Buying a home in Edinburgh
What official records show at 9 postcodes across Edinburgh: flooding, radon, ground conditions, old landfill, protected buildings, prices, crime and schools. Conditions change from street to street, so use this to know what to ask, then check the home you're buying.
Check a home in Edinburgh
Enter a postcode or address for the free area check at that exact postcode.
At a glance
- Rivers and seaOutside mapped flood areas at all 9 postcodes we checked
- Surface waterLow or very low at all 9 postcodes we checked
- RadonUp to 3–5% of homes above the action level
- GroundClay shrink-swell and landslides recorded nearby
- Average price£303,965 in City of Edinburgh (July 2026)
Facts from official records at sample postcodes, not a rating of Edinburgh or of any home.
Flooding from rivers and the sea
We checked each postcode centre against SEPA's flood maps.
All 9 postcodes we checked are outside mapped river and sea flood areas. Homes nearer a river or the coast can still be in one.
A home in a mapped flood area can cost more to insure, and some lenders ask more questions. Ask the seller about past flooding and any flood claims, and ask your solicitor for an environmental search.
Surface water flooding
Flooding from heavy rain that can't drain away fast enough. It can happen far from any river.
- Very low: 9 of 9 postcodes
Surface water risk changes over a few metres, with the lie of the land. Medium means a 1% to 3.3% chance of flooding each year, and high more than that. Ask the seller about past flooding and look at the drainage when you view.
Radon
Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground. The UK Health Security Agency maps the share of homes above its action level in each 1 km square.
At 3 of the 9 postcodes we checked, parts of the surrounding square are a radon Affected Area. The highest is up to 3–5% of homes above the action level.
The map shows the highest value in each square, not a measurement for any home. A three-month radon test, or an address report from UKradon, tells you about a particular house. Where levels are high, a sump or better ventilation usually brings them down.
Ground stability
The British Geological Survey rates natural ground hazards, such as clay that shrinks and swells, and old non-coal mine workings.
- Clay shrink-swell: moderate near 4 of the 9 postcodes we checked
- Landslides: moderate near 4 of the 9 postcodes we checked
Non-coal mining hazard is low or none at every postcode we checked.
Ratings are for the surrounding area, not for a particular plot. Where clay shrink-swell or old workings are recorded, ask your surveyor to look for cracking and movement, and ask the seller about subsidence claims. A level 2 or level 3 survey is worth more here than a valuation alone.
Old landfill sites
We don't include old landfill records for Scotland yet.
Your solicitor's environmental search covers old landfill near the address you're buying in Edinburgh.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Whether each postcode centre falls in a conservation area, on a listed building's site, or under similar protections.
- Newhaven (conservation area) at EH6 4LH
- Old Town (conservation area) at EH1 1YZ
- 11 Bank Street, Bank of Scotland with Retaining Wall, Gatepiers, Gates, Railings and Lamp Standards (Category A listed) at EH1 1YZ
- The 1894 Building, The Royal Observatory, Observatory Road, Edinburgh (Category A listed) at EH9 3HJ
In a conservation area or a listed building you need consent for many changes, such as new windows, extensions or taking down trees. Check before you plan work.
House prices
The average price in City of Edinburgh was £303,965 in July 2026, up 4% on a year earlier. This covers every home in the council area, so a particular street can be well above or below it.
Sale prices for individual homes aren't published openly in Scotland. The seller's Home Report includes a valuation.
Our postcode check lists recent sales on the street, which tell you more about a particular home than a town average.
Crime
Measured around EH1 1YZ, near the centre of Edinburgh.
In the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020, the data zone around the centre recorded 66 selected offences (781 per 10,000 people). Police Scotland doesn't publish street-level crime like police forces in England and Wales.
Our postcode check shows crime around any postcode, so you can see the street you're looking at.
Schools near the centre
The nearest schools by distance. Distance doesn't decide a place: each council's admissions rules do.
- Royal Mile Primary School
Primary · Local authority school · 990 m
- St Mary's RC Primary School (Edinburgh)
Primary · Local authority school · 1.1 km
- Tollcross Primary School
Primary · Local authority school · 1.1 km
- Stockbridge Primary School
Primary · Local authority school · 1.3 km
- Sciennes Primary School
Primary · Local authority school · 1.4 km
- St Thomas Of Aquin's High School
Secondary · Local authority school · 800 m
- Drummond Community High School
Secondary · Local authority school · 1.2 km
- James Gillespie's High School
Secondary · Local authority school · 1.5 km
- Boroughmuir High School
Secondary · Local authority school · 1.7 km
City of Edinburgh Council: Primary admissions ↗ · Secondary admissions ↗ · Catchment areas ↗
Postcode by postcode
Each row is one postcode centre we checked. Open a postcode for the full free area check.
| Postcode | Rivers and sea | Surface water | Radon | Ground | Landfill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EH1 1YZ | Outside | Very low | 3–5% | Moderate | – |
| EH6 4LH | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Low | – |
| EH6 7QR | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Low | – |
| EH8 7JD | Outside | Very low | 3–5% | Low | – |
| EH16 5GT | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Low | – |
| EH9 3HJ | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Moderate | – |
| EH11 1RW | Outside | Very low | 3–5% | Moderate | – |
| EH12 6HD | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Moderate | – |
| EH5 2GE | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Low | – |
What this guide can't tell you
- It covers 9 postcodes, not every street. Results can differ a few doors away, so check the postcode you're buying in.
- It isn't a survey, a search or legal advice, and it doesn't rate Edinburgh or any home.
- Planning applications aren't included here. The postcode check lists them for a particular address.
- Broadband and mobile coverage aren't included. Ofcom's free checker shows them for any address.
Sources
Checked 14 October 2026. We refresh these guides every month.
- Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon
- British Geological Survey, GeoSure 5 km and mining hazard 1 km hex grids (Open Government Licence). Contains NERC materials ©NERC 2026.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Open Government Licence). Contains Historic Environment Scotland and Ordnance Survey data © Historic Environment Scotland - Scottish Charity No. SC045925 © Crown copyright and database right
- SEPA Flood Maps. ©SEPA 2025; this SEPA product is licensed under the Open Government Licence version 3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland), Open Government Licence. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right. Contains Registers of Scotland data © Crown copyright and database right.
- Scottish Government, School Roll and Locations (Open Government Licence). Copyright Scottish Government, contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right
- Scottish Government, Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020, crime domain (Open Government Licence). Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right