discover the best neighbourhoods in Edinburgh for buyers trying to find a location that’s a little more under the radar. Highly popular areas such as Morningside, Portobello, Leith and Stockbridge may be fantastic to live in, but their immense popularity means that finding a home in these neighbourhoods might be trickier (and more expensive) than many would like.
However, there are some fantastic neighbourhoods in Edinburgh that many buyers might not have considered at all, all offering excellent amenities, fast and frequent transport links, and crucially, value for money – especially when compared to the City of Edinburgh’s average property selling price of £301,104, for the year to date.
Here is our rundown of the best hidden-gem neighbourhoods Edinburgh has to offer.
Meadowbank
Meadowbank is an excellent choice for buyers looking for a more affordable home close to the city centre. It’s close to Holyrood Park, and amenities include a retail park and the sports stadium, plus bus links to the city centre and East Lothian. Quiet side streets offer period properties galore, and it’s in the catchment for good schools.
The average property selling price in Meadowbank is £230,443 – around £70,000 less than the City of Edinburgh’s average price of £301,104, and around £30,000 cheaper than the trendy neighbouring area of Abbeyhill (£263,609).
View all properties for sale in Meadowbank
Slateford
Slateford offers a quietly cool neighbourhood with a lesser-known reputation than neighbouring Shandon and Merchiston. It provides all the same great amenities and access that these more popular neighbourhoods offer, such as Harrison Park, cafes and coffee shops, with the added bonus of a train station and lower average property prices, all just 10 minutes from the city centre.
The average selling price in Slateford is £239,364 – over £100,000 cheaper than the average price of neighbouring Shandon (£355,185).
View all properties for sale in Slateford
Mayfield
For buyers set on the southside, Mayfield could be an excellent choice. Close to trendy Newington and the well-heeled Grange, with Holyrood Park and The Meadows nearby, Mayfield offers a peaceful feel. The amenities of Newington and the Old Town are close by, as well as Cameron Toll for shopping, and there’s a plethora of bus links too.
In Mayfield, the average selling price is currently £189,103 – not only is that over £100,000 cheaper than the City of Edinburgh’s average price, but it’s also far more affordable than neighbouring Newington, where properties cost £345,419 on average, and The Grange, where buyers could expect to pay an average of £569,861.
View all properties for sale in Mayfield
Mortonhall
To the south, Mortonhall is an ideal place to find a family home. It’s much more affordable than the heralded nearby neighbourhoods of Morningside and Blackford, but it’s also on the edge of the beautiful Blackford Hill Nature Reserve and a golf course, providing that same leafy, tranquil feeling that those areas enjoy.
Mortonhall’s current average selling price is £315,411, which is more than £60,000 cheaper than Morningside’s £376,219, and around a staggering £130,000 cheaper than Blackford, where properties sell for £445,274 on average.
View all properties for sale in Mortonhall
Juniper Green
Looking for a village feel? Juniper Green, around five miles south of the city centre, is a great option. This 17th-century conservation village offers a leafy lifestyle with country parks and stunning green spaces on the doorstep, alongside highly regarded schooling – all while being within easy reach of the city centre too. It’s bordered by the sought-after suburb of Colinton, but it’s far more affordable.
The current average selling price of property in Juniper Green is £323,383 – a hefty difference from Colinton’s average selling price of £390,810.
View all properties for sale in Juniper Green
Carrick Knowe
To the west of the city centre, Carrick Knowe is a great option for those who like the feel and the amenities of Corstorphine but are looking to get a bit more for their money. Offering excellent bus and tram links, shops, schools and a municipal golf course, there’s plenty to enjoy in the local area as well as everything that neighbouring Corstorphine can offer too.
There’s a big difference in price between the two neighbourhoods: in Carrick Knowe, you can expect to pay £230,301 on average for a property, while Corstorphine currently commands an average selling price of £341,517.
View all properties for sale in Carrick Knowe
South Gyle
Another affordable alternative to Corstorphine is South Gyle, a modern district further west of the city centre that offers excellent amenities. The area is home to the Gyle Shopping Centre with plenty of shops and supermarkets, but it’s also a major commuter hub, served by South Gyle and Edinburgh Park train stations, and the Edinburgh tram too. It’s also very handy for the airport, and for quick access to the City of Edinburgh Bypass.
Properties in South Gyle sell for an average of £276,467 currently – around £65,000 cheaper than Corstorphine and around £25,000 less than the City of Edinburgh’s average price.