We were delighted to win a one night stay with breakfast and welcoming bottle of wine at the Castle View Guesthouse in Edinburgh. The guest house is on Castle Street which runs perpendicular to Princess Street (the main thoroughfare for shopping and Princess Gardens). As its name suggests, Castle Street offers a great view of the castle, however, as the buildings are on either side of the street, facing one another, views from within the buildings are limited.
The guest house is spread over the top 3 floors of a 4 storey Georgian town house, thus has many stairs, and with no lift, is not suitable for anyone with mobility issues. This house is the birth place of Kenneth Grahame, author of ‘Wind in the Willows’ and there are several photos/pictures depicting this.
Being somewhat overweight, I requested a room no higher than the 2nd floor in case 3 flights might be quite arduous for me (there is a comfy seat on each floor if a rest is needed!) so I was initially quite disappointed to be allocated a room on the 3rd floor. My disappointment was instantly dismissed on seeing the room. The Balmoral room is a large family room. It is beautifully furnished with double and single beds, two winged armchairs and foot stool with enough room to swing as many cats as you like. There is ample storage although the hanging rails in the wardrobes were rather high for my 5ft 5in height. My favourite item in the room was the bay window with its window seat and cushions which makes it the only bedroom with a view of the castle. The breakfast room next door also has a bay window, so if you do not manage to book the Balmoral room, then be first in for breakfast and pick the table with a view. The bed was comfortable as were the armchairs and with the lovely modern ensuite shower room is a great room. There is also tea and coffee making facilities with biscuits and mints provided. All in all a lovely room.
As well as family rooms, there are also double and single rooms available. Naturally the price varies dependant upon the room and the season, certainly for this time of the year the rates seem very competitive and if you stay 2 nights there is a £10 deduction with a further £10 deduction for a 3 night stay.
Breakfast (served 7.30 to 9.30) was both delicious and filling. There was a choice of a hot breakfast (full Scottish with haggis or black pudding, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon or poached eggs) or continental breakfast of ham, cheese and croissants plus cereals, fruit juices, yoghurts etc. I am lactose intolerant and they provided me with soya milk for my cereal on request with no problem.
The location of the Guesthouse is ideal for sightseeing, shopping, bars and restaurants all within minutes and mainly level walking. In fact, opposite is a small supermarket, Thai and Chinese restaurants with TGI Fridays a couple of doors away and also Starbucks on the corner. Waverley station is a 10 minute walk away.
Overall, if stairs are not an issue for you, it is a great place for a short break in Edinburgh and one we would certainly use again.
