Edinburgh LGBTQ+ Guide

CC Blooms on Greenside Place is the Edinburgh LGBTQ+ institution. It’s been here since 1991 and has survived everything the city’s nightlife scene has thrown at it – economic downturns, changing tastes, the slow creep of the Pink Triangle’s gentrification. It’s a two-floor bar-club with a late licence, and the basement dance floor does what a basement dance floor should. Busy most weekends, wildly busy during Festival season and Hogmanay. Unpretentious, loud, fiercely itself. One of those places where Edinburgh’s queer history is physically present.

Habana on Greenside Place, right next door to CC Blooms, is a longer-established bar with a more relaxed atmosphere earlier in the evening and a dance-floor vibe later on. Known for its drag events and regular themed nights. The two venues essentially form the core of the Pink Triangle strip and between them cover most of what a night out in that part of the city needs.

Planet Bar (sometimes Planet Video Bar) on Baxter’s Place at the top of Leith Walk is one of Edinburgh’s longest-running gay bars – a smaller, friendlier venue that’s been a fixture for local community regulars rather than tourists. Good cocktails, regular events and the kind of atmosphere that comes from a place with genuine history.

The Broughton Street area itself is broadly LGBTQ+-friendly even beyond the bars. Broughton Deli, the cafés and restaurants along the street have a mixed, inclusive clientele. The Broughton Bookshop at the top of the street has long stocked LGBTQ+ titles prominently. The neighbourhood has a strong queer residential population – it’s not just a bar district but a community area.

Edinburgh Pride takes place in June annually, typically around mid-June – Scotland’s second major Pride event after Glasgow. The march usually starts from the East End and the festival takes place in the city centre. Turnout has grown considerably in recent years, with the 2023 event drawing one of its largest crowds. The day is properly festive and family-friendly for most of it, with the evening events moving into the bars and clubs. Check the Edinburgh Pride website for current year dates as they vary.

LGBT Health and Wellbeing operates across Edinburgh and Glasgow, providing support, community events and social spaces. Their Edinburgh centre runs regular social and support groups. Scottish Trans is based in Edinburgh. The Equality Network, a Scottish LGBTQ+ charity, is headquartered in the city. Edinburgh’s LGBTQ+ infrastructure is stronger than many cities of comparable size.