Edinburgh's own seaside, four miles east of the centre along the Firth of Forth. Portobello grew up in the 19th century as the city's bathing resort and has never quite shaken off its pleasingly old-fashioned seaside identity: there is a long promenade, a sandy beach wide enough to feel genuinely beachy on good days, and a Victorian outdoor swimming pool (the Portobello Outdoor Pool) that reopened after restoration and is open year-round for the hardy.
The main street behind the beach has the usual resort mix of ice cream parlours, fish and chip shops, and independent cafes, with a growing number of better restaurants and coffee shops colonising the old Victorian terraces. On summer weekends Portobello fills with families from across the city — it has the feeling of a proper day out without requiring a car or a long journey.