New build homes in the City of Edinburgh: 5 best developments

View over Edinburgh, capital city of Scotland

Scotland’s capital is a city of international renown. With more to see, do and explore than you could hope to achieve in a single visit, there are plenty of reasons why more people want to move here. Whether you’re new to this part of the world, or have had your eye on it for some time, come and explore the best new homes in City of Edinburgh with us.

New homes in City of Edinburgh: 5 best developments

Get started in your search for the ideal Edinburgh home with our list of its top-ranked developments on HomeViews. As always, this list is purely determined by the reviews given by verified residents of the developments themselves.

*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how recently reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. More recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.

1. The McEwan, EH3

Moda Living
4.92 (157 reviews) 4.92 (157 reviews)
Area guide to City of Edinburgh
Image of The McEwan, EH3

The highest-rated development in the City of Edinburgh is The McEwan by Moda Living. Located in the heart of Fountainbridge, The McEwan is just a few minutes’ walk away from Haymarket Train Station and offers 476 brand new, state of the art rental homes alongside outstanding amenity spaces. These include a Gym, Studio, Cinema Room, Co-Working Space, Shared Lounges, Public Squares and two Private Dining Rooms with panoramic views over the City and Edinburgh Castle.

Read reviews and details of The McEwan, EH3

2. Kingsford Residence, EH7

Kingsford Group
4.51 (84 reviews) 4.51 (84 reviews)
Area guide to City of Edinburgh
Image of Kingsford Residence, EH7

Next up we have Kingsford Residence, managed by the Kingsford Group and located on McDonald Road, which offers residents the opportunity to stay in a former Victorian school building which has been newly converted to form one of Edinburgh’s first operational Build to Rent developments. The apartments retain many of the original features of the building while blending them seamlessly with contemporary open-plan living and modern fixtures.

Read reviews and details of Kingsford Residence, EH7

3. The Strand @ Portobello, EH15

Barratt Homes
4.43 (15 reviews) 4.43 (15 reviews)
Area guide to City of Edinburgh
Image of The Strand @ Portobello, EH15

Our third highest-rated development for Edinburgh is The Strand at Portobello, by Barratt Homes, which is located close to the picturesque Portobello beach. The development itself comprises 2 and 3-bed homes, all designed and finished to a high standard. As well as close proximity to the beach, The Strand is just a few miles from Edinburgh city centre, giving residents the best of both. This is probably why the development has a perfect score for its location!

Read reviews and details of The Strand @ Portobello, EH15

4. Lochrin Quay, EH3

JLL
4.41 (24 reviews) 4.41 (24 reviews)
Area guide to City of Edinburgh
Image of Lochrin Quay, EH3

Taking fourth place is Lochrin Quay, managed by JLL. Sitting next to the Union Canal, the development comprises 113 contemporary apartments, a mixture of one, two, three and four-bed options to rent. In addition to this, residents benefit from bike storage, communal lounge and superfast wifi.

Read reviews and details of Lochrin Quay, EH3

5. Salamander Street, EH6

Hillcrest
4.27 (6 reviews) 4.27 (6 reviews)
Area guide to City of Edinburgh
Image of Salamander Street, EH6

And finally in fifth place, Salamander Street by Hillcrest is located in Leith, an up and coming area of Edinburgh. The development is six storeys high and provides 145 units, comprising one to four-bedroom flats and maisonettes. There’s also a basement car park for residents’ benefit. The development was funded as part of the Scottish Government’s National Housing Trust initiative, providing affordable homes with the potential opportunity for tenants to buy the properties after five years.

Read reviews and details of Salamander Street, EH6

Where is the City of Edinburgh?

The ‘City of Edinburgh’ is classed as both Scotland’s capital city and its own council area, one of 32 in Scotland. It was historically part of the county of Midlothian (also known as Edinburghshire pre-1921). You’ll find the city on the eastern edge of Scotland, on the southern side of the Firth of Forth estuary.

Why live in the City of Edinburgh?

Edinburgh is deserving of its international reputation as a city of culture, beauty, history and inclusivity. People from all over the world flock here in their millions every year to soak up this storied atmosphere. When they leave, most will consider coming back, and many will consider moving here for good.

Despite its popularity, the city of Edinburgh doesn’t have that large a population. Only around half a million people call it home. This means that despite being an exceptional place to live, it’s not a sprawling city that suffers from overcrowding. However, when the renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the largest arts festival in the world – is on, visitors invariably outnumber the locals! Pre-pandemic, the 2019 Fringe hosted 750 shows, performing to crowds exceeding 850,000, drawn from all around the world.

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As well as major annual festivals, Edinburgh is a cultural haven for events of all sizes occurring every day of the year. You have so much choice here when it comes to world-class museums, art galleries, theatres and venues of historical importance. Even Edinburgh Castle, the city’s spectacular centrepiece, plays host to The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an annual extravaganza of international military bands, and artistic performance teams that has to be seen to be believed.

Packed with history, Edinburgh also has a bright present and future. It’s well-off for green space, and you can even hike up to Arthur’s Seat, an ancient volcano, which has its base near the city centre. Edinburgh is a thoroughly walkable city too. Lose yourself in its winding streets, it’s half the fun of walking about the capital!

As for education, Edinburgh enjoys excellent schools at both the primary and secondary levels. For higher education, it also boasts five campus universities, each of them highly respected in the UK and internationally.

What are average property prices in the City of Edinburgh like?

Sadly, all of this doesn’t come cheap. Edinburgh is one of the most expensive cities in the UK to live, work and buy homes. In June 2024, the average house price for Edinburgh was around £366,000, according to Rightmove. This places it some way above the UK average of £282,000 and almost double the average price for Scotland (£190,000).

Renting in Edinburgh is not cheap either. Rents have risen nearly 50% during the past decade. Today, renting a one-bedroom property in Edinburgh will set you back around £1,695 PCM on average. Still, you can’t beat Edinburgh location-wise. If you want to be part of a vibrant, beautiful and immensely characterful city, Edinburgh is all of these things and more.

What is HomeViews?

Make sure you check back on our expanding list of the top-ranked new homes in City of Edinburgh. We’re always adding new developments, and verified residents are keen to share their thoughts on where they live.

City of Edinburgh

City of Edinburgh
The county of City Edinburgh is one of the most desirable places to live in Britain. It’s a county with a rich history and thriving culture, and it’s also the home of many prestigious universities. If you’re thinking about moving to Scotland – or Read more about City of Edinburgh

HomeViews is the only independent review platform for residential developments in the UK. Prospective buyers and tenants use it to make an informed decision on where to live based on insights from carefully verified resident reviews. Part of Rightmove since February 2024, we’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to give residents a voice, recognise high performers and to help improve standards across the industry.

written by

Jan Moys

A residential property expert with over 15 years’ experience creating content... Read all

A residential property expert with ov... Read all