Tour de France Grand Départ in Edinburgh in 2027: where to stay
The Tour de France starts in Scotland for the first time in July 2027, with the riders’ presentation at Edinburgh Castle and Stage 1 to Carlisle. Pick your night and see what’s free in and around Edinburgh, with prices from places on Nezt.
For the first time, the Tour de France starts in Scotland. The 2027 Grand Départ opens with the riders’ presentation on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade on the evening of Wednesday 30 June, and Stage 1 leaves Edinburgh on Friday 2 July, racing 184 km through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders to Carlisle.
Watching from the roadside is free, and VisitScotland expects Edinburgh to have the biggest crowds and the best atmosphere of the day. If you’re coming for the presentation, the start or both, sort out where you’re staying now.
At a glance
- Riders’ presentation
- Wednesday 30 June 2027, early evening, on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, staged by the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It seats 8,500, ticket details are still to come, and thousands more are expected along the Royal Mile.
- Stage 1
- Friday 2 July 2027, Edinburgh to Carlisle, 184 km
- The route
- South through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders, then along the border through Liddesdale to Carlisle. Its one categorised climb is the Côte de Melrose, in the Eildon Hills.
- The finish
- Outside Carlisle Castle
- Watching
- Free from the roadside. Roads on the route close fully on the day.
- Still to come
- The exact start in Edinburgh, the timings and the road closures, from the organisers at letourgb.com
Following the race south? See where to stay for Stage 2’s finish in Liverpool on 3 July and Stage 3’s finish in Cardiff on 4 July. The women’s race, the Tour de France Femmes, starts in Leeds on 30 July.
Where to stay for the Grand Départ in Edinburgh
Pick your night to see what’s free in each area and what it costs, then open the map with your dates already in. Prices are from places on Nezt right now.
When are you going?
72 places to stay around Edinburgh Castle
Old Town and New Town
A short walkThe Royal Mile, the Grassmarket and the Georgian streets of the New Town, the closest you can stay to the Castle Esplanade. Walk to the presentation and back, with Waverley station on the doorstep.
3 places · from £125 · average £258 a night
Top rated1 Bedroom Apartment
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 1 mile from the castle
Top rated4 Bedroom House
Edinburgh, Scotland
Under a mile from the castle
Highly rated2 Bedroom Apartment
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 1 mile from the castle
Leith
Tram to the centreEdinburgh’s old port, with restaurants and bars along the Shore. The tram runs up Leith Walk to St Andrew Square and Princes Street, a short walk from the Old Town.
2 places · from £80 · average £90 a night
Highly rated1 Bedroom Apartment
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 1.5 miles from the castle
Top rated2 Bedroom Apartment
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 1.5 miles from the castle
Portobello and the east
Bus to the centreEdinburgh’s seaside, with a long sandy beach and promenade, and buses into the city centre.
3 places · from £80 · average £80 a night
Top rated1 Bedroom Apartment
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 1.5 miles from the castle
Top rated1 Bedroom Apartment
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 1.5 miles from the castle
Top rated1 Bedroom Apartment
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 1 mile from the castle
Dalkeith, Musselburgh and Midlothian
Train to WaverleySouth and east of the city, often with more room for the money, and on the side of Edinburgh that Stage 1 heads out through. Musselburgh, and Eskbank and Newtongrange on the Borders Railway, have trains into Waverley.
5 places · from £140 · average £209 a night
Top rated3 Bedroom House
Loanhead, Scotland
About 5 miles from the castle
Highly rated3 Bedroom House
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 3 miles from the castle
1 Bedroom Apartment
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 3 miles from the castle
Highly rated2 Bedroom House
Dalkeith, Scotland
About 5 miles from the castle
Glasgow
Under an hour by trainScotland’s biggest city, with frequent trains from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley taking under an hour.
4 places · from £100 · average £173 a night
Top rated2 Bedroom Apartment
Glasgow, Scotland
About 42 miles from the castle
2 Bedroom Apartment
Glasgow, Scotland
About 42 miles from the castle
1 Bedroom Apartment
Glasgow, Scotland
About 43 miles from the castle
Top rated4 Bedroom Apartment
Glasgow, Scotland
About 43 miles from the castle
More places nearby
Everywhere else on the map, closest to the castle first.
54 places · from £70 a night
2 Bedroom Apartment
Edinburgh, Scotland
About 2.5 miles from the castle
Highly rated3 Bedroom House
Kirkliston, Scotland
About 8 miles from the castle
5 Bedroom House
Kirknewton, Scotland
About 9.5 miles from the castle
3 Bedroom House
Livingston, Scotland
About 12 miles from the castle
Want more choice? See every place to stay in Edinburgh and in Glasgow, and for the finish, in Carlisle.
Getting there and back
- By train. Edinburgh Waverley is in the city centre, between the Old Town and the New Town. The Castle Esplanade is at the top of the Royal Mile, about 15 minutes’ walk uphill from the station.
- From the airport. Trams run from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre in about half an hour.
- On the day. The route closes fully to traffic and parked cars are moved off it, so the organisers ask spectators to walk or cycle to where they watch. You can usually walk or cycle on the closed roads until about 30 minutes before the publicity caravan, which comes through around two hours ahead of the riders.
- To the finish. Direct trains from Waverley to Carlisle take about 1 hour 15 minutes, so once the timings are out you may be able to see the start in Edinburgh and the finish in Carlisle on the same day.
- By car. Don’t count on driving to the start. Roads and parking on the route close, and the organisers will publish travel and parking plans closer to the time.
Booking tips
- Book as soon as you can. The Tour has never started in Scotland before, and the places closest to the Castle go first.
- Stay for both. The riders’ presentation is on Wednesday evening and the race starts on Friday, so a stay from Wednesday covers both.
- Count beds, not bedrooms. Going as a group? Check how many separate beds there are, and who would be sharing.
- Spread the cost. When check-in is at least 15 days away, pay half when you book and the rest a week before you arrive, with no extra fees.
Questions people ask
When does the Tour de France start in Edinburgh?
The riders’ presentation is on the early evening of Wednesday 30 June 2027, on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade. Stage 1 leaves Edinburgh on Friday 2 July 2027 and races 184 km to Carlisle.
Is it the first time the Tour de France has started in Scotland?
Yes. The Tour has started in Britain twice before, in London in 2007 and in Yorkshire in 2014, but 2027 is its first start in Scotland.
Is it free to watch?
Watching from the roadside is free. The riders’ presentation on the Castle Esplanade seats 8,500, with ticket details still to come, and thousands more are expected to watch from the Royal Mile.
Where does Stage 1 go?
From Edinburgh south through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders, over the Côte de Melrose in the Eildon Hills, then along the border through Liddesdale, briefly into Dumfries and Galloway, and into England to finish outside Carlisle Castle. Scottish Borders Council’s planned route takes it through Innerleithen, Galashiels, Melrose, Hawick and Newcastleton.
Where’s the best place to watch Stage 1?
VisitScotland suggests Edinburgh for the biggest crowds and the best atmosphere, Melrose for the climb, and Hawick or Newcastleton if you’d rather it was quieter.
Can I see the start in Edinburgh and the finish in Carlisle?
Possibly. Direct trains from Waverley to Carlisle take about 1 hour 15 minutes, and the riders have 184 km to cover. Check the start and finish times once the organisers publish them.
Will the roads be closed?
Yes. The whole route closes on race day and parking is removed along it. The exact roads and timings will be published by the organisers at letourgb.com.
Where’s the best place to stay for the Grand Départ?
The Old Town or New Town if you want to walk to the Castle, Leith for a lively neighbourhood on the tram, Portobello by the sea, Midlothian for more room on the side of the city the race heads out through, or Glasgow, under an hour away by train. Pick your night above to compare what’s free in each.
How much does it cost to stay in Edinburgh for the Tour?
It depends on the night and the area. The prices above are from places on Nezt right now: the cheapest and the average a night in each area. The earlier you book, the more choice you’ll have.
Dates, the route and spectator details are from Grand Départ GB 2027, Scottish Borders Council, Cumberland Council and VisitScotland. Details can change. Nezt isn’t connected with the Tour de France or Grand Départ GB 2027, so check the official site before you book.
