Edinburgh Prison

Tel: 0131 444 3000 – M33 Stenhouse Road, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH11 3LN

HMP Edinburgh is situated on the west side of the city, and holds both adult males and females. It has an operational capacity of 870, and takes in mostly offenders from the local courts of Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders; however, it also occasionally takes in offenders from the Fife area. The establishment is often referred to as ‘Saughton Prison’ due to the area it’s situated in. If you’re visiting HMP Edinburgh and would like directions, please refer to the map on this page.

Tel: 0131 444 3000

Operational capacity: 870

33 Stenhouse Road, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH11 3LN

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Here’s some facts about Edinburgh Prison

HMP Edinburgh is a male’s prison in the Stenhouse area of Edinburgh. Opened in 1920, the prison has capacity to hold 872 inmates.

HMP Edinburgh has four Houseblocks; Ingliston, Hermiston, Glenesk and Ratho and a Separation and Reintegration Unit.

On the 4^th of July 2017, a report found that over 100 prisoners were claiming to be Jewish so they could receive better meals. The kosher meals they receive are four times more expensive than the regular meals, and is believed to have sparked from prison drama Orange Is the New Black, in which a character called Cindy Hayes converted to Judaism as she believes she will get “better quality food”, but kosher foods outlaw pork and shellfish, and no meat and dairy can be prepared together.

To view the latest HMIPS inspection report, click here.

Visiting times are varied between each Houseblock. For more information, click here.

More Facts

FACT 1

The prison has an ancient history and dates back to 1386, when it was called ‘The Old Tolbooth’.

FACT 2

One of the prison’s more notable inmates is Stephen Gough, also known as the ‘naked rambler’, who has been repeatedly incarcerated for public nudity.

FACT 3

A transgender female inmate, who is biologically male, was moved out of a female jail after having sex with the female inmates in there. She was housed in a female wing in HMP Edinburgh.