The Roseate Edinburgh

Walking down the cobbled streets of Edinburgh, with its grand mansions hung in fog; lit up from the inside with a warm glow of light, you might mistake yourself for being on a Harry Potter film set. The regal mansions that line the street where the Roseate Edinburgh (a homey hideaway) sits, just a hop, skip and jump from Haymarket station, display the same grandiose, if weathered, Victorian glory. It feels like a great privilege to get a glimpse into the history of what this graceful building once was, who lived there and how the devil they kept such a big house warm during the chilly winter months. 

It is this sense of mindful luxury and cosiness – of being welcomed into what feels like a (gently wealthy) distant relative’s wee abode – that the folks at the Dustane Houses do rather marvellously. The 16-bedroom mansion sits back just enough from the main road that you feel like you’re ensconced in a country manse, rather than a bolthole amid the capital’s hustle and bustle. The interiors – deep hues of blue, natural stone and heather tweed – feel plush, but never overwrought. The couple that own the houses are Scottish, so the decor and the menu in their small restaurant and lounge Dunstane, are inspired by North Sea island life. 

We’re shown to our room – the Scapa Suite – by a friendly member of staff, admiring the beautiful wooden staircase and bookcase full of rare editions as we go. The first thing we spy as we enter is the enormous copper bath tub, standing proudly by the four-poster bed. Then a jar of homemade shortbread (replenished daily, FYI) and a bottle of free fizz steal our attention. We polish off the latter with abandon, while filling up the giant tub and throwing the imminent threat of dehydration to the wind. After soaking a little too long, close to the point of combustion, we emerge lobster-red and fling ourselves onto the sumptuous bed, which is so big and soft that you can’t feel too sad you’re partner is beyond reach in it, because the opportunity to starfish is joyfully infinite.  

Hilariously, what we notice as we wriggle around, trying to reach a normal body temperature, is a giant mirror above us. The Scapa Suite, my friends, is the room for a slightly saucier, but eminently elegant, escape. After a dreamy sleep on a mountain of plump pillows, we wander down to the sun-filled lounge for a hearty breakfast. Fresh pastries, yoghurts and homemade jams are there for the taking, but we can’t resist the Scottish breakfast with Ayrshire bacon, local eggs, haggis, black pudding and a tattie scone, which we wash down with a pot of perfectly brewed coffee.

By this point, it’s time to take the plunge and leave the comfort of the house to walk off our breakfast. We stroll along the river pathway, right next to the hotel, stopping off at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art before moseying onwards to pretty Leith. If Edinburgh’s buoyant food and drink scene is part of what drew you here, be sure not to miss dinner at the beautiful Scandinavian-Scottish restaurant Timberyard, where you can sip on array of natural wines, to boot. Another must-try is 27 Elliot’s café: the perfect choice to experience neighbourhood life and try the tastiest salads known to mankind. And, if it’s a stiffer drink you’re after, Lucky Liquor – with its rotating list of 13 cocktails that change every 13 weeks – is your choice of poison.

But, I digress to the Roseate and its many charms. Now, this hideaway is a little far from the city-centre (around a 20-minute stroll), so if you want the Royal Mile on your doorstep this may not be the place for you. But, for your troubles you get delicious, homemade breakfasts with oodles of local produce, over 80 whiskies to try and a team who know their drams and beds you’ll never want to climb out of – a lovely slice of quiet luxury.