FAQs

Access
Guests are provided with a key for their room and also for the front door. Access to the guest house and your room is available at all times.

Air Conditioning
There is no air conditioning in the guest house, just heating. Windows in the guest bedrooms can be opened for fresh air.
It is rarely hot enough in Scotland to cause a problem.

Breakfast
There is an extensive breakfast menu which includes many vegetarian and vegan options, as well as the traditional Scottish fare. Breakfast is normally served between 8am and 9.30am, or 8am to 10am. Times are posted on the Breakfast Room door

Car Parking
Free, onsite car parking for up to 9 cars - one for each room. There is no need to reserve a space.

Check in and out
Check-in is from 14.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs, or up to 21.00 hrs by prior arrangement with the guest house. If you will be arriving later than 21.00, you must let us know and we can provide you instructions for late arrival self-checkin, which is available whatever hour you plan to get here.  
If you want to arrive earlier than 14.00 hrs, your room may not be ready, but you are welcome to drop your bags, register and pick up your room key any time after 07.00 hrs. We will put your bags in your room when it is ready for you.

Check-out is at 10.00 hrs
Late check-out may be available on request. If late check-out is possible, there may be a charge, depending on how long you want the room.

Children and Families
Children of 5 years old and above are welcome. We have one triple family room with one queen and one single bed and one larger family room with one double and two single beds. Pricing is dependent on the room size and also the number of people that will occupy the room.

Communications – Internet and Telephones
There is free Wi-Fi internet access available to guests. A payphone is located in the reception area with a free call button to a local taxi firm.

Disabled Access
The guest house has a very small step at the front door. Thereafter there is level access to the ground floor, including the breakfast room/lounge area. There are four ground floor bedrooms available for guests. Two of the rooms, the deluxe 4-poster terrace rooms, have a grab rail, and a larger than standard shower, with plenty of space for a shower stool.

Getting to Glenalmond House
Please click here for detailed directions on how to get to Glenalmond House by air, road, rail or bus.

Getting to Edinburgh City Centre and Tourist Attractions
It is just a mile to the Royal Mile from Glenalmond House. You can walk there, or take one of the great value local buses, which run every few minutes from the guest house to the centre of Edinburgh and various tourist attractions around the city. We will provide you with a map on arrival detailing all the bus numbers you will need to travel round the city and get you back to the guest house.

Heating
The guest rooms are heated by room radiators which can be thermostatically controlled by guests, to ensure a comfortable ambient temperature.

Laundry
There are no laundry facilities for guest use onsite. However, there is a local launderette where you can take laundry to do yourself, or leave there for a service wash. The launderette is open 7 days a week. Click Here for Details

Local Sports Facilities
We are close to the Royal Commonwealth swimming pool where you can use the gym, take exercise classes and swim in the Olympic size swimming pool. Royal Commonwealth Pool - Edinburgh Leisure  

Local Dining and Shopping
There are a wide variety of restaurants and pubs less within a 5 to 10 minute walk from the guest house. We can provide you with information and recommendations while you are here. Check our website for a list and links to local places to eat and drink. There are local shops and a large shopping centre nearby – Cameron Toll.

Local Attractions
We are close to Holyrood Park where you can walk from the guest house, up Arthur’s Seat for spectacular views of Edinburgh and surrounding areas. Holyrood Palace, at the foot of the Royal Mile, is also located in the park. 

Medical and Dental
There are local doctor and dental practices in the immediate area - we can advise you on this.
We are also only a short distance from the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for emergency medical treatment at the
Accident and Emergency department.

Payment Methods
Glenalmond House is able to accept all major credit and debit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, Switch, Maestro  and American Express
We also accept cash in GBP, USD or Euro. There is a discount for cash payment of your bill
Sorry, we no longer accept personal cheques for bill payment.

Pets
No pets are allowed in the guest house

Room Servicing
Rooms are normally serviced daily throughout your stay, unless you do not want us to do this.

Service Charge
No service charges are added to bills. Gratuities are at the customers’ discretion

Smoking
No smoking is permitted anywhere inside the guest house.
Smokers can smoke outside the front of the guest house where there is an ashtray and a table and chairs.

Special diets
Vegetarian and some vegan options are available at all times on the breakfast menu. We can also provide gluten free bread and soya or oat milk. We can also provide dairy free spread. For anything else, you will need to let us know is advance of your stay, so that we are able to fully prepare for your visit.

Special occasions
We are happy to assist with arranging any of the following, to make your stay extra special - champagne, chocolates, flowers etc. We will charge only the cost price for this service.

Sustainability at Glenalmond House
Sustainability is important to us. We buy local produce for breakfast as much as we can.

Breakfast – We source lots of local produce to minimise our carbon footprint, and because they are fresh.
                         We serve free range eggs from a local farm
                         The haggis is made by McSweens, based in Edinburgh
                         The bacon is Scottish, as is the black pudding
                         The smoked salmon comes from Loch Fyne in Scotland
                         The pancakes are made fresh daily at a local bakery
                         Apples and strawberries are Scottish when in season
                         We have apple trees in our back garden, September and October, you can enjoy these apples freshly picked

We recycle cardboard, paper, plastics, glass, food waste, batteries and tin cans. We compost as much as we can from food waste and grass cuttings, to use in our garden. All lighting is low energy LED

Tour Booking
When you are here, we can advise and help with the booking of day tours around Edinburgh and Scotland.

Tourist Information
On arrival you will be provided with a map of the city and a list of the local bus numbers and where to catch them to any location in the city. We stock a variety of tourist information leaflets and brochures for local attractions. We also have a small library which has guide books and novels, that you can borrow during your stay. You are also welcome to swap books, so you can take any book you are reading away with you.

University
We are within walking distance of the University of Edinburgh Kings Buildings and Pollock Halls of student residence. The main Edinburgh University campus in George Square, is about one mile away toward the city centre
All are easily accessible by foot or by local bus.

Valuables
 There is a small safe provided in every room where you can secure your valuables when you are out.