Situated down a flight of stairs, near the Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh, lies The Stuarts Bed and Breakfast. I had just grabbed a taxi from the Edinburgh Waverly train station, and it’s a good thing too as this would have been quite a walk with my suitcase, paid the driver and hoisted my bag down the 20 some odd stairs and rang the bell to the Stuarts. The door was answered by Mr. Jon Stuart himself. My first impression of Jon was very serious and reserved, although once you get to know him, his manner warms a bit and he is very informative about the area. I was shown to my room which is the first door on the right upon entering the hall. Jon showed me some of the amenities in the room, pointed out the videotape library in the hall should I be inclined to watch a movie or documentary, pointed out some restaurants for dinner, told me about breakfast for the next day and a bit regarding the bus service back to town as I had a full day out planned already and then I was left to my own devices.

The bus stop is a short walk down the street and around the corner, the area called the Tolcross (near the Kings theatre) which helped to remember where I needed to get off on my return and there was a good selection of restaurants in the area. Thai Lemongrass was good, a nice 8 minute walk from the B&B and one restaurant not listed, but which was excellent was down the road, across the street called Jacques. Wonderful French food, and the chocolate crepes I had for dessert were superb, with the sweetest strawberries I’ve had since childhood, very reasonably priced too for what you got, a 3 course dinner and included with the meal, a nice kir, no extra charge.

I’m a bit of a tough grader when it comes to B&B’s as I’ve been to many of them over the years. It is hard to compare those overseas to those in the U.S. as everyone has a different idea of what they consider luxurious. Having said that, I’ll start with breakfast, which is served from 8:30 to 9:30 each morning. You can have a traditional Scottish breakfast, or eggs any style. I don’t like to waste food, so I opted for eggs, however, unless you ask, all you get is 1 egg. At home, one is use to 2 eggs, scrambled or otherwise, so make sure you specify how many you’d like. I kept my breakfast simple, egg with tomato and toast, juice and tea. There is a sideboard with cereals, fruit, and yogurt, and two types of juice on the table, as well as coffee or tea upon request. Breakfast is cooked by Jon and was good. Jon even accommodated me by making breakfast a half hour early as I wanted to catch the bus to Rosslyn Chapel (take the 15A which leaves hourly and go early first thing in the morning to beat the crowds) and also allowed me to leave my luggage there that morning and come back for it as I was leaving Edinburgh that day and wanted to see the Chapel first thing, so thanks Jon for allowing me to leave the luggage. I like the communal table as it lets you get to know the other guests staying at the inn, as well as swap stories of places you’ve been. I think it’s nice to get to know other people that way, although not everyone would agree as some people prefer individual tables. I wish I could have spent more time milling around the table in the morning, but my days were chock full of castle visits which required my scheduling and making my train on time, so my breakfasts were a bit rushed at times.

The B&B itself has no common room, but there is a desk in the hall which provided internet access, although the connection can be quite slow at times, and was out of service one day while I was there. Not to worry, if that happens, there is an internet café down the block, across the street which was quite inexpensive for ½ hour of time or more should you need it.

The B&B itself has 3 rooms. My room was in the front of the house and was quite spacious by European standards. There was a large closet to hang clothes and plenty of space for luggage and packages. The room was decorated quite simply, perhaps a bit outdated in décor and the rug has seen better days, but for the time I stayed there, it was comfortable enough, plenty of room to walk around and was very clean. There was a large cabinet which doubled as an entertainment center, hiding the TV/VCR as well as a CD player. Inside was a basket filled with coffee, tea, nuts, bottled water and a few other goodies as well as a small refrigerator with a mini bottle of wine, and a fresh container of milk, a very nice touch. A trouser press on one side of the cabinet and an iron/ironing board on the other side was very convenient and welcome. There was a table with 2 chairs by the window. The bed upon sitting, although firm was surprisingly comfortable for sleeping, as I usually don’t like a very firm mattress. There were two end tables with decent lighting, clock radio, phone and on the bedstand was a listing of restaurants in the area to eat in, a few of which I tried. The bath had a decent size shower and a pull out bar to hang clothes on if you did some hand washing. Hair dryer and toiletries are also provided. There was a towel rack with good sized towels, although the heating was not on while I was there, perhaps one had to turn it on. Single occupancy for the room was £65 per night (about $115 US).

Although I didn’t see Gloria that often, perhaps she came down later on in the morning midway through breakfast, since I was always running out the door before most of the others were finished breakfast, the few times I did see her, she was very helpful in making a decision for me as to a castle I had wanted to see (Blair Castle) which was a bit of a train ride from Edinburgh, but a lovely day out as well as answering other questions that I may have had. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed at first as I thought the Stuarts was a little far from the Royal Mile and train station, but once I got the hang of the bus system and which ones to take, it made traveling easier. So I kept an open mind and thought of it as an adventure to seeing a new neighborhood in Edinburgh which I hadn’t been in during prior visits. All in all, an enjoyable stay.

We obtained our accommodation at the Stuart's B&B over the internet. We stayed with Gloria and Jon for four nights. Our room was very comfortable and sunny and was on the second floor with a lovely view over the charming back garden. I enjoyed the most beautiful scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for breakfast and my husband enjoyed the full scottish breakfast - each day I might add. The B&B is right beside a lovely park and quite close to the city - about ten minutes brisk walk to the Royal Mile. While staying with the Stuarts, my husband had a medical problem arise and Gloria and John were absolutely fantastic - Gloria taking us first to the Medical Centre close by and then secondly to the Royal Infirmary. Fortunately the medical problem turned out to be okay and we were able to continue with our travel as planned. Nothing was too much trouble for Gloria and John and they certainly looked after us very well and we were very appreciative of their assistance in an emergency. I would recommend their B&B very highly”.

We found the Stuart's B&B in September while in Edinburgh and could not have found a lovlier, more comfortable place to stay. The room was large, location is superb, and the Stuart's were very welcoming. Great amenities and little "extras" made the visit even better and we felt right at home. We will definitely return on our next trip!

My wife and I have stayed in B&Bs all over the world, and we found the Stuart's in Edinburgh one of the best. Jon and Gloria are cordial hosts who made us feel right at home and who went out of their way to ensure that our stay both in their B&B and in their lovely city were first rate.
Gloria's cooked breakfasts ( you have several choices) are delicious and filling. Our room had many amenities including heated towel racks and complimentary wine on our arrival. There is free internet access available in the common area.
The location is across the street from The Meadows at the University, an expansive green where people of all ages play chip-and-putt golf free. It is a pleasant 15 minute walk along the edge of The Meadows to the Old Town and Castle.
The next time we are in Eddinburgh we will definitely stay with the Stuarts again.

R. Brown, New Hampshire, USA