Ann's apartment was comfortable and well-provisioned. We didn't have the chance to meet Ann, but she took care to make the apartment ready, even leaving us a bottle of wine in the fridge! The view of the castle from the front balcony is spectacular, especially at night.

This is a great location for exploring Edinburgh's historical sites on foot-- short walks to the castle and the Royal Mile, the National Museum, the University, and the Grassmarket (where there are lots of good dining options.) There are two coffee shops and a Sainsbury's on the same street as the apartment, which was very convenient for breakfasts, and there's even a cat cafe (Maison de Moggy) a few doors down if you're missing your furry friends back home.

Parking is tricky in this neighborhood if you're coming to Edinburgh by car, as we did. Street parking on nearby streets is expensive and limited to 4 hours. We unloaded our luggage at the apartment, then parked our car in the Kings Stables Rd. garage at the foot of the castle, about a 10 minute walk away, and that was fine for our 2-night stay, but would have been more difficult if we were staying longer (the garage charges per 24-hour cycle.) If you're not dealing with cars, though, this is absolutely a fantastic location for exploring Edinburgh.