Drive to Edinburgh by car
As the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh enjoys easy access to the Scottish motorway network as does the Lothians, so it can be surprisingly quick and easy to get here by car.
If you're travelling from the north of Scotland, for example, Edinburgh is only 3 hours from Inverness and just over 2 hours from Aberdeen. Journey times from England are just as good; you can get here from Birmingham in about 5.5 hours, from Manchester and York in about 4 hours, and the city is just 2.5 hours from Newcastle.
Route planners
To help plan your journey, you might find the following websites useful.
Car parking in Edinburgh
A range of on-street and covered parking facilities are available across the city. Use the links below for details of
- pricing and the locations of 'pay and display' street parking
- off-street car park locations
- registering to pay for parking using your mobile phone
National Tourist Routes
Scotland has three National Tourist Routes that you can take to drive to Edinburgh. These are scenic alternatives to the main roads and motorways that are well signposted and easy to follow, with visitor attractions along the way.
If you’re coming from the north, take the Fife Coastal Route to experience 85 miles/136 km of spectacular coastal scenery and charming towns before arriving in Edinburgh. The Forth Valley Tourist Route runs from Stirling to the capital and en route takes stunning views of the mighty Forth road and rail bridges.
If you are travelling to Edinburgh from the south, take the Borders Historic Route to get to the city through royal market towns and impressive scenery.
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Edinburgh and the Lothians sits on the eastern side of Scotland's central belt, in the heart of the country.
