The Lothians
Beaches, links golf and castles along the East Lothian coast, with Linlithgow and Roslin inland, and Edinburgh a short train ride from most of it.
(Fig. A) The East Lothian coastTourism plays its part across all three councils.
Tourism supports around one in eight jobs in East Lothian.1
Golf, festivals and the sea, with Edinburgh a short train ride away.
The golf season runs from spring to autumn, with the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in July, puffins and gannets off North Berwick and Fringe by the Sea in summer, and jumps racing at Musselburgh through the winter. Musselburgh is around 7 minutes from Edinburgh Waverley by train, Dunbar around 26 and North Berwick around 33, so the capital’s festivals and Hogmanay are an easy trip. 19
- JanNew Year’s Day racing, Musselburgh
- Jan to MarJumps racing, Musselburgh
- Apr to JulPuffins and gannets off North Berwick
- Apr to SepLinks golf season
- JunLinlithgow Marches
- JulGenesis Scottish Open
- Jul to AugFringe by the Sea
- AugEdinburgh’s festivals nearby
- SepLammermuir Festival
- Nov to DecWinterfest, Dalkeith Country Park
- Nov to DecWinter jumps racing
- DecHogmanay in Edinburgh
Coast, castles and commuter towns.
The Bass RockThe Scottish Seabird Centre, boat trips to the Bass Rock, North Berwick Law and Tantallon Castle, with its own station on the line to Edinburgh.
Bright and breezy, full of families in summer and golfers for much of the year.
The East Lothian coastLinks golf, with Muirfield the host of 16 Open Championships, and long sandy beaches. Drem is the nearest station.
Peaceful links country, with golfers, walkers and championship crowds.
On the harbour wall, DunbarJohn Muir’s Birthplace, the Cliff Top Trail, Dunbar Castle and surfing at Belhaven Bay, with a station on the East Coast Main Line. Two links courses, Dunbar and Winterfield, sit right on the shore.
A quiet coastal town, with walkers, surfers and visitors on the John Muir Way.
Racing at Musselburgh RacecourseMusselburgh Racecourse and Newhailes, which had almost 400,000 visits in 2025, with a station on the line into the city.
Busy on race days, otherwise a calm base close to the city.
St Michael’s Parish Church, beside the palaceLinlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, and one of the busiest stations in the Lothians, on the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Historic and well connected, with visitors exploring both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Rosslyn ChapelRosslyn Chapel, founded in 1446, Dalkeith Country Park and the National Mining Museum, with Eskbank and Newtongrange stations on the Borders Railway.
Countryside on the city's edge, popular with walkers and families.
These are the towns guests ask for most, not the only places we cover. If your home is anywhere in East Lothian, Midlothian or West Lothian, we would like to hear about it.
Three councils, each with its own approach.
Each of the three Lothian councils runs short-term let licensing its own way, from how licences are granted to how long they last. We know the differences, and we handle them for you.7
Licensing opens. New hosts need a licence before taking any bookings.13
East Lothian updates its short-term let policy.7
East Lothian’s consultation on a 5% visitor levy closes. No decision has been made.12
Four ways to let, set by how the home is used.
Every short let here needs a licence before the first guest. Which one depends on how you use the home, so we start there.
A home to let
A second home or a property nobody lives in, let to guests through the year.
Rooms to spare
Spare rooms in the home you live in, let to guests while you are there.
While you are away
Your own home, let while you travel, work away or spend the summer elsewhere.
A little of both
Your own home, let whether you are in or away, as life allows.
We confirm the right path with you before anything is submitted. How licensing works →
Three councils, one team handling it for you.
A home in North Berwick, Dalkeith or Linlithgow falls under a different council, each with its own policy. We work out what applies, handle the licence as part of our full management service, and run every stay so that small towns and villages stay good places to live.
- 01Assess your home and what it needs
- 02Handle the paperwork for you
- 03Get the home ready to the right standard
- 04Track levies, rule changes and renewals
Small towns notice good guests.
In a seaside village or a market town, every stay is noticed. We vet every guest, keep quiet hours and look after each home so that neighbours barely know a stay is happening.
- 01Licensed firstEvery home licensed, certified and insured before the first guest.
- 02Neighbour consciousQuiet hours, noise monitoring and clear house rules on every stay.
- 03Guests vettedID checks, review history and deposits, with no parties or events.
- 04Local and accountableA local team looking after every home, day and night.
Strong from spring to late summer.
Market averages count every listing, run well or not, so we do not quote them. What matters is how demand moves through the year here, and how a well-run home performs across it. We model that for your home before you decide.
Across the homes we manage, average occupancy runs at 85 to 95 per cent, depending on location and the type of home.
Illustrative only. The shape shows how demand typically moves through the year, not data for any single home.
- 01VisitScotland: Edinburgh and the Lothians, regional tourism figures
- 02Office of Rail and Road: Estimates of station usage, April 2024 to March 2025
- 03ALVA: Visits made in 2025 to visitor attractions in membership with ALVA
- 04Traffic Scotland: Genesis Scottish Open, North Berwick
- 05Fringe by the Sea, North Berwick
- 06Lammermuir Festival: 2026 programme
- 07East Lothian Council: Short-term let policy review, June 2026
- 08Midlothian Council: Short-term lets policy, October 2022
- 09West Lothian Council: Short-term let policy
- 10West Lothian Council: Do I need planning permission for a short-term let?
- 11Scottish Government: Short-term lets licensing statistics to 31 December 2025
- 12East Lothian Council: Visitor levy consultation
- 13Scottish Government: Short-term lets licensing scheme
- 14VisitScotland: Things to do in East Lothian
- 15Historic Environment Scotland: Linlithgow Palace
- 16Rosslyn Chapel
- 17Muirfield, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers
- 18Musselburgh Racecourse
- 19East Lothian Council: Rail journey time comparison
Tell us about your property.
We’ll show you what it could earn.
Share a few details and we will send a realistic revenue estimate, with the licensing steps your home will need.
Get your free estimate→
Let your property work harder.
Tell us about your property and we will send you a realistic revenue estimate.
Menu
The Lothians
Beaches, links golf and castles along the East Lothian coast, with Linlithgow and Roslin inland, and Edinburgh a short train ride from most of it.
(Fig. A) The East Lothian coastTourism plays its part across all three councils.
Tourism supports around one in eight jobs in East Lothian.1
Golf, festivals and the sea, with Edinburgh a short train ride away.
The golf season runs from spring to autumn, with the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in July, puffins and gannets off North Berwick and Fringe by the Sea in summer, and jumps racing at Musselburgh through the winter. Musselburgh is around 7 minutes from Edinburgh Waverley by train, Dunbar around 26 and North Berwick around 33, so the capital’s festivals and Hogmanay are an easy trip. 19
- JanNew Year’s Day racing, Musselburgh
- Jan to MarJumps racing, Musselburgh
- Apr to JulPuffins and gannets off North Berwick
- Apr to SepLinks golf season
- JunLinlithgow Marches
- JulGenesis Scottish Open
- Jul to AugFringe by the Sea
- AugEdinburgh’s festivals nearby
- SepLammermuir Festival
- Nov to DecWinterfest, Dalkeith Country Park
- Nov to DecWinter jumps racing
- DecHogmanay in Edinburgh
Coast, castles and commuter towns.
The Bass RockThe Scottish Seabird Centre, boat trips to the Bass Rock, North Berwick Law and Tantallon Castle, with its own station on the line to Edinburgh.
Bright and breezy, full of families in summer and golfers for much of the year.
The East Lothian coastLinks golf, with Muirfield the host of 16 Open Championships, and long sandy beaches. Drem is the nearest station.
Peaceful links country, with golfers, walkers and championship crowds.
On the harbour wall, DunbarJohn Muir’s Birthplace, the Cliff Top Trail, Dunbar Castle and surfing at Belhaven Bay, with a station on the East Coast Main Line. Two links courses, Dunbar and Winterfield, sit right on the shore.
A quiet coastal town, with walkers, surfers and visitors on the John Muir Way.
Racing at Musselburgh RacecourseMusselburgh Racecourse and Newhailes, which had almost 400,000 visits in 2025, with a station on the line into the city.
Busy on race days, otherwise a calm base close to the city.
St Michael’s Parish Church, beside the palaceLinlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, and one of the busiest stations in the Lothians, on the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Historic and well connected, with visitors exploring both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Rosslyn ChapelRosslyn Chapel, founded in 1446, Dalkeith Country Park and the National Mining Museum, with Eskbank and Newtongrange stations on the Borders Railway.
Countryside on the city's edge, popular with walkers and families.
These are the towns guests ask for most, not the only places we cover. If your home is anywhere in East Lothian, Midlothian or West Lothian, we would like to hear about it.
Three councils, each with its own approach.
Each of the three Lothian councils runs short-term let licensing its own way, from how licences are granted to how long they last. We know the differences, and we handle them for you.7
Licensing opens. New hosts need a licence before taking any bookings.13
East Lothian updates its short-term let policy.7
East Lothian’s consultation on a 5% visitor levy closes. No decision has been made.12
Four ways to let, set by how the home is used.
Every short let here needs a licence before the first guest. Which one depends on how you use the home, so we start there.
A home to let
A second home or a property nobody lives in, let to guests through the year.
Rooms to spare
Spare rooms in the home you live in, let to guests while you are there.
While you are away
Your own home, let while you travel, work away or spend the summer elsewhere.
A little of both
Your own home, let whether you are in or away, as life allows.
We confirm the right path with you before anything is submitted. How licensing works →
Three councils, one team handling it for you.
A home in North Berwick, Dalkeith or Linlithgow falls under a different council, each with its own policy. We work out what applies, handle the licence as part of our full management service, and run every stay so that small towns and villages stay good places to live.
- 01Assess your home and what it needs
- 02Handle the paperwork for you
- 03Get the home ready to the right standard
- 04Track levies, rule changes and renewals
Small towns notice good guests.
In a seaside village or a market town, every stay is noticed. We vet every guest, keep quiet hours and look after each home so that neighbours barely know a stay is happening.
- 01Licensed firstEvery home licensed, certified and insured before the first guest.
- 02Neighbour consciousQuiet hours, noise monitoring and clear house rules on every stay.
- 03Guests vettedID checks, review history and deposits, with no parties or events.
- 04Local and accountableA local team looking after every home, day and night.
Strong from spring to late summer.
Market averages count every listing, run well or not, so we do not quote them. What matters is how demand moves through the year here, and how a well-run home performs across it. We model that for your home before you decide.
Across the homes we manage, average occupancy runs at 85 to 95 per cent, depending on location and the type of home.
Illustrative only. The shape shows how demand typically moves through the year, not data for any single home.
- 01VisitScotland: Edinburgh and the Lothians, regional tourism figures
- 02Office of Rail and Road: Estimates of station usage, April 2024 to March 2025
- 03ALVA: Visits made in 2025 to visitor attractions in membership with ALVA
- 04Traffic Scotland: Genesis Scottish Open, North Berwick
- 05Fringe by the Sea, North Berwick
- 06Lammermuir Festival: 2026 programme
- 07East Lothian Council: Short-term let policy review, June 2026
- 08Midlothian Council: Short-term lets policy, October 2022
- 09West Lothian Council: Short-term let policy
- 10West Lothian Council: Do I need planning permission for a short-term let?
- 11Scottish Government: Short-term lets licensing statistics to 31 December 2025
- 12East Lothian Council: Visitor levy consultation
- 13Scottish Government: Short-term lets licensing scheme
- 14VisitScotland: Things to do in East Lothian
- 15Historic Environment Scotland: Linlithgow Palace
- 16Rosslyn Chapel
- 17Muirfield, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers
- 18Musselburgh Racecourse
- 19East Lothian Council: Rail journey time comparison
Tell us about your property.
We’ll show you what it could earn.
Share a few details and we will send a realistic revenue estimate, with the licensing steps your home will need.
Get your free estimate→Let your property work harder.
Tell us about your property and we will send you a realistic revenue estimate.
Menu
The Lothians
Beaches, links golf and castles along the East Lothian coast, with Linlithgow and Roslin inland, and Edinburgh a short train ride from most of it.
(Fig. A) The East Lothian coastTourism plays its part across all three councils.
Tourism supports around one in eight jobs in East Lothian.1
Golf, festivals and the sea, with Edinburgh a short train ride away.
The golf season runs from spring to autumn, with the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in July, puffins and gannets off North Berwick and Fringe by the Sea in summer, and jumps racing at Musselburgh through the winter. Musselburgh is around 7 minutes from Edinburgh Waverley by train, Dunbar around 26 and North Berwick around 33, so the capital’s festivals and Hogmanay are an easy trip. 19
- JanNew Year’s Day racing, Musselburgh
- Jan to MarJumps racing, Musselburgh
- Apr to JulPuffins and gannets off North Berwick
- Apr to SepLinks golf season
- JunLinlithgow Marches
- JulGenesis Scottish Open
- Jul to AugFringe by the Sea
- AugEdinburgh’s festivals nearby
- SepLammermuir Festival
- Nov to DecWinterfest, Dalkeith Country Park
- Nov to DecWinter jumps racing
- DecHogmanay in Edinburgh
Coast, castles and commuter towns.
The Bass RockThe Scottish Seabird Centre, boat trips to the Bass Rock, North Berwick Law and Tantallon Castle, with its own station on the line to Edinburgh.
Bright and breezy, full of families in summer and golfers for much of the year.
The East Lothian coastLinks golf, with Muirfield the host of 16 Open Championships, and long sandy beaches. Drem is the nearest station.
Peaceful links country, with golfers, walkers and championship crowds.
On the harbour wall, DunbarJohn Muir’s Birthplace, the Cliff Top Trail, Dunbar Castle and surfing at Belhaven Bay, with a station on the East Coast Main Line. Two links courses, Dunbar and Winterfield, sit right on the shore.
A quiet coastal town, with walkers, surfers and visitors on the John Muir Way.
Racing at Musselburgh RacecourseMusselburgh Racecourse and Newhailes, which had almost 400,000 visits in 2025, with a station on the line into the city.
Busy on race days, otherwise a calm base close to the city.
St Michael’s Parish Church, beside the palaceLinlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, and one of the busiest stations in the Lothians, on the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Historic and well connected, with visitors exploring both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Rosslyn ChapelRosslyn Chapel, founded in 1446, Dalkeith Country Park and the National Mining Museum, with Eskbank and Newtongrange stations on the Borders Railway.
Countryside on the city's edge, popular with walkers and families.
These are the towns guests ask for most, not the only places we cover. If your home is anywhere in East Lothian, Midlothian or West Lothian, we would like to hear about it.
Three councils, each with its own approach.
Each of the three Lothian councils runs short-term let licensing its own way, from how licences are granted to how long they last. We know the differences, and we handle them for you.7
Licensing opens. New hosts need a licence before taking any bookings.13
East Lothian updates its short-term let policy.7
East Lothian’s consultation on a 5% visitor levy closes. No decision has been made.12
Four ways to let, set by how the home is used.
Every short let here needs a licence before the first guest. Which one depends on how you use the home, so we start there.
A home to let
A second home or a property nobody lives in, let to guests through the year.
Rooms to spare
Spare rooms in the home you live in, let to guests while you are there.
While you are away
Your own home, let while you travel, work away or spend the summer elsewhere.
A little of both
Your own home, let whether you are in or away, as life allows.
We confirm the right path with you before anything is submitted. How licensing works →
Three councils, one team handling it for you.
A home in North Berwick, Dalkeith or Linlithgow falls under a different council, each with its own policy. We work out what applies, handle the licence as part of our full management service, and run every stay so that small towns and villages stay good places to live.
- 01Assess your home and what it needs
- 02Handle the paperwork for you
- 03Get the home ready to the right standard
- 04Track levies, rule changes and renewals
Small towns notice good guests.
In a seaside village or a market town, every stay is noticed. We vet every guest, keep quiet hours and look after each home so that neighbours barely know a stay is happening.
- 01Licensed firstEvery home licensed, certified and insured before the first guest.
- 02Neighbour consciousQuiet hours, noise monitoring and clear house rules on every stay.
- 03Guests vettedID checks, review history and deposits, with no parties or events.
- 04Local and accountableA local team looking after every home, day and night.
Strong from spring to late summer.
Market averages count every listing, run well or not, so we do not quote them. What matters is how demand moves through the year here, and how a well-run home performs across it. We model that for your home before you decide.
Across the homes we manage, average occupancy runs at 85 to 95 per cent, depending on location and the type of home.
Illustrative only. The shape shows how demand typically moves through the year, not data for any single home.
- 01VisitScotland: Edinburgh and the Lothians, regional tourism figures
- 02Office of Rail and Road: Estimates of station usage, April 2024 to March 2025
- 03ALVA: Visits made in 2025 to visitor attractions in membership with ALVA
- 04Traffic Scotland: Genesis Scottish Open, North Berwick
- 05Fringe by the Sea, North Berwick
- 06Lammermuir Festival: 2026 programme
- 07East Lothian Council: Short-term let policy review, June 2026
- 08Midlothian Council: Short-term lets policy, October 2022
- 09West Lothian Council: Short-term let policy
- 10West Lothian Council: Do I need planning permission for a short-term let?
- 11Scottish Government: Short-term lets licensing statistics to 31 December 2025
- 12East Lothian Council: Visitor levy consultation
- 13Scottish Government: Short-term lets licensing scheme
- 14VisitScotland: Things to do in East Lothian
- 15Historic Environment Scotland: Linlithgow Palace
- 16Rosslyn Chapel
- 17Muirfield, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers
- 18Musselburgh Racecourse
- 19East Lothian Council: Rail journey time comparison
Tell us about your property.
We’ll show you what it could earn.
Share a few details and we will send a realistic revenue estimate, with the licensing steps your home will need.
Get your free estimate→Let your property work harder.
Tell us about your property and we will send you a realistic revenue estimate.