Climbing at Alien Rock | Edinburgh, Scotland
Built into an old church on the coast of Edinburgh near Newhaven Harbour, Alien Rock (formerly Alien One) hosts top ropes, lead-climbing and a small bouldering room.
Most of the climbing is slab, with 40 top rope lines and 12 overhang lead lines if you’re experienced and looking for a challenge. There are around 200 routes that change every few months, with a variety of holds and around 3 routes per line that vary in difficulty.
The venue is super relaxed and not busy during their off-peak times (more on this below). There’s a seating area upstairs from reception that looks out onto the climbing room, so if you want to make a full morning or afternoon out of your session, pack your own snacks or grab a coffee from reception in-between climbs.
WHAT’S IN THIS POST
Getting Here
Prices & Memberships
FAQ
How to get here
Newhaven lies northeast of Edinburgh’s city centre on the coast and is easily accessible on foot or by cycling in from the city centre, by driving or through public transport.
If you’re driving, Leith’s Ocean Terminal has secure, undercover parking that’s completely free of charge and is only 1.1 miles west of Alien Rock. We recommend this to street parking as many zones are either permitted or subject to a lot of main road traffic
for maps; 74 Ocean Dr, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ
If you’re using public transport, hop on a 7, 10, 11, 16 or N11 Lothian Bus headed north, and get off at Pier Place or Fishmarket Square.
If you’re on foot or bike, we recommend heading north from the city centre via Leith Walk, and then heading east via the A901 once you’ve arrived at the Shore until you hit Newhaven. There are bike racks outside the building.
As of 2023, their opening times are Monday- Friday 10am to 10pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 7pm, but be sure to check their updated hours before you go.
Rates & Memberships
You won’t need a membership to register to climb at Alien Rock or Bloc, but they do run a couple of schemes if you’re looking to climb often.
Their white card can be bought for £25, valid for one year, and offers discounted rates per session at both Alien Rock and Alien Bloc. There are also different rates based on peak/ off-peak times. Peak times are after 4pm on weekdays and every weekend, and off peak times are before 4pm on weekdays. There are different rates for full time students, climbers over 60, unemployed, and under 16s, so if you fall under one of these categories, bring proof of age/ status to your session).
Per session, adults: £11 (peak), £9.50 (off-peak) // white card: £9 (peak), £7.50 (off-peak)
FAQ
Do I have to be an experienced climber?
As Alien Rock is unsupervised, you’ll need to be a competent/ experienced climber to register to use the facilities or be with an experienced and registered climber (competent climbers can sign in up to two people).
If you aren’t experienced but are keen to learn how to climb indoors, check out their courses on offer here. They run taster sessions, adult beginners courses that go over belaying, knots, the grading system, etc., improvers courses, leading courses and parent belay courses.
I’m a solo climber, can I still use the facilities?
If you’re flying solo, we recommend checking out Alien Rock’s bouldering location Alien Bloc. Although they do host a bouldering room in this facility, it is small, so you’ll get to experiment with more routes at their other venue. There are no auto-belays at Alien Rock.
Do they have rental equipment?
Yes- shoes, harnesses and belay devices are all available to rent per session at the reception, along with various bits of climbing kit for sale. As of 2023, boot hire is £3, harness hire is £2 and adults combined boots/harness is £4.20.
Other Climbing in Edinburgh
If you’re looking for another climbing experience in Edinburgh, check out or post on climbing at Ratho, Europe’s largest indoor climbing arena located west of the city centre. It’s less intimate as Alien Rock and less accessible if you rely on public transport or bicycle, but does have larger facilities and more options for solo climbers.
Indoor climbing can be a fantastic way to build up your strength, endurance and technical ability for trad climbs outdoors or to improve your skills within the arena. It’s a fantastic full body workout and can be a really fun cross-training exercise for athletes who compete in other adventure sports.
Happy climbing,
Sam
Hosting Europe’s largest indoor climbing arena, Edinburgh’s International Climbing Arena (EICA) in Ratho is built into quarry walls and boasts dozens of lead rope walls, an aerial assault course, and a number of bouldering spaces. Read our locals guide for more info on how to get here, membership options and courses.