The Balmoral

A railway hotel with a famous clock

Designed by William Hamilton Beattie for the North British Railway Company, the hotel opened in October 1902 and was renamed The Balmoral in 1991. The clock on its tower is set three minutes fast so travellers do not miss their trains, and is only put right for Hogmanay. The building is Category B listed. It was designed to serve passengers arriving at Waverley Station below, and Sean Connery reopened it under its current name.

Eating, drinking and the spa

Afternoon tea in the Palm Court is the hotel's best-known ritual. Number One is the formal restaurant, Brasserie Prince and Bar Prince are more relaxed, and SCOTCH is the whisky bar. The Irene Forte Spa offers treatments if you want a few quiet hours away from Princes Street. Rooms run from Family Rooms and Junior Suites up to the top-tier Forte Suites.

Harry Potter and the suite

In 2007 J.K. Rowling completed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in room 552, now the J.K. Rowling Suite. The location is hard to beat: Waverley Station, the Scott Monument and the Old Town are all a few minutes away. The clock tower also makes a useful meeting point in the city centre.

Highlights

• Opened 1902 as the North British Station Hotel
• Clock set three minutes fast except at Hogmanay
• J.K. Rowling Suite, where Deathly Hallows was finished
• Palm Court afternoon tea
• Irene Forte Spa

Good to know

• The hotel sits at the east end of Princes Street, right beside Waverley Station.

Frequently asked questions