Inverleith comes from the Gaelic ‘inbhir Lite’, meaning ‘Mouth of Leith’. West of Leith and south of the New Town, the area was built around Inverleith House which is now part of the Royal Botanic Garden. Also home of Fettes College, famous alumni include Tony Blair (Prime Minister), David Murray (businessman), Tilda Swinton (actress) and James Bond (fictional character).
Characterised by a wealth of green space and parks, Inverleith is a mostly residential area. It is one of Edinburgh’s most exclusive areas with a number of detached Victorian and Edwardian houses. The area also has period apartments, mews houses and modern flats.
The Royal Botanic Garden is one of Edinburgh’s top attractions. Founded in 1670, its living collection boasts more than 13,000 plant species. In addition to the Royal Botanic Garden and Inverleith Park, the area also has numerous playing fields used by the city’s independent schools. The Edinburgh Academy, Fettes College, Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools and George Heriot’s all host their sporting events here.
The neighbourhood is a quick journey into the City Centre with excellent bus links and easy car routes to other parts of the city. If you have a car, most properties offer on-street parking. However, usually a permit is required. This can be arranged through the Edinburgh City Council.
There are a number of excellent local Primary Schools, including Broughton Primary School and Holy Cross RC Primary School. Inverleith is in the catchment area for Broughton High School, Drummond Community High School and St Thomas of Aquin’s RC High School, but is also in easy reach of a number of public schools including Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools, St George’s School for Girls, The Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College.
In between Edinburgh’s New Town (EH2 and EH3) and Trinity (EH6), Inverleith is also close to Stockbridge (EH4) and Leith (EH6).