We bought the flat above in 2010. It came with a walled garden that was beautiful, overgrown, and typical Edinburgh. We had no idea what we were about to build.
The old outbuilding at the end of the garden was unremarkable. A low stone structure, flat roof, metal-framed windows. Typical of Edinburgh tenement properties. Most people would have left it as a shed.
We decided to do something else entirely.
What started as the idea of a simple "garden room" grew into something much better. A kitchen. A bathroom. Bifold doors opening the full width of the room to the garden. Underfloor heating beneath beautiful stone floors. A walk-in shower. A bedroom that feels like it belongs in a different world from the Edinburgh street thirty seconds away.
We built it when our children were one and two years old. They watched the JCB from the upstairs window, faces pressed against the glass, fascinated by the yellow machine tearing up the garden below.
We honestly thought it would be a good place for granny and grandad's to stay when they came to visit — maybe have friends over and use the garden for BBQs.
After a career change for Sally, we opened to guests in 2013. Word spread quickly after being featured in the Guardian within the first few months of opening. Thirteen years later, we have welcomed guests from across the globe. We have hosted anniversary celebrations, birthday getaways, honeymoons, and first nights after weddings held at the Royal Botanic Gardens next door. We have been the setting for proposals. Many have happened in the garden. None, to our knowledge, have been refused!
"A 5-star rating seems inadequate. The design is stunning and the rooms overlook a splendid garden, a real oasis of peace. Why stay in a hotel when there is this bijou retreat waiting?"Pam, Ayrshire
Preparing The Garden Rooms for each visitor is still a family affair. Sally cleans. Dan irons. The children, now teenagers, water the plants and clean the outdoor furniture. The early morning before a changeover has a particular rhythm to it. Sally has filmed it, if you are curious what that looks like.
Real-time footage of Sally doing an early morning clean before work.
The property has been featured in The Guardian as a Best British Bolthole, and named one of the Best 15 Airbnbs in Edinburgh by The Times in 2026. We are proud of these recognitions, but what matters most to us is simpler: the guests who come back year after year.
