Edinburgh Festival accommodation

Every August Edinburgh hosts the largest collection of arts festivals in the world but it’s at this time of year that those in the know start cherry-picking the best places to stay during the event. With 2,000 shows a day to choose from during the height of festival fever, having your own city centre retreat is the perfect way to avoid cultural burnout.

New on the market this year is the City Bothy, a stylishly refurbished studio apartment, right in the heart of the Scottish capital.

“Bothy” in Scots means a small mountain refuge. But don’t worry – you won’t have to rough it. The City Bothy (which sleeps 2) is set in Edinburgh’s historic New Town, five minutes’ walk from many of the city’s best shops, restaurants and galleries (the surrounding district has been awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO, to mark the unique beauty of its built environment). Facilities include:

Well-equipped kitchen
Free wi-fi access
20-inch LCD television, with Freeview and DVD player
Library of books, games and DVDs
King-size bed
Sofa bed (although the flat sleeps 2, we recognise that not everyone wants to share a bed)
Linen and towels
Central heating

As well as year-round attractions such as the National Gallery of Scotland, National Portrait Gallery and Harvey Nichols, the City Bothy is also very convenient for the Traverse Theatre and Assembly Rooms, two of the biggest and best venues during August’s Edinburgh festivals.

Weekly rental prices range between £340 and £600, including linen, towels, all electricity and gas and taxes (citybothy.com).