Ailsa Craig Hotel

I would just like to say dont believe all the reviews you read about a place. We stayed here for Three days and loved it. The place was spotless, staff very friendly and helpful. Go to The Jolly Restaraunt if you get the chance, you will love it.

Stayed there a few times. No problems in the past. This time very poor service and lack of amenities. TV remote missing. Walls paper thin between rooms 6 &7. Heating on timer. Room freezing at night. Shower stopped working half way through and then water cut off completely. No sympathy from management. Had to finish showering in an unserviced room, still dirty from previous guests. Won't use this hotel again. Best of luck if you choose this hotel.

Reading some of the reviews - after having booked - we were a bit aprehensive. However the place was clean and comfortable, breakfast more than adequate (but if you don't want some of the cooked items they don't automatically give you a bit more of something you do unless asked), and no sign whatsoever of any lingering odours. Friendly and helpful owners & staff, although we too witnessed a guest being refused breakfast just a few minutes after the deadline. It is classic older Edinburgh building, with huge high ceilings - which makes... more

I am writing to advise people that the Ailsa Craig Hotel must be the best value, low budget hotel this side of timbuktu!!!!! The staff were excellent...especially Sean, Peter and Yvonne! All bent over backwards to accomodate myself and my family! I highly recommend this hotel! The rooms are large, comfortable and great value...Please try it!!!!!!!!!!!11111

I liked this place..I got a room for 40 pounds on a Saturday night, and the breakfast was worth it. Full Scottish breakfast and lots of other cereals and fruit. The 2 people who manage the hotel are chatty and informative. However, the hairdryer didn't work and the staff, although very helpful, did not seem concerned with that small problem. The shower was very scary..boiling water flooding the enclosure until figuring out a 5 minute adjustment. If you get a room at the top of this hotel, be prepared to work those leg... more

We stayed at the Ailsa Craig in the midst of the Edinburgh festival. The prices were very high for the hotel $240 (yet resonable compared to the hotels that were gouging even more). The staff were very nice and friendly, offering directions and volunteering their umbrellas during rain storms. The hotel itself is another matter: As soon as you enter you notice an odor. Perhaps the kitchen never ventillates (sp) after the above average breakfast (for which they allow from 8 - 9am, they are very strict about serving you at 9:02). The... more

I had a good stay here in July 2004. The room decor was somewhat shabby, but it was clean and comfortable. I agree with the previous reviewer that the shower was unusually hot (scalding) and difficult to adjust, but that was the only problem I experienced. The full Scottish breakfast was large and tasty, and the front desk and waitstaff were friendly and helpful. The hotel itself is about a 10-15 minute walk to the Royal Mile and other attractions. The price was very reasonable at £35 per night for a single en suite -- a good... more

Rooms were spacious but several lights didn't work, hair dryer was unusable and shower very hot and difficult to adjust. Breakfast selection was very limited and quality rather poor considering the number of people being catered for each day. Compared to local B&B's or the Novotel, the Ailsa Craig wasn't a patch.

We stayed at the Ailsa Craig for three nights in November and loved it. The hotel is in a beautiful old townhouse on a quiet street, and we had a huge room with a view of the Firth of Forth. The accomodations were nice and overall, it was an excellent value at a reasonable price. It was a bit of a walk from the center of town, but perfectly manageable. They serve hot breakfast every morning and the staff was very nice and helpful. There is no elevator.

I did a lot of research before our trip to Edinburgh, and the Ailsa Craig appealed because of its price and location -- truly within walking distance of everything we wanted to see in Edinburgh, from castle to restaurants. The family-run hotel is an gorgeous old Georgian building, in a lovely location, with views of beautiful private gardens. The service was gracious and the cooked-to-order Scottish breakfast set us up for a day of sight-seeing. Behind the hotel, a path leads up to a hilltop meadow with a panoramic view of the entire old... more