An enticing Edinburgh base for extended stays

Scotland’s capital, it’s fair to say, comes well stocked with fine hotels, from the traditional to the sleek, the quirky to the chic. But Edinburgh merits more than a few nights’ stay, such is the sightseeing potential within the city let alone all the possible day trips into the Highlands or Lowlands. If you’re staying anywhere for an extended period, it’s often best to have a self-catering or serviced apartment, where you can spread out, make your own meals if you fancy and even catch up on the laundry. Ticking plenty of boxes for this in Edinburgh is the Cheval Old Town Chambers, which has a washer-dryer, kitchens — and plenty more comforts — in each of its 82 uniquely-designed apartments. They’re set across a cluster of labyrinthine buildings flanking the atmospheric closes and wynds (alleys and stairways) of Edinburgh’s ancient core. The chambers’ entrance fronts on to the Royal Mile, a lofty Old Town drag sloping between the city’s mighty castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse (King Charles III’s base when he’s in town). Whether you’re staying a night, a month or longer, the chambers are worth considering. They range from 26 to 41sqm open-plan apartments to 130sqm three-bedroom penthouses. There’s also a 15th-century townhouse that smartly blends original and contemporary features, with vibrant sofas, rugs and bathtubs offset by the medieval stone walls, ceilings and spiral staircase. I’m staying in a one-bedroom penthouse large enough to host a party for a football team, especially as there’s a spacious outdoor terrace. Walking outside, I find a table and chairs that — weather permitting — would be ideal for breakfast or sunset drinks. I’ve had worse views in Edinburgh. Waverley station, the city’s main rail hub, a 10-minute hike from here, catches my gaze along with the elegant clock tower of The Balmoral, the city’s most storied hotel, and Princes Street Gardens, a grassy space separating the Old and New Towns. From some of the higher loft apartments, you can glimpse the Firth of Forth, the estuary that stretches beyond Edinburgh into the North Sea. Now you could cocoon yourself in your own private space, get on with that laundry or take a shower or bath with the soothing Arran lime, rose and sandalwood gels while hooking your phone up to the Bose bluetooth speaker. Or maybe you’ll mirror that movie you’ve been meaning to watch to the Chromecast wall TV while working your way through the complimentary tea, Nespresso coffee and biscuits. There are also inviting public areas at the Old Town Chambers, including a lobby-side lounge where you can relax by the fireplace and flick through coffee table books about Scottish art and landscapes. Local artists are also showcased throughout the chambers, with walls hung with photographs by Kevin McCollum and a giant canvas by David Martin behind the reception. It cleverly touches on the chambers’ redevelopment and extension during the COVID pandemic when this became part of the Cheval Collection, a hospitality group that runs several high-quality serviced apartments in London (as well as The Grand in Edinburgh’s New Town). Tourists are depicted walking along the Royal Mile, past the chambers, in a series of different pandemic time zones. Some figures have face masks on, others don’t, symbolising how life and travel have gradually returned “to normal”. If you don’t fancy cooking up your own feast in your apartment, you may be drawn to Luckenbooths, the well priced all-day ground-floor bar and eatery, where they serve a good Scottish breakfast with haggis, plus lunch and dinner. You’ll find dozens of alternative options on and around the Royal Mile and I meet friends at Wedgwood, a cosy, unpretentious restaurant run by chef Paul Wedgwood. He crafts dishes using locally-foraged herbs and seasonal Scottish produce with menus changing four times a year. I start with the scallops from Loch Eriboll on the north coast of Scotland. They’re drizzled in a deliciously aromatic coating of cauliflower korma, pineapple, caper and peanut and pistachio dust. Almost as good is the peri peri monkfish with couscous and the huge “very” sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice-cream. Expect to pay about $100 for a three-course dinner here, and there’s also the choice of multi-course “A Wee Taste of Scotland” menus, including vegetarian ones, for about $140.