Across from the Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh, this renovated Victorian town house has cozy, well-lighted rooms with velour bedspreads, dark wooden furniture, and pale gold curtains. In winter, when the surrounding trees loose their leaves, a couple of the south-facing rooms have views of the castle. The reception doubles as a private bar for guests and sells a fine selection of malt whiskies, which you're encouraged to drink in the lounge. Several good restaurants and cafés are nearby. The hotel is a good value for the location, a 15-minute walk (uphill) into the center of town.
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