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AnyOnly three miles from Edinburgh city centre and home of the world-famous Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh-Leith cruise terminal is the perfect place to start a cruise from the heart of Scotland’s cultural hub. Cruise ships arrive in the early morning and leave in the evening giving you plenty of time to make the journey or see the local area before boarding the ship. A popular option for those looking for cruises from Scotland, from here you can sail to a myriad of extraordinary destinations.
A variety of cruise lines offer cruises from Leith, including Oceania Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Scenic and Ambassador Cruise Line. Sailing to destinations from the British Isles to Northern Europe, North America and beyond, Edinburgh cruises are ideal for anyone living near to the city that are seeking a stress-free, no-fly cruise.
Accommodating up to two-medium sized ships, Edinburgh’s Port of Leith is easily accessible to those travelling in from the city. Whilst the cruise terminal is quite small, it has everything you require for a comfortable start to your cruise getaway, with a seating area, toilets, Wi-Fi and an onsite café.
The Ocean Terminal is also within easy reach; a waterfront mall with a wide selection of dining options, a cinema and more.
Address: Edinburgh Cruise Port Terminal, 100 Ocean Drive, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ, United Kingdom
Leith is easy to get to due to its proximity to Edinburgh. Just outside the main city, it is well connected yet traffic free most of the time, with good signage. From the south it’s best to take the A702 from the west before joining the A1 up the coast and around the city centre to Leith. From the east approach via Newcastle and keep heading up the a1. From here, keep heading north as the road becomes the A199 and on to Leith. From Glasgow and western Scotland take the M8 and then A90 to go north of the city centre. Meanwhile from northern Scotland take the M90 over the Queensferry Bridge.
Edinburgh train stations are well connected to Glasgow and wider Scotland and further south to England. London to Edinburgh is about 5 hours with a possible connection via York. Once in Edinburgh a taxi to Leith is around 15 minutes to the terminal with a convenient taxi rank by the terminal for loading and unloading luggage. Also, regular buses from the city bus station take around 20 minutes.
In addition, Edinburgh airport is about a 30 minutes' drive to the cruise terminal with connections all over Europe.
There is a pick-up and drop-off zone outside the terminal as well as a long stay car park for up to 450 vehicles. Follow the clearly-posted signs as you approach the cruise port. Alongside the long stay car park, there’s several other car parks surrounding the port, offering flexibility for those that wish to explore the surrounding area ahead of embarking on their cruise.
A vibrant port district, Leith boasts a variety of attractions, from the aforementioned Royal Yacht Britannia and Ocean Terminal Shopping Mall to the Leith East Breakwater Lighthouse and the Port of Leith Distillery. For hotels there are plenty of options in Leith, including directly around the waterfront, or Edinburgh itself.
In nearby Edinburgh there is Edinburgh castle with a nightly military tattoo during August as part of the Edinburgh Festival, the old town with the Royal Mile leading to Holyrood, the National Museum of Scotland and King Arthur’s Seat.
