A guide to serviced offices and office space for rent in Edinburgh, as well as general information that may be useful if you are thinking of renting office space in the city.
For further offices information or to search office space for rent in Edinburgh just click. Or contact us for any other office space query.
Overview
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, it is the second-largest city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the UK. The metro area population of Edinburgh in 2023 was 554,000, a 1.09 per cent increase from 2022. Edinburgh is also the seat of the Scottish Parliament.
Located in the southeast of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast of the Central Belt, along the Firth of Forth.
Edinburgh’s Old Town and New Town districts were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1995. The city has over 4,500 listed buildings. In May 2010, it had 40 conservation areas covering 23 per cent of the building stock and 23 per cent of the population, the highest such ratios of any major city in the UK.
Edinburgh is renowned for the annual Edinburgh Festival, a collection of official and independent festivals held annually over about four weeks from early August. The number of visitors attracted to Edinburgh for the Festival is approximately equal to the city’s actual population. The most famous of these events are the Edinburgh Fringe, the largest performing arts festival in the world; the Edinburgh International Festival; the Edinburgh Military Tattoo; and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Other events include the Hogmanay street party held on 31st December, Burns Night held on 25th January, St. Andrew’s Day on 30th November, and the Beltane Fire Festival on 30th April.
In a 2009 YouGov poll, Edinburgh was voted the ‘most desirable city to live in in the UK.’
Economy
According to Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, Edinburgh has the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of any UK city outside London and is predicted to continue outperforming most of the UK with a growth of 3.3 per cent a year until 2010.
The City of Edinburgh Council advises that more FTSE 100 companies are based in the city than in any other UK city outside of London. Standard Life, Cairn Energy, John Menzies and RMJM are examples of businesses founded and headquartered in Edinburgh that have achieved international success. Global brands such as Microsoft, IBM, Fujitsu, Hilton and JPMorgan Chase have gained footholds in Scotland through investing in the city region.
Edinburgh is the most competitive large city in the UK outside of London, according to the 2023 Global Financial Centres Index, which ranks it 27th in the world, ahead of cities such as Stockholm, Madrid and Dublin.
Edinburgh’s economy is largely based on the services sector, which includes banking, financial services, higher education, and tourism.
Banking has been a part of the economic life of Edinburgh for over 300 years, with the establishment of the Bank of Scotland in 1695 – now part of the Lloyds Banking Group. Today, together with the financial services industry, particularly in insurance and investment, underpinned by Edinburgh-based firms such as Scottish Widows and Standard Life, Edinburgh is the UK’s second financial centre after London and Europe’s fourth by equity assets. In world terms, it ranks ahead of Dubai, Amsterdam and Washington in the Global Financial Centres Index.
Tourism remains an essential economic mainstay in the city. As a World Heritage Site, tourists visit historical sites such as Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the Georgian New Town. This is amplified in August each year by the Edinburgh Festivals, which generate over £100m for the local economy.
Edinburgh is the centre of Scotland’s government and legal system, and the public sector plays a central role in the economy. Many Scottish Government departments are located in the city. Other major employers include NHS Scotland and local government administration.
Office Space to Rent in Edinburgh
According to the Drivers Jonas Office Trends UK Key Cities Report of 2009, prime rents for leasehold offices rose 2 per cent during 2008, ending the year at £29.00 per square foot per annum.
2008 saw fewer large occupier transactions, with just two deals of more than 20,000 square feet completing. Despite this, take-up totalled 650,000 square feet, just below the 10-year average. This, coupled with limited development during the year, led to a decline in availability levels.
Thus proving Edinburgh’s resilience to adverse macroeconomic conditions.
Demand was predominantly driven by professional and legal occupiers during 2008, as it was in 2022.
In Q1 of 2022, 26 office deals were completed, totalling 95,500 square feet. The largest of these deals were the acquisitions of 16,000 square feet and 15,000 square feet by Shoosmiths and Dentons, respectively, at Haymarket Square.
In Q2, 50,834 square feet of office space was transacted over 25 deals. The largest letting was Dukosi, taking 12,066 square feet at 1-7 Exchange Crescent.
In Q3 of 2022, office space take-up was 121,236 square feet. The largest of the 33 deals that quarter was the leasing of 21,446 square feet at Capital Square by Anderson Strathern LLP.
In Q4, 239,716 square feet of office letting deals were completed. The largest of which was Blackrock’s acquisition of 139,172 square feet of space at 20 Brandon Street.
A total of 507,286 square feet of office space was acquired in Edinburgh in 2022.
The most active sectors in 2022 were the Insurance and Financial Services sectors – between them, they accounted for 31 per cent of total take-up.
Prime office rents in Edinburgh in 2023 stood at £38 per square foot; however, this was expected to increase, as various deals were under offer at around £42 per square foot.
In Q1 2024, it was announced that CBRE IM had secured its first tenant at 30 Semple Street with a pre-let deal with independent pensions and investment advisory firm Hymans Robertson, which has committed to lease the 5th and 6th floors, totalling 14,700 square feet of office space, together with rooftop terraces.
30 Semple Street is described as Edinburgh’s newest and one of the city’s greenest office developments, aiming to be Edinburgh’s first BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ office building with a design-reviewed NABERS 5* target rating and a platinum AirScore.
Qualities that align with B-Corp Certified Hymans Robertson’s high ESG standards.
The 57,000-square-foot 30 Semple Street was due to be completed in September 2024.
In June 2024, Hines placed The Mint Building on the market. It totals 70,467 square feet across nine floors with a Grade A office space element totalling 59,427 square feet, entirely let to FNZ and Nationwide Building Society.
The retail element is entirely let to Franco Manca and Tattu.
This office building on the southeast corner of Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square was being marketed for £41 million.
In July 2025, it was announced that energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie had signed a deal for its new headquarters in a boost for Edinburgh’s office market.
The firm signed a 15-year lease for 30,000 square feet of office space at Waverley Gate. The deal took Kennedy Wilson’s building to 95 per cent occupancy and signified a significant commitment to Edinburgh’s office market.
At 88,940 square feet, the take-up of office space by way of office lettings deals fell by 30 per cent between Q2 and Q3 2025. Q3’s take-up figure was also 53 per cent below the 10-year average, reflecting a period where the office market in Edinburgh was slow.
This was analysed as being due to the lack of high-quality new space, specifically providing large modern floor plates. It was also due to the ongoing wider uncertainty for the financial sector, a key sector for Scotland’s capital city
The third quarter saw minimal movement in the usually active financial sector, and the largest deal of Q3 was within the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector with wealth management technology company Avaloq Innovation moving from Lochrin Square and acquiring 17,590 square feet at Quartermile.
The second-largest deal of the quarter involved law firm Clyde and Co signing a lease to rent 11,381 square feet at Saltire Court in Edinburgh city centre.
Overall vacancy stood at 5.5 per cent at the end of Q3, and the Grade A vacancy rate stood at 0.8 per cent, among the lowest of the Big Nine UK cities.
Prime headline rents in the city stood at £46 per square foot per annum at the end of Q3.
However, in January 2026, global commercial property consultants JLL reported that the Edinburgh office market was primed for new activity and growth.
The commercial real estate services firm had conducted research and found that confidence was growing and many occupiers were actively planning their next moves.
It reported that 2025’s full-year take-up figure was 492,829 square feet, which was below the 10-year average but not a surprise after seeing low activity throughout the year, such as in Q3.
Only four deals in 2025 were over 15,000 square feet, and many occupiers opted for short-term extensions to their leases to allow time for new space within the development pipeline to complete. In fact, there were over 250,000 square feet of lease regears over the year.
JLL reported that occupier behaviours were set to change in 2026, particularly as they had become accustomed to new post-pandemic working habits. Occupiers were more confident in their workspace requirements, and the onus was on choosing high-quality office space that made the commute worth it for employees.
Developers are already aware of the need for ‘commute-worthy’ space, as are landlords that are carrying out extensive refurbishments, such as The Cube on Leith Street, which is expected to achieve premium rents.
Refurbishments in West Edinburgh, such as at 6 Lochside Avenue, BASE, and 3 Lochside Avenue, all geared towards sustainability and employee experience, are expected to attract those seeking high-quality space at lower-than-city-centre rental levels.
With no major speculative office developments in the pipeline, pre-letting activity is expected to be strong.
Hannah Done, office agency director at JLL in Edinburgh, stated that, “While the amount of space transacted in 2025 was lower than we’d typically expect, the reality is that activity levels don’t reflect what’s happening beneath the surface. We’re seeing occupiers plan further ahead than ever before, assessing their options three, four, even five years before their leases expire. This strategic approach is entirely rational in a market with such limited Grade A supply. “
It was also anticipated that flex offices would remain in high demand, with the city’s stock shortage presenting opportunities for additional capacity and new entrants.
The flexible office space and workspace market continued to present immediately available high-quality options that the traditional market could not.
There are 26 flex space providers in Edinburgh that offer a wide range of flexible office and workspace solutions, including fully serviced private offices, managed office spaces, and coworking memberships for corporates and individuals.
These include national and international providers such as Landmark, Regus, Spaces and WeWork, and Edinburgh-focused operators such as 12 Queen Street and EH20 Business Centre. Profiles of all Edinburgh providers, highlighting the solutions they provide, can be found in this directory.
Transport
Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s busiest airport and principal international gateway to the capital, and handled just over 9 million passengers in 2009.
The airport handled a record 15.8 million passengers in 2024, a 10 per cent increase from 2023.
As a major hub on the East Coast Main Line, Edinburgh Waverley is the primary railway station serving the city. With more than 14 million passengers per year, the station is the second-busiest in Scotland, behind only Glasgow Central. Waverley serves as the terminus for trains arriving from London King’s Cross and is the departure point for many rail services within Scotland operated by First ScotRail.
Lothian Buses operate the majority of city bus services within the City and to surrounding suburbs, with the majority of routes running via Princes Street. Services further afield operate from the Edinburgh Bus Station off St. Andrew Square.
In order to tackle traffic congestion, Edinburgh is now served by six park-and-ride sites on the fringe of the city at Sheriffhall, Ingliston, Riccarton, Inverkeithing, Newcraighall, and Straiton.
Travel time between London and Edinburgh is approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes by train and 1 hr 20 minutes by plane.
Landmarks and Tourism
Culturally, Edinburgh is best known for the Edinburgh Festival, although this is actually a series of separate events, which run from the end of July until early September each year.
Edinburgh is home to Scotland’s five National Galleries as well as many smaller galleries.
Edinburgh has two professional football clubs, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian, known locally as Hearts and Hibs. Hearts play at Tynecastle Stadium in Gorgie, and Hibs play at Easter Road Stadium.
The Scotland national rugby union team plays at Murrayfield Stadium, which is owned by the Scottish Rugby Union and is also used as a venue for other events, including music concerts.
Edinburgh’s professional rugby team, Edinburgh Rugby, play in the Celtic Magners League at Murrayfield. It is the largest capacity stadium in Scotland.
Edinburgh and the Lothians are one of Scotland’s best golfing regions. The mix of historical (Musselburgh Links is the oldest continuously playing golf course in the world) and modern courses (such as the specially designed courses at Craigielaw) makes the area particularly popular with golfers of all handicaps.
Edinburgh enjoys a large number of pubs, clubs and restaurants. The traditional areas are the Grassmarket, Lothian Road and surrounding streets, Rose Street and its surrounds and the Bridges. Stockbridge and the waterfront at Leith are also increasingly popular areas with a range of pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Our office space search, advisory and acquisition services are FREE, always. Our Edinburgh office space brokers and agents are globally regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), ensuring the highest standards of commercial property advice and service at all times.
The Office Providers are Regulated by the RICS