There is something about Edinburgh at the turn of September. Summer still lingers in the light, while the prospect of autumn makes the city’s stone buildings, tucked-away courtyards and welcoming interiors feel particularly inviting. The Old Town suits that moment between seasons.

For this visit, I stayed at Old Town Chambers, an Autograph Collection hotel in the heart of the Royal Mile. Part of Marriott’s collection of individual hotels, it combines apartment-style accommodation with a setting rooted in Edinburgh’s Old Town. With cobbled streets and narrow closes on the doorstep, it is an address that puts you straight into the texture of Edinburgh life.

An address with layers of history

Part of the interest here is how the accommodation sits within the city. Old Town Chambers brings together four buildings, known as The Mile, Warriston’s, Advocate’s and Roxburgh. Their different ages and forms reflect the layers of development around the Royal Mile, with parts of the property’s story reaching back to the 15th century.

The setting around Advocate’s Close has its own history of reinvention. Its modern redevelopment brought historic buildings back into use alongside contemporary additions, with Morgan McDonnell Architecture’s scheme winning the RIAS Andrew Doolan award in 2014.

That wider restoration helps explain the character of a stay here. Old stone, changes in level and the passages between buildings are part of the experience. The closes connect you to an Edinburgh shaped by centuries of people living, working and finding their way through these streets.

It is worth distinguishing the different parts of the property when booking. The collection includes a 15th-century townhouse as well as contemporary apartments and penthouses. My stay was in a three-bedroom apartment, arranged across two storeys.

A home above the closes

The feature I particularly liked was the glass mezzanine overlooking the living and dining space. Looking down through it gave a lovely sense of the apartment’s height and openness, while keeping the two levels visually connected.

Below, the dining table and seating area gave the apartment a domestic rhythm. The generous ceiling, tall windows and warm tones of the sofa softened the space. There was room to sit together, eat together and spend time indoors without everything revolving around a bedroom.

With three bedrooms across those two levels, it had that home-away-from-home feeling I enjoy in an apartment stay. A place to come back to between outings, with room to settle in and a shared space at its centre.

The contemporary glass was an interesting detail within such a historic setting. Outside were Edinburgh’s stone façades and close-set buildings; inside, the open living area offered a different perspective on the city around it.

Luckenbooths on the Royal Mile

Luckenbooths is the restaurant at Old Town Chambers, and it was a lovely part of being there. Having somewhere to eat at the property makes an apartment stay feel easy, particularly when you would rather leave the cooking to someone else.

The restaurant serves throughout the day, from breakfast to dinner, with Scottish produce central to its offering. Its Royal Mile location also makes it an easy meeting point before heading out into the city.

Even the name belongs to the neighbourhood’s history. The original luckenbooths were lockable shops within the timber-fronted buildings that once stood near St Giles’. The restaurant traces its name to those buildings, which existed from the 15th century until their removal in the early 19th century.

I like details like that. A name you might initially pass over becomes another way of understanding the street outside.

Edinburgh, on foot

The pleasure of this location is being able to step out and walk. St Giles’, the climb towards the Castle, the closes leading away from the Royal Mile: there is plenty to take in without building an elaborate itinerary.

Edinburgh rewards a little wandering. Look up and you find windows stacked high above the street, chimneys and rooflines; turn into a close and the scale changes again. Cobbles and worn steps encourage a slower pace, and comfortable shoes are worth bringing.

At this time of year, I’m drawn to the balance between being outside and finding somewhere to pause. A walk through the Old Town, a meal, then time back in the apartment. Early September allows you to enjoy the city with autumn just beginning to suggest itself, without wishing away the last of summer.

A stay in the Old Town

What I remember about this stay is the relationship between the apartment and its surroundings. The three bedrooms, the glass mezzanine and the living and dining space gave me a base with the feel of a home, while the Royal Mile placed Edinburgh immediately outside.

Old Town Chambers was part of the visit, and the city was the other part: its cobbled streets, its changing levels and the history encountered simply by walking out of the door.

Explore Old Town Chambers · Luckenbooths.

Further reading: The buildings behind Old Town Chambers, the Advocate’s Close restoration and the history of Luckenbooths.