55.9° N  Edinburgh

Old Town

7 places in Old Town, chosen by Liv and checked by the editors.

Made in Edinburgh

Tweed, knitwear & kiltmaking

Scotland's tweed, tartan and knitwear are known worldwide, and Edinburgh still has kiltmakers, tailors and knitters who cut, sew and knit in the city — one kiltmaker has been here since 1868.

  • Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers

    Old Town

    A kiltmaker on the Canongate, part of the Royal Mile. It makes hand-sewn 8-yard wool kilts, which take up to 20 weeks; kilt hire is run from a second shop on nearby St Mary's Street.

    LivEight yards of wool to a kilt. Every pleat stitched by hand.

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  • Bill Baber Knitwear

    Old Town

    A knitwear workshop and shop opened by Bill and Helen Baber in 1977 and now run by their son. Garments are knitted and sewn from linen, cotton, silk and merino in the workshop behind the Grassmarket shop, which also holds pieces found nowhere else.

    LivThe workshop is at the back. Linen and silk turn into cloth in front of you.

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Made in Edinburgh

Scotch whisky

Leith, Edinburgh's port, was long a centre for storing, blending and bottling Scotch whisky; at one point it is said to have had about a hundred bonded warehouses. Independent bottlers and a new distillery on the quay keep the trade in the city.

  • Cadenhead's Whisky Shop (Edinburgh)

    Old Town

    The Canongate shop of William Cadenhead, an independent bottler established in 1842 that calls itself Scotland's oldest. Its whiskies, many of them single-cask bottlings, have no added colour and are never chill-filtered. Its other shops are in Campbeltown and London.

    LivNo colour added, no chill-filtering. Each bottle keeps its own cask colour.

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Sweets

  • Mary's Milk Bar

    Old Town

    A gelato and chocolate shop on the Grassmarket where Mary makes everything in the back; the flavours change daily, and gelato comes floated in hot chocolate.

    LivThe flavours change daily. On a cold day, have it in hot chocolate.

    WebsiteMap

To eat

  • Timberyard

    Old Town

    A family-run restaurant cooking with local growers and foragers, awarded a Michelin star in 2023 and a Green Star in 2026; the menu changes weekly.

    LivOnly what the fields and woods give. Ask for the small-producer wine.

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  • Whirlybird

    Old Town

    An all-day café, bar and restaurant opened in May 2026 in a 250-year-old building on Victoria Street, with coffee and pastries in the morning and Scottish bistro dishes later.

    LivTake the spiral stair. Stop before the bottom of the hill.

    WebsiteMap

  • Wedgwood the Restaurant

    Old Town

    Chef Paul Wedgwood's restaurant on the Canongate, cooking seasonal Scottish produce with foraged herbs, with foraging courses in spring and summer.

    LivThey cook with foraged herbs. Come down off Arthur's Seat and stop here.

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Edinburgh · Tweed, knitwear & kiltmakingEdinburgh · Scotch whiskyEdinburgh · SweetsEdinburgh · To eatEdinburgh · CoffeeEdinburgh · Vessels

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Liv is a fictional traveller. Every place here was checked by the editors to exist and be open. Please confirm hours on the official site before you go.