Gorgie trips a lot of people up because the rules look like the city centre's but aren't. The good news: if you know one thing — that Gorgie is a weekday‑only zone — you'll park for free more often than not. Here's exactly how Gorgie Road and the streets around it work.
⏳ 14 days Got a ticket? It’s £100 — or £50 if you act within 14 days. My pay-or-appeal guide, incl. a free personal verdict on whether yours is worth fighting →Gorgie Road street parking rules
Gorgie Road, and most of the streets running off it, sit in controlled parking Zone S6 — one of Edinburgh's "extended" zones out from the centre. That means during the controlled hours you must either pay at the machine / on RingGo, or display a valid Zone S6 residents permit. The key detail people miss is the hours: unlike the city centre, S‑zones run Monday to Friday only, and stop at 5:30pm. There's no Saturday or Sunday charging at all.
Gorgie & nearby streets — the zones
| Area / street | Zone | Controlled hours |
|---|---|---|
| Gorgie Road & core Gorgie | S6 | Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm |
| Dalry (Dalry Road etc.) | S4 | Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm |
| Shandon | S5 | Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm |
| Temple Park | S3 | Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm |
They all follow the same pattern — about £4.20 an hour or less, weekdays only, free at evenings and weekends. The zone letter mainly matters for which permit a resident needs; a Zone S6 permit won't cover you in S4 or S5.
When is parking free in Gorgie?
This is where Gorgie is generous compared with town:
- Every weekday after 5:30pm — the bays revert to free, so evenings cost nothing.
- All day Saturday and all day Sunday — the S‑zones don't operate at weekends.
The only catch is the obvious one: because it's free, the popular stretches fill up, so you may need a couple of laps. And free parking on the bays doesn't excuse a yellow line — double yellows still apply round the clock.
Residents & permits
If you live in the controlled zone, you can apply to the council for a Zone S6 residents permit (and visitor permits, if eligible). The permit lets you park in the permit/shared bays during controlled hours without paying. Remember it's zone‑specific — it works in S6, not in neighbouring S4 or S5.
Free parking near Gorgie
If you'd rather not pay during the day, head a little further west, where streets become uncontrolled (free) — around Stenhouse, Saughton and Slateford. These are free all the time, though they're a longer walk from Gorgie Road's shops and Tynecastle. Our free parking guide and the map show exactly where the controlled zone ends.
Quick recap
- Zone S6, controlled Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm, about £4.20/hr or less.
- Free weekday evenings and all weekend.
- Residents: Zone S6 permit (zone‑specific).
- Free streets further west (Stenhouse / Saughton / Slateford).
- Double yellows apply at all times — even when the bays are free.
Check your exact Gorgie street
Zones change street by street. Look up any address in Gorgie to see its zone, charges and hours — and whether you can park there right now.
Check your street →Zone S6 · Gorgie / Stenhouse →