Edinburgh
Sex Contacts in Edinburgh: Meet Up, Then the Last Tram
Old Town, New Town or Leith: pick your spot, know the last tram and the midnight NightBus, and keep your own way home.
Edinburgh by area
Meeting in Edinburgh: six areas, from the Old Town to the coast
Edinburgh rewards a plan. Princes Street Gardens divide the historic centre in two, Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill rise over it, and the last trams leave either end before midnight. Pick an area, agree how each of you gets there, and fix the way home before you fix the time.
- Old Town and Grassmarket
- The Grassmarket lies to the south-west, at the base of the Castle Rock. On the Royal Mile, the High Street fills with crowds during the Fringe, and the summer festivals run from mid-July to the end of August, so allow extra time.
- New Town and George Street
- Georgian and planned, across Princes Street Gardens from the Old Town. Many George Street buildings are now restaurants, coffee shops and bars, and the tram stops on Princes Street.
- Stockbridge
- North of the centre, bounded by the New Town and Comely Bank. The Water of Leith Walkway runs through it, with Dean Village upstream and Leith downstream.
- Leith
- The old port, at the mouth of the Water of Leith. The tram reached Leith and Newhaven in June 2023, so it is the simple way there, provided you catch the last one back at 23:56.
- Portobello
- A coastal suburb three miles east of the centre, facing the Firth of Forth, with a promenade and a wide sandy beach. Far enough out that the way back needs working out first.
- The Southside
- Marchmont, Morningside, Newington and the Grange are residential. The Meadows, a large public park to the south, is an easy daytime meeting point.
A safe first meet
Five steps to a first meet that goes to plan
Pick a public spot
Princes Street Gardens are two public parks in the Castle’s shadow. Calton Hill gives the view. Police Scotland’s advice: choose a public place, go in daylight and bring a friend along.
Plan the route
Edinburgh climbs, so a short hop on the map can be a proper walk. Trains arrive at Waverley, the terminus for most London King’s Cross services, or Haymarket. Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams share tickets, and trams come as often as every 7 minutes by day and every 10 in the evenings.
Settle it in the messages
Agree the place, the time and when you will each head home while you are still chatting on the site. Say whether you want a one-off or a regular: our casual fling page and one night stand guide cover both.
Keep the last leg in your own hands
Edinburgh Trams’ last departures are 22:52 from the Airport and 23:56 from Newhaven. Lothian Buses’ NightBus runs from midnight until 4.30am across Edinburgh and the Lothians, so look up the route and the night on its own page before you rely on it.
Book the taxi properly
A City of Edinburgh Council report of 30 January 2026 sets out Scotland’s rule, which comes from the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982: only a taxi may collect you in a public place without a booking, a private hire car must be booked in advance, and the council treats one that collects at a rank as breaching its licence conditions.
Sexual health
Where to get tested in Edinburgh
Chalmers Sexual Health Centre
NHS inform’s Scotland’s Service Directory lists it first for the City of Edinburgh, on Chalmers Street, with HIV testing and STI testing and treatment. Its own site says several bus routes stop at the door and both main stations are about a 20-minute walk.
A routine test
With no symptoms, NHS Lothian’s sexual health site offers face-to-face appointments, booked online or by phone. NHS inform says to get tested at no charge, and that services vary with where you live.
Visiting from outside Scotland
NHS Lothian says visitors who do not live in Scotland may be able to get urgent or emergency sexual health services from its team. These are NHS Scotland services, and the NHS clinic finder for England does not cover them. For anything else, see our guide to STI testing in the UK.
Coming in
If you live outside Edinburgh
Towns within easy reach include Dalkeith, Livingston and Dunfermline, and Lothian Buses’ NightBus page lists routes to:
- Musselburgh
- Bonnyrigg
- Penicuik
- Balerno
- Dunbar
- North Berwick
- Bathgate
Before you go: Edinburgh questions
How do I get home late in Edinburgh?
Trams leave the Airport for the last time at 22:52 and Newhaven at 23:56, and Lothian Buses’ NightBus services run from midnight until 4.30am. A taxi can be hailed or taken from a rank, but a private hire car has to be pre-booked, so order it before you need it.
Where can I get tested in Edinburgh?
Chalmers Sexual Health Centre is listed first for the City of Edinburgh in NHS inform’s directory, with STI and HIV testing, and NHS Lothian offers routine appointments when you have no symptoms. Testing is at no charge.
Is it safe to meet in Edinburgh city centre?
Choose a public place in daylight. Princes Street Gardens, two public parks under the Castle, are an easy place to name. Tell a friend where you are, and allow extra time in festival season. The safety page lists what the site does too.
What if I live outside Edinburgh?
NightBus routes cover Musselburgh, Bonnyrigg, Penicuik, Balerno, Dunbar, North Berwick and Bathgate, so tell your match which town you are coming from and pick a spot you can both get to. Others see only your nearest town or city, never your address. Coming from the west? See our Glasgow guide or the rest of our city guides.
Look after yourself afterwards
For a test or advice after a meet, start with Chalmers Sexual Health Centre or another service in NHS inform’s directory.
Plan it in the chat
Join, add your town and agree the details in the messages, long before the first hill.
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