Newhaven Harbour Edinburgh – Fish and chips by the sea

The Royal Yacht Britannia (at the Ocean Terminal shopping centre) is one of Edinburgh’s main tourist attractions, but not so many people know that a twenty-minute walk west (a mere 7 minutes on the bus) will take you to the quaint and rather cute Newhaven Harbour.

James IV of Scotland created it in 1504 to build the warship ‘Michael’, and, in the 19th century, it was the start of the route to New York via Glasgow. Well known for its oysters (until 1890), and once involved in whaling, it was Scottish folk songs about the herring business such as Caller Herring which first brought it to my attention. Fishing boats, including one I see regularly unloading its crab cargo, still work out of here supplying a warehouse where the catch is processed and a retail fishmonger, Welchs, which has an astonishing array of fresh and frozen seafood and associated goods.

Try taking a walk around the area. It projects into the sea with footpaths, breezy seating, a housing development, a leisure centre (with an outside pool), and a pool of protected water where you can see swans most of the year round (and cygnets in the Spring). It takes about an hour. There are also many restaurant outlets here, a climbing wall in an old church opposite, and cafes for drinks and snacks nearby.