When you’re a small business owner or a freelancer, working from home can get lonely very quickly. If you’re not ready to hire your own place yet, a shared office could be the perfect option. Check out these best co-working offices for small businesses in Edinburgh!
A few years on, we can still see that the impact of the pandemic on workspaces was monumental, with more and more people switching from a traditional office to working from home. When you’re not used to it, it can be quite a shock to the system.
If your work situation is now “out of office”, co-working could make a real difference. While working through emails at the dining room table works for some, staring at the same four walls all day can be difficult for others. Whatever your circumstances, if you’re based in Edinburgh, I hope these co-working offices for small businesses give you some new options – and help you make some new work friends along the way!
Why co-working?
A co-working office is a collaborative space where lots of different businesses can hire an individual desk, room or hot-desking area without committing to a long-term contract. But there are many other benefits to co-working offices, including:
- Being able to separate your work and home life
- Networking opportunities with other businesses in the office
- Having access to office resources like meeting rooms and mail/call forwarding services
- Flexible options in terms of costs and contracts
If you’re a small business owner looking for company in Edinburgh, I’d recommend checking out these great co-working offices for small businesses in the Scottish capital!
The Melting Pot
15 Calton Road, EH8 8DL
Services: coworking, virtual coworking with The Virtual Pot, venue hire, virtual Office for business address
Rates: all-day pass £30, virtual office package from £28 per month, membership packages from £102 per month
Established in 2007, The Melting Pot is one of the UK’s oldest co-working offices for small businesses in Edinburgh. They are located on Calton Road, just across from Waverley Station – really handy for travelling to.
The Melting Pot offers a variety of options, from a half-day desk all the way up to advanced monthly packages, with unlimited access, a fixed desk and storage.
They also have meeting rooms to hire out, which could be a great opportunity for you and your colleagues to get together, even if you’re not working from the same space every day.
You can apply for their coworking membership here.
Read more about the pros and cons of working from home vs getting an office for your small business.
Kingsford Office
26 Dublin Street, EH3 6NN
Services: fixed desk, hotdesk, meeting rooms, virtual office, serviced office
Rates: from £330 (+VAT) unlimited membership, £170 (+VAT) for 5 day membership or £65 (+VAT) day pass
Love the luxury feel of Edinburgh’s New Town but don’t want to spend thousands of pounds on your own office space? Try the Kingsford Office co-working space instead.
As well as the usual hotdesking facilities, Kingsford Office offers serviced offices for larger teams and virtual office services (like mail handling and call forwarding).
Becoming a member also comes with a lot of perks! You’ll receive discounts on a number of prestigious brands and businesses including 20% off Montpellier bars and restaurants, 20% off Phoenix Fitness Edinburgh and a free Enterprise Rent-A-Car membership.
Tribe Porty
19 Windsor Place, EH15 2AJ
Services: fixed desk, hotdesk, office and studio space, event space hire
Rates: from £190 fixed desk (pcm – 12-month minimum contract), £32 hotdesk (for two days a month) or £155 unlimited hotdesk (pcm). Book a one-day pass for £18 to try it out. Office/studio space from £250 (pcm – 12 month minimum contract)
Located in Portobello for a more relaxed office environment, Tribe Porty has a great community feel to it. Perfect for creatives and makers, this co-working office has been designed to encourage creativity and collaborative projects.
There are a range of co-working options at Tribe Porty including fixed desks, hotdesking, meeting rooms, office spaces and venue hire. To test the water and see if it’s the right fit for you, you can book a one-day pass for £18.
There are also three event spaces as part of the building, which anyone with a 5-day+ membership will receive a discount on.
Tribe Porty also has its own podcast, Working for Progress! You can listen here.
Custom Lane
1 Customs Wharf, EH6 6AL
Services: fixed desk, hotdesk, studio space, event space, meeting rooms
Rates: from £200 fixed desk (pcm), £175 hotdesk (pcm) or £10 hotdesk (per day)
Looking for a trendy co-working space in Leith? Custom Lane could be just what you’ve been searching for!
Located by the water at Customs Wharf, Custom Lane is an incredibly creative space. It’s described on their website as “an evolving, collaborative experiment in creating the most engaging, enriching and enjoyable work environment for designers and design-led makers in Scotland” – a really lovely summary, which highlights the strong feeling of community found here.
Custom Lane also has fantastic exhibition space, making it an ideal fit if you work in design. Collaborating and co-working with fellow designers could be endlessly inspiring!
Codebase
37a Castle Terrace, EH1 2EL
Services: fixed desk, hotdesk, meeting rooms, office hire, events and workshop space
Rates: from £270 fixed desk or £50 hotdesk (pcm) or £10 hotdesk (per day)
Codebase could be the perfect co-working office for you if you’re a startup, a tech company or a small business involved in the digital sector.
There are several flexible options here to suit your needs and budget. You can, for example, hire a fixed desk or pay for monthly or daily hotdesking.
Codebase hosts lots of events so it’s great for networking or meeting like-minded small businesses.
Since their launch in 2014, they’ve grown fast and made a real impact. By 2024 they’ve supported over 500 startups/scaleups, helped create 3000+ new jobs and their members have raised a total of over $4.8 billion.
Strathmore
10 York Place, EH1 3EP Edinburgh
Services: Dedicated desk, mail handling, meeting facilities
Rates: £250pcm* (*initial sign-up term for the lounge membership is two months, monthly rolling thereafter, and with a one-month notice period. Pricing is excluding VAT.)
Based in the city centre, just a few minutes away from Waverley Station, Strathmore is a really lovely space. Signing up for a membership, you’ll receive a dedicated desk (with Wifi, of course), lockers, meeting facilities, a registered business address and access to their team during the working week.
With flexible access, you can come and go as you please! The space has relaxed seating options as well as dedicated desks. A nice option for a less busy day, and a good opportunity to mingle and chat with other coworkers!
Spaces
1 Lochrin Square, 92 – 98 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, EH3 9QA
Services: Dedicated desk, hot desking, private offices, mail handling, meeting rooms
Rates: Starting at £129 for 5 days per month for co-working, from £259 per month for a dedicated desk, from £89 per month for a virtual office and starting at £305 for a private office
Located in the heart of the city, the Spaces Lochrin Square co-working office is open for enquiries and a great option for every need. The space remains open 24/7 for members with a dedicated desk or private office. So whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, Spaces can accommodate you!
Another perk is that Spaces is part of the IWG network – “the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace”. Through your membership, you’ll gain complimentary access to thousands of other coworking spaces across the globe! Learn more here.
Clockwise
Commercial Quay, 84 Commercial St, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6LX
Services: Dedicated desk, hot desking, private offices, virtual office/mail handling, meeting rooms
Rates: Starting at £135 per month for hot desking, from £275 per month for a dedicated desk, from £50 per month for a virtual office and starting at £300 per month for a private office
Clockwise is a well known name in the coworking space world! With locations all across Europe, it’s another one with multiple options to suit different business needs!
You can book a hotdesk (or work from their snazzy mezzanine), hire a dedicated desk or a private office, or use it as a virtual office for a business address and mail handling.
You’ll enjoy high-speed WiFi, 24/7 access, onsite parking and a dedicated office support team. They have two meeting rooms to fit up to fifteen people each, and breakout areas/lounges for you to mix and mingle with others.
Located in Leith, it’s in a great location, and the flexibility to move through the options (perhaps starting with a hot desk and then eventually hiring a dedicated desk) is great.
Evergreen Studio
3 Tweeddale Court, 14 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1TE
Services: Dedicated desk, business address, meeting facilities
Rates: £220pcm
Located just off the Royal Mile (5-minute walk from Waverley Station and the main bus routes), Evergreen Studio is another fantastic coworking option.
No hot desking opportunities here, but you will get a dedicated desk, with 24/7 access and meeting facilities.
There’s a kitchen, outdoor terrace, printing facilities and a shared bookshelf/library (love this!). They also host monthly socials which is a nice way to socialise if you work solo. This includes coffee & cake and a pub quiz team!
It’s independently run, with up to 8 professionals sharing the space at any time.
Co/Space (my very own coworking space!)
Queensferry Street Studios, 10 Queensferry Street, EH2 4PG
Services: Dedicated desk with 24/7 access
Rates: £167/month plus utilities (approx. £30)
I personally love having like-minded people around me, so I started Co/Space, a small but perfectly shaped creative coworking space in Edinburgh. If you’re a desk-based freelancer, small business owner or remote worker in need of a relaxed and friendly space to work from, Co/Space might be for you!
It’s a dog-friendly space, with 24/7 access, just ten minutes from Haymarket train station. You’ll have a dedicated desk, fast broadband/WiFi, storage space and the use of the kitchen and meeting room. We’re a friendly, creative bunch (up to 6 people at any time) who believe in collaboration over competition!
Sound good? Find out about the studio and any availabilities here.
It’s also worth noting that other major, well-known co-working spaces with locations in most cities (like Regus and WeWork) have spaces for hire here in Edinburgh too!
There you have it – my top picks for co-working offices for small businesses in Edinburgh! Whether you’re looking for somewhere to set up a regular base, or an office to pop in and out of whenever it suits you, there is an option in the city to suit every need.
KEEP READING
To read more about this topic, have a look at these:
The Best (Online) Networking Events in Edinburgh
Where to Get Small Business Support in Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s Best Work-Friendly Cafés
Should You Work From Home or Get an Office?
