Hotels in Ratho

Ratho is a small village on the Union Canal west of Edinburgh, best known for the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, one of the biggest indoor climbing centres in the world, housed in a converted quarry. Canal boat trips and a couple of good pubs along the towpath give it a genuine village feel rather than a commuter-belt one, and its position close to Edinburgh Airport makes it a practical base if you want to avoid city-centre traffic and prices.

There is very little to do in Ratho itself beyond the climbing centre and a walk along the canal, and you'll need a car or the airport bus to reach Edinburgh Castle, St Giles' Cathedral or the National Museum of Scotland, all a proper drive away. Dunfermline Palace, across the Forth, is even further and only worth the trip if you're touring rather than city-based.