You've climbed the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, eaten your weight in tablet and caught a comedy show you'll be quoting for weeks. Now you're back at base with the lid off the outdoor hot tub, and the only sound is the wood burner settling. That's the beauty of cottages near Edinburgh with hot tubs. Big city days, then a properly peaceful night.
Every stay we've picked has a hot tub.
The capital's surrounded by beautiful country for a hot tub holiday. West Lothian sits just past the airport, East Lothian has the beaches and the Bass Rock, and the Scottish Borders roll south over the Moorfoot Hills to Melrose, Kelso and Jedburgh. For the wider picture, see our hot tub cottages across Scotland.
Below, there are six top-rated picks from the cottages and lodges with hot tubs listed above, how far each area is from the city and the easiest ways in without hunting for a parking space. Then come the things worth planning a getaway around.
Where are the best cottages near Edinburgh with hot tubs?
It depends what you want from the trip. If the city's the main event, stay west, where trains and the tram get you in fast. Rather explore abbeys and hill walks and only nip into Edinburgh once? Head south into the Borders, while East Lothian sits in between, with the bonus of sand.
| Base | Distance from Edinburgh | Getting into the city | Good for |
|---|
| Winchburgh, West Lothian | About 7 miles | Station 3 miles away, or Ingliston park and ride with the tram | Festival trips, big groups with dogs |
| Heriot, Moorfoot Hills | About 14 miles | Borders Railway from Stow | Large groups, walkers, mountain bikers |
| Linlithgow, West Lothian | About 18 miles | Direct trains from Linlithgow, 3 miles away | Families, fishing, Glasgow too |
| Dunbar, East Lothian | About 28 miles | Trains from Dunbar, 5.5 miles away | Beaches and seabirds |
| Westruther, Berwickshire | About 28 miles | Drive, or park free at Stow for the Borders Railway | Luxury celebrations, level access |
| Jedburgh, Roxburghshire | About 48 miles | Drive, or the Borders Railway from Tweedbank | Couples who want real peace |
Winchburgh and Heriot distances come from the owners, and the rest are straight-line miles from the city centre, so allow a bit more by road.
Six Edinburgh cottages with hot tubs we'd book first
All six are rated 4.6 or higher by guests, three are dog friendly, and they're listed from closest to furthest.
Rating:
5.0
Pets: Yes
Guests: 10 | Bedrooms 6 | Bathrooms 5
About the house:
A detached house set on a working equestrian centre, with Shetland ponies in the paddocks next door. There's a wood burner, a games room, five bathrooms and an enclosed garden. You can even bring your horse!
Why you'll love it:
It's the closest stay to the city here, about 7 miles out with a station 3 miles away. South Queensferry's inns, cafés and restaurants are 2.5 miles down the road, and up to three dogs are welcome.
Cottage Info
Rating:
5.0
Pets: No
Guests: 12 | Bedrooms 6 | Bathrooms 3
About the house:
A big detached house in the Moorfoot Hills, on the northern edge of the Scottish Borders. Patio doors lead from the open-plan living space to a decked terrace, and there's a wood burner, a BBQ and a games room with pool and air hockey.
Why you'll love it:
Twelve can stay, Edinburgh is 14 miles away with trains from Stow, and Melrose and Galashiels are both within 20 miles. It's a perfect base for a big birthday getaway, with forest trails for exploring from the door.
Cottage Info
Rating:
4.6
Pets: Yes
Guests: 6 | Bedrooms 3 | Bathrooms 3
About the cottage:
A modern, semi-detached place on the edge of a family-run fishery with two stocked lochs, 2 miles from the royal burgh of Linlithgow. There's a ground floor double bedroom, an ensuite upstairs and countryside views from the lounge and kitchen.
Why you'll love it:
Linlithgow station, 3 miles away, has direct trains to Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel are a short drive, and one dog can come too.
Cottage Info
Rating:
4.8
Pets: No
Guests: 8 | Bedrooms 5 | Bathrooms 2
About the bungalow:
A detached bungalow set on working farmland, 5.5 miles from Dunbar and 3 miles from the coast. You'll get countryside views from the open-plan kitchen and lounge, a wood burner for cool evenings and a BBQ for warm ones.
Why you'll love it:
Belhaven Bay is 7 miles off and John Muir Country Park 8, so a beach morning followed by an afternoon to relax in the hot tub is easy. Eight guests suits two families sharing.
Cottage Info
Rating:
4.9
Pets: Yes
Guests: 10 | Bedrooms 5 | Bathrooms 5
About the house:
A luxurious 5-star church conversion in the Berwickshire village of Westruther, with vaulted ceilings, stained glass and the original staircase. All five bedrooms are ensuite, the kitchen's fully equipped right down to a wine cooler, and 6.5m sliding doors open onto the garden and private hot tub.
Why you'll love it:
Level access, two ground floor bedrooms and a separate wet room make it great for mixed-age groups and special occasions. Dogs are welcome and there's EV charging.
Cottage Info
Rating:
5.0
Pets: No
Guests: 2 | Bedrooms 1 | Bathrooms 1
About the cottage:
An award-winning retreat for two on a remote working farm, 5 miles from Jedburgh. Everything's on one level, with a wood burner, a walk-in shower and zip and link beds that make a super king.
Why you'll love it:
The enclosed garden has a BBQ and a private hot tub with room for four, the water comes from a spring, and your only neighbours are horses and farm animals. It's the perfect escape when you want to leave the world behind for a few days.
Cottage Info
Can you get into Edinburgh without driving?
Yes, and you'll be glad of it in August, when city centre parking's a headache. Trains and buses drop you close to Princes Street, the Old Town and the path up Arthur's Seat.
- Ingliston park and ride by the airport has free parking, with trams and buses into town. Lothian Buses says there's no parking from 2am to 4am.
- Hermiston, Sheriffhall and Wallyford are free, open 24 hours and served by buses.
- The Borders Railway runs from Tweedbank to Waverley in under an hour, via Galashiels and Stow, with free parking at Tweedbank and Stow.
- Linlithgow and Dunbar both have direct trains into Waverley.
Heading to a late Fringe show? Check the last train home before you book.
Scottish Borders cottages with hot tubs: abbeys, walks and the Tweed
South of the city, the Borders is where most people end up staying longer than they planned. Start at Melrose Abbey, the red sandstone ruin where a small memorial marks the spot believed to hold Robert the Bruce's heart, and look up for the bagpipe-playing pig carved into the walls. Historic Environment Scotland runs short expert talks at 2.30pm and 3.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Afterwards, take a stroll through the little town before heading back for a soak.
A few more local favourites:
- Abbotsford, the house Sir Walter Scott built beside the Tweed, lists opening from 10am to 5pm daily, with last entry at 4pm.
- St Cuthbert's Way leaves Melrose and climbs straight over the Eildon Hills, a stiff half day before a long soak.
- Glentress 7stanes, near Peebles, has some of Scotland's best-known mountain bike trails.
- From Jedburgh or Kelso, it's easy to nip over the border into Northumberland for its beaches and castles.
East Lothian beaches, the Bass Rock and the Pentlands
Out east, the Bass Rock is home to the world's largest colony of northern gannets, and in the breeding season it turns white with birds. Watch them on the live cameras in the Discovery Experience at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, or take one of its seasonal boat trips round the rock. Belhaven Bay and John Muir Country Park near Dunbar are wide, sandy and great for a blowy walk, and you'll find more self catering accommodation across East Lothian if you'd like to be nearer the sea.
Closer in, Pentland Hills Regional Park starts barely past the bypass. Park at Flotterstone on the A702 and an easy 2.5 mile path follows the burn up to Glencorse Reservoir. Fitter legs can carry on to Scald Law, the highest point at 579m.
West of the city, Linlithgow Palace was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, though the king's bedchamber and court kitchen are closed for conservation work. You'll find more holiday homes in West Lothian, close to the Forth bridges at South Queensferry.
Festivals, Hogmanay and frosty nights: when to go
August is festival month, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 6 to 30 August 2027, its 80th edition. Book cottages near Edinburgh with hot tubs early for those weeks, especially the bigger houses.
Winter's when a hot tub really earns its keep. There are the Christmas lights, the Hogmanay street party on 31 December, and clear, frosty nights out in the Borders where the sky's properly dark. You'll see far more stars than you ever will from Princes Street!
Spring and autumn are quieter and just as beautiful, with the gannets back on the Bass Rock from spring and the Tweed valley woods turning gold in October.
Whenever you travel, it's worth staying in a cottage with a hot tub booked early for school holidays and long weekends. Fancy going further? There's plenty more in Fife and Perthshire, both an easy drive over the Forth, where you can enjoy the same mix of hills, coast and a warm soak at the end of the day.