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 rating

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How safe is Edinburgh?

Safety at night:

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:

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:

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:

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.

Is Edinburgh worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 49 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.8/5

Safety

4.9/5

Food

4.4/5

Budget-friendly

3.5/5
Patricia

Patricia

United Kingdom

Solo travel

I love burgh and what I love the most is how safe the city is and feels, there is not much to do in terms of museums and activities in the city since a lot people come to Scotland for the highlands but I love that even more

Posted: October 28, 2024
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Solo travel

Love Edinburgh! Felt so safe here and it’s so walkable. Fave city in Europe. Heaps to do. Can’t miss the royal mile. Bussing around is very easy too. Nice parks and cafes to sit in when you need a rest

Posted: September 21, 2024
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Jessica

Jessica

United States

Solo travel

It’s the most charming of cities with warm people, rich history, stunning views, and unforgettable experiences. The castle dominated the city and tour, and is a can’t miss. It feels…. Like you can sense the history as in one direction you overlook crashing waves, in another grassy hills, and yet another, a thriving metropolitan city.

Posted: August 28, 2024
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Solo travel

I felt safe the entire time, however I must say I didn't go out after 10 because I usually woke up at 8:30 to start doing and seeing stuff around town. So I don't know how it is at night. The things to do and see were great, most museums were free admision and the people there are very kind and helpfull. I'd recommend doing an underground tour in the old vaults, edinburgh castle and ofcourse the national scotish museum. I also made my own bag at the islander workshop, however do book it in avances since it sell out fast.

Posted: July 24, 2024Experienced: May, 2024
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Elín

Elín

Iceland

Solo travel

I love Edinburgh! I have been a few times during Christmas time 🎄 Activities: I reccomend going to the Christmas Market and googling different events they have in December as a part of Edinburgh Christmas. I have been to the castle once and I really reccomend it, if you're on the fence about it, I'd say it's worth the money, just take your time there and don't go too late in the day to be able to look at everything; I reccomend getting the audio tour thing to learn all the fun facts. I recommend hiking Arthur's Seat, taking a walk to Charlton Hill. Places to stay: I've stayed at 4 different locations in Edinburgh. My favourite place to stay is Castle Rock Hostel, the vibes are perfect, I felt safe and there are so many opportunities to meet people there. I've only stayed in the 4 bed rooms and it was great! If you want to stay at a hotel I reccomend Grassmarket Hotel, I've stayed there twice and it was great both times! I've also stayed at Kick Ass Greyfriars: I reccomend it, also a great place to meet people. A&O Edinburgh City: cheap and good accomidation, not as easy to meet people unless you're a bar vibe kind of person, because the communal area is a bar.

Posted: July 20, 2024
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Sara

Sara

United Kingdom

Solo travel

Edinburgh was my first solo trip. I travelled during the night by bus from London, did a free tour around the city, took a train to St Andrews and was back to Edinburgh for another free tour in the evening about ghosts and dark past of the city. That night I went to a pub that was recommended by the tour guy that used to be a church. Next day I did a day tour to the Highlands and I was back in the city by the evening to get my night bus back to London. Great trip. Great feeling of power and control over my life.

Posted: June 19, 2024Experienced: March, 2018
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Group travel

I felt safe in Edimburg. People are really nice and curious. I went there with my friend and wondering around was so nice ! I definitely recommend this place if you travel alone you are going to feel safe because there is always a lot of people outside !

Posted: June 4, 2024
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Eira

Eira

United Kingdom

Solo travel

I stayed at Castle Rock hostel and had an amazing time! They had events planned for each night so was really easy to meet other travellers that way. Spent my day wandering around the city - it was quite expensive I had a low budget to be fair, so ended up buying groceries and making myself food for the most part. It was really easy to just walk everything was really close. I visited: Arthur’s seat, national gallery and museum, Dean village, and small parks and areas of the city that were very pretty!

Posted: April 6, 2024
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Group travel

I went to Edinburgh with another woman around my age and we had a great time! Our airbnb was located about 30 minutes from the Royal Mile, but with the public transportation, it was a quick and easy experience. Overall, we felt very safe. Edinburgh is a pretty small city that is very walkable. We went in July and there were definitely large crowds of tourists that made it hard to navigate around popular spots, but I was never a debilitating feature. Some of my restaurant recommendations include: - Nok’s Kitchen - Luckenbooth - Vittoria on the Bridge - Makar’s Mash Experience recommendations include - Edinburgh Castle - The Real Mary King’s Close - The Scotch Whisky Experience - Calton Hill Edinburgh is a beautiful medieval city with lots of charm, so I hope you enjoy your trip!

Posted: March 1, 2024
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Gigi

Gigi

United States

Solo travel

I am in love with the city, the country side, the people, the food, the vibe, the weather, just beyond impressed with how kind the people are there, so much to do, never ending, get to the Royal mile, get a hostel around and you won’t run out of things to do, a lot of activities free, plenty of chances for good pictures, and of course plenty of pubs, I can’t wait to go back

Posted: February 27, 2024
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Is Edinburgh safe for women?

Safety index

4.2 /5

Based on 21 local experiences

Crime index

1.7 /5

Based on 21 local experiences

Patricia

Patricia

Ediburgh it’s such a safe city and that is one of the reasons I decided to move and live here! I would not be concern or fear walking a night with is rare for a woman, th e crime rates are so low as well

Posted: October 28, 2024
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Edinburgh is the safest city in the UK. I have been living in here for the past 13 years. I can definitely say that I feel more secure in this city and country than in my home town. People is nice and kind.

Posted: October 22, 2024
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Meet locals in Edinburgh

iola

iola

About Me

Hi! I’m a bubbly and thoughtful women, I love enjoying parks and beaches… outdoor spaces, but also love a good gallery and cafe! Nights out for me are new and exciting.

Speaking

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Lam

Lam

About Me

At home i have a couch to offer for short stay :) Sometimes i travel so date of requests in advance~

Speaking

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Stay with locals in Edinburgh

Lam

Lam

Edinburgh

Can host for:

3 days

About me

At home i have a couch to offer for short stay :) Sometimes i travel so date of requests in advance~

Speaking

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Maria

Maria

Edinburgh

Can host for:

3 days

About me

I'm from Saint Petersburg Russia and I'm a Dutch national living in Edinburgh. I'm definitely on an extravert side! I love walking, gigs, shopping( especially bargain hunt), love dogs/ cats, cooking and wine and ofcourse travelling!

Speaking

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Upcoming visitors to Edinburgh

Cristina

Cristina

About Me

Hi! I come originally from Spain but I've worked and lived abroad for the past 25 years. Since 2016 I've changed career paths to me more aligned with my values. I no longer work as a consultant in a big company, instead I accompany women throughout their entire motherhood (including birth). I'm also a qualified massage therapist (women only) and I'm fascinated by creating significant human interactions (women only 😅)... Having a cup of coffee and a chat with a good friend or even a total stranger can save lives ❤️‍🔥

Speaking

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Safety in United Kingdom