Luggage storageWest End

Luggage storage in the West End

Plenty of travellers pass through Edinburgh's West End with a bag in tow, whether they've just stepped off a train at Haymarket or are heading up to the castle for the day.

Several transport hubs in the area offer step-free access and space for luggage, though major sights like Edinburgh Castle won't take suitcases or large rucksacks at all. The West End is an affluent district that forms a large part of the city centre of Edinburgh. The district sits at the western edge of Edinburgh's city centre, adjacent to the New Town and Old Town. Visitors come to the West End for its bohemian atmosphere, with colourful, stylish independent boutiques and popular pubs and bars, particularly along William Street and Stafford Street. Edinburgh Waverley station has an official left-luggage facility on platform 2 with step-free access and a lowered counter. The Johnnie Walker Experience on Princes Street in the West End does not have any lockers or luggage storage facilities. The Traverse Theatre, located near the West End, does not have a cloakroom and cannot store any bags or luggage for visitors. Stasher bookings around the West End are busiest at weekends and in July and August, so booking ahead at those times is a good idea. With Stasher, you can store bags from £1.49 per bag a day at 20+ locations across the West End.

Some top Stasher locations in the West End include:

• Local shop · open 00:01–23:59 every day · rated 5/5 (1,000+ reviews)
• Local shop · open 07:00–23:59 most days · rated 5/5 (200+ reviews)

Local hosts include shops. Of the nearby points, 9 stay open late and 1 is open 24/7. Every booking comes with the Stasher Guarantee, which protects your bags up to £10,000. Stasher storage in the West End can be booked through the website or app.

Arriving and getting around with bags

Haymarket station is the main railway station serving the West End, and the neighbourhood is also reached by the West End tram stop. Haymarket itself is a Category A station with step-free access to every platform, which helps if you're wheeling a suitcase. The West End tram stop also has step-free access, and Edinburgh Trams run low-floor carriages with six luggage racks per tram for suitcases, so you won't be wrestling a bag into an overhead shelf. Most Stasher drop-offs around the West End are booked for between 09:00 and 12:00, so allow a little extra time if you arrive then.

Exploring the West End and nearby sights

Allow around half a day to explore the West End properly, or an evening if you're here for a concert or performance. A popular walking route taking in Charlotte Square, the streets of the West End and Dean Village runs about 1.5 to 2 hours with stops, so you'll want your hands free rather than hauling a suitcase over cobbles. For a bigger day out, Edinburgh Castle does not permit suitcases or large rucksacks of 30L or more, and it cannot store luggage, prams or other personal items for you. Waverley is the closest railway station to the castle at roughly 0.4 miles away, so dropping a bag there before heading up makes sense if you've arrived that way. The Edinburgh Farmers' Market runs every Saturday from 9am to 2pm, a good one to browse bag-free.