Is Edinburgh Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Edinburgh, is generally a safe city for solo female travelers. It has a friendly atmosphere, well-patrolled streets, and public transport that runs reliably into the late hours. There are excellent security measures in place, with CCTV widely used across the city. However, like any other city, it's always important to stay aware of your surroundings, especially when walking alone at night in less busy areas. Always keep your belongings close to you and avoid displaying expensive items. Stick to well-lit, busy streets and always tell someone where you're going or use a trusted taxi service if you're out late.

Safety index

4.9 /5

Based on 33 experiences

4.7 /5

Based on research and crime data

Safety overview

Safety at night:Safe

Edinburgh is generally considered safe for solo female travelers, even at night. Though certain areas might be more bustling during the day, the city center and tourist-heavy areas remain quite active and safe into the evening. As always, it is important to maintain normal precautions such as sticking to well-lit streets, being aware of your surroundings, and avoiding less populous areas late at night. Petty crimes like pickpocketing can occur, but violent crime is rare. Public transportation and taxis are readily available if you prefer not to walk.

Public transportation: Very safe

Edinburgh has highly trustworthy public transportation services. The city buses, trams, and trains are well-maintained, punctual, and have clear route information which makes commuting hassle-free. The transit hubs and stops are well lit, often with CCTV surveillance, which enhances safety especially during off-peak hours. It's also commonplace for transport staff and friendly locals to assist if you have queries or concerns. However, like any place, it's recommended to remain alert and be aware of your surroundings.

Street harassment: Low

Edinburgh is generally a safe and welcoming city. Street harassment is not a common occurrence and incidents are not widely reported by solo female travelers. However, like any major city, certain areas can be less safe at night, so it's advisable to stay within well-populated areas especially after dark. Overall, locals are usually friendly and respectful. The use of common sense and standard precautions are always recommended.

Petty crimes:Low

Edinburgh is one of the safer cities in the United Kingdom. While petty crimes like pickpocketing or bag theft do occur, they are relatively infrequent. It is always advisable to stay attentive to your belongings especially in crowded areas like public transport or tourist spots. Don't flaunt expensive gadgets or jewelry to avoid unwanted attention. However, generally speaking, you can feel quite comfortable while navigating Edinburgh alone.

Tap water:Very safe

Tap water in Edinburgh is safe to drink. It meets all the stringent quality standards set by the European Union and is continuously monitored. The local water company, Scottish Water, assures that the drinking water quality is of very high standard. Therefore, you can safely consume it without any worries.

Get the Travel Ladies app

Meet new people, find travel buddies, share experiences, discuss travel plans and stay with local women through couch surfing
Download from App StoreDownload from Google Play
Get the Travel Ladies App

Travel experiences

Overall rating

4.8 /5

based on 33 experiences

Rating summary

Things to do

4.9/5

Safety

4.9/5

Food

4.7/5

Budget-friendly

3.5/5

Solo travel experience

In Edinburgh, I felt extremely safe. It was supposed to be my first solo trip, and I fell in love with the city. The Royal Mile is really beautiful, but there are nice little shops and cafes outside the street. There is a great selection of vegan options. By bus, you can quickly reach a nature park where sheep roam. You might also want to take a look at the castle. While prices in Edinburgh are somewhat higher, they are significantly more affordable compared to London. The people are all super friendly.

Posted: November 10, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 4/5Safety: 5/5
See more from author:Instagram
favorite_border 6
mode_comment 1

Solo travel experience

I spent a week in Scotland and it was amazing. I walked around the Royal Mile and visited tons of cute cafes and pubs, with local musicians everywhere. People were so friendly. I did the whiskey and folklore tour and a day tour to the highlands. One of the best vacations I ever had.

Posted: October 3, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Family travel experience

I love Edinburgh. I've been probably 5 times and I've always felt extremely safe. It's super walkable, has a great bus system and you can get tours out to the highlands if you don't want to drive.

Posted: October 1, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Solo travel experience

Edinburgh is such a beautiful city. It’s small enough to cover the grounds in just a day or 2 at a leisurely pace. I recommend going through its main sites. I did that solo and had a blast. I also did the guided Harry Potter tour on a whim despite not being that big of a fan but ended up enjoying it whilst meeting people in that small group.

Posted: September 18, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Solo travel experience

I went to Edinburgh for the first time on my own and I felt really safe the whole time I was there. Everyone was really friendly that I spoke to and there were loads of things to do. I went in January so it was still getting dark at like 4 pm and even then walking round on my own I felt safe.

Posted: July 31, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Solo travel experience

I went to Edinburgh recently, it’s a lovely little city and everyone’s super friendly. Very very walkable. I stayed at Castle Rock Hostel. They have so much common space for people to hang out that I never felt confined to my room when I just wanted to chill.

Posted: June 10, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Solo travel experience

I just came back from a solo trip to Edinburgh. I stayed 3 nights. Activities I did: - hop on and hop off bus tour - the Royal Yacht Britannia - comedy bus ghost tour - graveyard ghost tour - Harry Potter walking tour - Edinburgh Castle - surgical museum - walked to Dean Village (scenic viewpoint)

Posted: June 6, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Solo travel experience

I had a lovely time on my solo trip to Edinburgh It was just a weekend trip but felt I got a really feel for the city. I stayed in a hostel just off the royal mile which was ideal. It's a very walkable city with lots of vegan food options which was lovely! Plenty of free museums and love the national art gallery!

Posted: April 26, 2023Experienced: January, 2018
Things to do: 4/5Food: 4/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Solo travel experience

Edinburgh is a very walkable town. I did a free Potter trail tour which was fun, and I learned some new things about JK Rowling. Camera Obscura, a museum full of optical illusions, was fun. And Pickles on Broughton Street, a wine and cheese bar, was amazing.

Posted: March 30, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Solo travel experience

My solo trip to Edinburgh was super easy. People were friendly and chatty and I didn't feel alone. There was a Harry Potter shop in Victoria street (old town), and I recommend visiting Graigmillar castle (outlander was also filmed there). I did buy a castle pass (when I went to Graigmillar) and it saved me lots of money and I had a guarantee to enter other castles (the pass lasts for a week).

Posted: March 26, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 4/5Safety: 5/5
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Local experiences

I live in Edinburgh, and personally, I think Edinburgh is safe and easy to navigate. There is both the tram and the bus that go to the city center from the airport. One of the biggest things I suggest when it comes to public transport in Edinburgh, download the Lothian Buses App. There are a lot of different buses in Edinburgh, but using the app can help you work out the best ways to get to basically anywhere in the city.

Posted: October 11, 2023
favorite_border 1
mode_comment 0

I live in Edinburgh and find it very safe - just ordinary precautions of being in a city. It's probably one of the safer cities in the UK. Anywhere relatively central should be fine to stay - the buses are good, and most places are walkable.

Posted: September 14, 2023
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Edinburgh is a very safe city, although like everywhere it has its areas that aren't so nice. I would definitely recommend staying in Leith, lots of Airbnb options, excellent transport into the city, and lots of great coffee shops/bars, etc. The main areas I would say to avoid staying are Wester Hailes, Niddrie Mains, and Drylaw. I wouldn't say these areas are necessarily more unsafe for a woman, just a bit more socially deprived and generally less safe at night.

Posted: September 13, 2023
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

If you’re looking for touristy things, definitely go to the castle and after, you can walk down the royal mile towards holyrood palace and even climb Arthur’s seat if you’d like! the national gallery on princes street is also lovely, and the modern art galleries are just outside the city centre near Stockbridge - which is also a lovely part of town. From there you can also visit the botanical gardens, or walk along the water of leith back into town via dean village (a picturesque setting). I also love the national history museum, which is near the grass market, which is a great place to grab a drink with the view of the castle. If you want to explore outside of Edinburgh, I would recommend North Berwick just east of Edinburgh, or St Andrews and the east coast of fife.

Posted: November 24, 2022
favorite_border 58
mode_comment 0

I live in Edinburgh it's a brilliant city with loads to do. Climb Arthur's Seat if the weather is nice. Walking up Carlton Hill is easy and you get an awesome view of the city and across the water. Visit Portobello beach if you have time and get a slice of Civerinos pizza! Ice cream parlour in the Grass Market call Mary's Milk bar is worth a stop. Maybe do a ghost tour! Most of all have fun cruising about enjoying the city! Also for food Ting Thai Caravan is central, delicious, well priced, and if it's nice you could get it to take away and sit in the Meadows.

Posted: November 20, 2022
favorite_border 75
mode_comment 0

Meet locals in Edinburgh

Kirsty

Kirsty

Speaking

About Me

Hi! I'm Kirsty and I love to travel. I've only just got into group trips recently as the majority of the time I prefer to travel solo! This year I've been to Tenerife (the northern part), Lisbon and the south of France. Still room for one more holiday - and I'm thinking the Azores ❤️

Countries I’ve Visited

🇨🇦 Canada, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇱🇸 Lesotho, 🇲🇾 Malaysia, 🇲🇲 Myanmar [Burma], 🇳🇵 Nepal, 🇳🇿 New Zealand, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇸🇿 Swaziland, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇳🇱 Netherlands

mode_comment 0
Ellie

Ellie

Speaking

About Me

Heya! My name is Ellie and I'm a 4th year medical student with serious wanderlust xx

Countries I’ve Visited

🇧🇩 Bangladesh, 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇪🇬 Egypt, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇲🇹 Malta, 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States, 🇻🇳 Vietnam

mode_comment 0
Mikayla

Mikayla

Speaking

About Me

I love travelling and seeing how locals live all over the world. Anywhere new is novel and exciting! I’m up for a lot (although I’m not an adrenaline junkie! I’m quite the opposite.. I love slow living 😂) and just want to soak up as much of the world as possible 😁 I’m into anything creative, love a bit of music, especially if it’s live! I love poetry, and storytelling in any form (books, films, storytellers, museums, galleries, exhibitions). I love animals too 💛 I am vegan but respect everyone’s own ways of living 😊 I’m also quite interested in anything that’s eco-friendly/promoting sustainable living and I love getting out into nature 😍

Countries I’ve Visited

🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇰🇭 Cambodia, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇱🇦 Laos, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States, 🇫🇷 France, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇻🇳 Vietnam, 🇻🇦 Vatican City, 🇵🇹 Portugal

mode_comment 0

Stay with locals in Edinburgh

Kayla

Kayla

Speaking

You can stay for:

3 days

About me

Want to be a social designer and live a nomad life. Is heading to University of Edinburgh for my master’s in Design for Change! Interested in art & design, community building, culture & nature exploring, solo travel.

Countries I’ve Visited

🇨🇳 China, 🇭🇰 Hong Kong, 🇹🇼 Taiwan, 🇲🇴 Macao, 🇲🇾 Malaysia

mode_comment 0
Ellis

Ellis

Speaking

You can stay for:

3 days

About me

Hello, I'm Ellis and I'm interested in animals, art, books, backpacking, camping, cycling, hiking, events & social, swimming, writing and trekking

Countries I’ve Visited

🇦🇱 Albania, 🇦🇷 Argentina, 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇧🇿 Belize, 🇧🇴 Bolivia, 🇰🇭 Cambodia, 🇨🇱 Chile, 🇨🇳 China, 🇨🇷 Costa Rica, 🇨🇺 Cuba, 🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇪🇬 Egypt, 🇸🇻 El Salvador, 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇬🇹 Guatemala, 🇭🇳 Honduras, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇰🇪 Kenya, 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇱🇹 Lithuania, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇲🇽 Mexico, 🇲🇳 Mongolia, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇳🇮 Nicaragua, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇵🇪 Peru, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇷🇺 Russia, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇺🇦 Ukraine, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇺🇸 United States, 🇻🇳 Vietnam

mode_comment 0
Farida

Farida

Speaking

You can stay for:

3 days

About me

Hey, My name is Farida and I'm interested in art, books, dancing, health, nature and writing

mode_comment 0

Upcoming visitors to Edinburgh

Imen

Imen

About Me

hi i am imen 😊 i live in france and id love to exchange and maybe meet up

mode_comment 0
Ana

Ana

About Me

I grew up in Italy and now live in the UK. I am occasionally in Constanta. I love the sea, taking long walks on the beach, discovering new cafes, visiting new places, reading.

mode_comment 0
Cara

Cara

Speaking

About Me

Hello! My name is Cara, I study French and Arabic at University in the UK and am wanting to explore the world, especially the Middle East - I love the culture, the people and the hospitality in this region. I’m looking to make friends and meet other like minded people! I love to run, hike and explore nature. I’m also vegan!

Countries I’ve Visited

🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇪🇬 Egypt, 🇫🇷 France, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇯🇴 Jordan, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇵🇸 Palestine, 🇸🇳 Senegal, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

mode_comment 0

Local discussions

TravelWhat places and restaurants would you recommend for a trip to Edinburgh?

I’m going to Edinburgh in a week and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of places to visit and restaurants that they would recommend.

Posted: June 27, 2023
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Solo travelWhat recommendations do you have for things to do in Edinburgh?

I have booked a trip to Edinburgh for the weekend. Does anyone have any recommendations for things to do, things to see, places to eat? I really want to make the most of our time so if anyone has any recommendations of things to do in Edinburgh that would be great.

Posted: June 23, 2023
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Solo travelWhat is the best way to get to Edinburgh from London in December?

Hi I want to travel to Edinburgh in December (from London) what is the best way to get there? By train or plane? I am going solo first time ever

Posted: November 20, 2022
favorite_border 0
mode_comment 0

Safety in United Kingdom