Brian's place is a lovely 3rd floor flat in central Edinburgh. It is literally just off the Royal Mile and at the top of The Mound. Just a few minutes walk from Princes St (and Gardens), the Castle, Grassmarket and the National Museum of Scotland.
With such a great location, you have to expect that there will be some street noise pretty late into the evening/night, as there are bagpipes audible most of the day and evening, and the flat is on a main road, so sirens and road noise does come through. This does not take away from the flat, however. The flat is a beautiful place. We were so impressed from the moment we entered. The flat itself has a main hall, from which the other rooms lead off. Not having its own windows, it is a little darker than the rest of the flat, but every other room had tall (double height) sash windows which allows plenty of light in. The hall has plenty of leaflets and ideas for local visits and farther excursions.
The bathroom is small, but did not feel cramped.
The bedrooms were of good size, with plenty of storage space and even a small sofa in the master room. The beds were lovely and comfortable, and we slept well each night. The towels were lush, well laundered and of good quality.
The living space is a good size, with 2 comfortable sofas and a useful round table. There is a cabinet with some things to do (games/puzzles) and some DVDs.
The kitchen is nice with plenty of space, a decent size fridge/freezer and plenty big enough for a family or a fully occupied flat.
Brian is an excellent host. He was very attentive and communicated well, usually responding to emails within minutes. He was very helpful and I am sure, had I needed any advice on things to do in Edinburgh, he would have been most generous with his tips.
I would definitely recommend this place to others, and will check to see if it is available whenever I visit Edinburgh again.