10 Best Breweries in Sands

"There are three storeys to this Grassmarket bar, including a rooftop terrace that’s perfect for summertime drinking. Born from a desire to move past hipsterism-for-the-sake-of-hipsterism, Cold Town House dedicates itself to pretence-free pizza, beer and prosecco. They also have their own lager and pale ale (OK, that sounds a little hipster), and you can watch the brewing process through floor-to-ceiling windows on the bar’s first floor."

"Situated below Edinburgh Castle, Cold Town House is one of the best places to celebrate Hogmanay. Alongside a gorgeous roof terrace offering you prime views of the fireworks, this Grassmarket bar and restaurant will be serving up Neapolitan pizza, craft beer and plenty of prosecco all night long."

"This craft beer haven has a great atmosphere, offering a wide selection of both their own famous BrewDog beers in addition to a few guest names. The stainless steel and exposed brickwork of their Cowgate location gives the bar a funky industrial feel, which offers a nice alternative in an otherwise heavily influenced rock bar area in the heart of the Old Town. BrewDog's Lothian Road bar sits in what used to be a Clydesdale Bank - it's now home to 20 taps of craft beer and a killer take-away selection kept in chilled fridges."

"Brew Dog was established in 2007 by two young men who were passionate about craft beer and tired of uninspiring industrially produced beers and ales. They began to brew headline grabbing beers such as Tactical Nuclear Penguin (with an astonishing 32% ABV) and Sink the Bismarck (an incredible 41% ABV -the result of a beer arms race between Germany and Scotland). They opened their first bar in Aberdeen in 2010 and the following year opened a Brew Dog pub in the heart of Edinburgh which quickly became a local sensation."

"Brewdog is a popular anti-mainstream Scottish brewery, established in 2007. Its Edinburgh HQ is a former karaoke bar, renovated with stainless steel fixtures, reclaimed furniture and lots of exposed brickwork. Basically, it’s one of the coolest stag party bars in the Old Town."

"Perhaps a controversial choice as an essential Edinburgh craft beer, given that Paolozzi, the Edinburgh Beer Factory's flagship brew, only launched on October 18 - but in that short time, the crisp, sparkling lager has gained enviable comparisons (in our local bottle shop, anyway) to Munich's much-revered Augustiner Hell. Perhaps such a success straight off the mark is due to the wealth of experience behind it - the EBF is headed up by John Dunsmore, former boss of both Tennent’s owner C&C Group and macro brewing plc Scottish & Newcastle. Of course, the beautifully-labelled bottle (sporting designs by Leith-born Pop Art figurehead Eduardo Paolozzi) makes it a lovely drink to be seen holding as well."

"If you’re planning a road trip of Scotland we suggest celebrating your arrival into Edinburgh Airport by immediately sipping suds at Edinburgh Beer Factory. The brewery is located a short 8 minute drive from Edinburgh Airport, making it the perfect first or last stop on a Scottish beer tour. Edinburgh Beer Factory first opened in November 2015."

"Founded and operated by veteran brewer Andrew Barnett in the Summerhall former vet school, and on the site of the historic Summerhall Brewery (demolished circa 1913), Barney’s is a micro-brewery literally rooted in tradition. There’s no pasteurisation or filtration in the process, which is 100% natural. All of Barney's beers – including the humbly-named Good Ordinary Pale Ale plus a lager, a red beer and a dark porter – are cask-conditioned or bottle-conditioned."

"Barney’s Beer is a craft brewery located at the southeast corner of Edinburgh’s Meadows in Summerhall. Ranked as one of the best Edinburgh breweries, Barney’s Beer is housed in the stables of the city’s old vet school. Barney (Andrew Barnett) started working in his hometown brewery in Wolverhampton back in 1983 at 16 and has been in the industry ever since."

"Barney’s Beer offers public and private tours|Courtesy of Barney’s Beer. Housed at Summerhall in a former vet school’s stables, Barney’s has been brewing for the people of Edinburgh since 2010. The use of the Summerhall site as a brewery actually predates its use as veterinary college."

"When it comes to humble beginnings, Paul Gibson certainly takes a top spot. His home-grown brewing project began in his garage out of a green VW called Olive. After heading out on the road across the UK and creating beers on a shoestring budget, Paul set up a permanent (and much larger) home for his microbrewery in Leith."

"Situated in Leith, on the Edinburgh coast, thisbrewery started life on the road as a “mobile brewery” in a 1973 VW campervan (hence thename). Today, having opened a permanent location in 2017, it’s still going strong. Their spacious taproom is laid-back and unpretentious."

"Bellfield Brewery is the UK’s first craft brewery dedicated to producing quality gluten-free beer. The gluten-free craft brewery in Edinburgh is located a short walk from Holyrood Palace with plans to fully launch its tap room in summer 2019. Located in the historic area of Edinburgh alongside the mainline train track, with a birds’ eye view of the London train, visitors to Bellfield Brewery are able to enjoy beer in the sunny yard or indoor taproom."

"One of the best breweries in the city also happens to house of the best beer gardens. Bellfield is sure to have you coming back for more, with its range of award-winning craft creations, alongside gins, whiskies and organic wines for those avoiding the hoppy stuff."

"One Spa is part of the luxurious Sheraton Grand Hotel located just off Lothian Road in the center of Edinburgh. As well as a delightful rooftop hydro pool, nineteen meter infinity swimming pool, rainforest showers, and rock and bio saunas, the Spa includes a unique thermal suite which features treatments inspired by the ancient Celts and Romans – such as the Laconium (dry heat treatment room) and Tepidarium (warm room) and the deliciously scented Aroma Grotto. They have a well-equipped gym with a selection of classes including Yoga, Zumba, Boxing, LiveStrong Cycling and high intensity circuit training."

"One Spa is part of the luxurious Sheraton Grand Hotel located just off Lothian Road on Festival Square. Escape the busy city life, throw your worries and cares aside for the day to contrate purely on yourself, and enjoy Scotland’s most renowned urban thermal spa experience. Their facilities are second to none and have everything you need to re-energise your body and soul."

"Unwind in a stylish and modern setting with the Sheraton Hotel’s One Spa. There are 5 different steam rooms, a 19m swimming pool as well as the Ultimate hydro rooftop pool offering the most luxurious hotel spa experience in the heart of Edinburgh. There's also an amazing selection of sauna and thermal rooms, all stimulating the senses with scent, sight, heat and steam."

"Taquito is dedicated to serving delicious, no frills, Mexican street food. What this means in practice is a short and to the point menu of tacos, quesadillas, burritos, fajitas or nachos with hearty cuts of beef steak, succulent chicken, rich barbecued pork, spicy pork or vegetable chili. They have a range of sauces to cool down or spice up your meal and serve pitchers of rather good cocktails."

"Famous for their large portions, Mexican street food takeaway, Taquito, is great value for money. A regular burrito costs £4.20 and comes packed with rice, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, vegetables and your choice of meaty filling, including smoky pork, chorizo or shredded beef. Visit: 32 Home Street, EH3 9LZ - taquito.co.uk"

"The Physicians' Gallery is a free public exhibition space which is part of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Our exhibitions are based on the wealth of historical medical material which the College has collected over the last 300 years. ‘Moonstruck: 500 years of mental health’ is our new free exhibition– opening on 14 June 2019 and running until Spring 2020"

"A combination of Edinburgh history, city views from a new perspective, and experience with optical illusions, the Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is an attraction that certainly appeals to all ages. The centerpiece, set in a Victorian rooftop room, is a pinhole camera that projects live moving images of Edinburgh onto a viewing table. The panorama is created by a combination of mirror and lenses, and it has been entertaining people here since 1853."

"Getting to Camera Obscura : Located on Castlehill, the museum is a 6 minute walk from St Christopher’s Inns Edinburgh. Photo credit: Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, Edinburgh. Right at the top of the Royal Mile, just a few seconds walk from Edinburgh Castle, is the most fun, interactive museum on this list."

"Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is a quirky little museum just down the hill from the Castle. It’s one of the most popular Edinburgh attractions and great fun for the whole family. The museum is set over 5 floors and contains hundreds of illusions, many of which are interactive."