We had a very nice week staying with Wendy and Ian (and Ross, their son). Wendy is native to Edinburgh so she guided us to good restaurants and shops. Ian showed us a secret river walk-you would not believe you are in the middle of the city. Both of them are very forthcoming and open-minded so we had a lot of discussions and talks over a variety of subjects.
Their home is close to bus routes directly to the city center so it was easy to get in the middle of the Edinburgh festivals. We attended quite some performances from ballet to opera and classical music. Returning late in the night was no problem as we could have the key.
Wendy runs her own "InsideOutChef" catering so the kitchen would sometimes smell nicely from the jam or chutney being prepared.

If you would like to stay in Edinburgh but not in the city center we would highly recommend staying with them.