Like most major British cities, Edinburgh offers a choice between Black Cabs, carrying up to 5 passengers, which can be hailed on the street, and minicabs, which must be pre-booked. Black cabs display an orange light above the windscreen to indicate that they are available to hire. It’s usually quite easy to find a cab in and around the city centre, and on the main radial routes running out of the centre. There are also Taxi Ranks dotted around the city, where black cabs will line up to be hired.

Taxi Rank locations include:

• Outside the main entrances of Haymarket and Waverley train stations.
• Opposite the Caledonian Hotel and Sheraton Hotel (both near the West End), The George Hotel (east end of George Street) and the Crowne Plaza Hotel (High Street, Royal Mile).
• St Patrick’s Square, off South Bridge
• Leith Bridge, close to The Shore and Commercial Quay, in Leith

The main taxi firms operating within the city are:

• Central Radio Taxis (Black Cabs) – 0131 229 2468
• City Cabs (Black Cabs) – 0131 228 1211
• Edinburgh Taxi (minicabs) – 0131 610 1234 (saloon cars, MPV’s with 8 seats and chauffeur driven vehicles)
• Festival Cars (minicabs – mostly saloon cars but also have people carriers with up to 8 seats. Let them know the number in your party when you book) – 0131 552 1777