What’s Available and What It Costs – Daily Business

Last updated: July 2026

Waverley sits in a valley between the Old and New Town, so wherever you’re staying or heading, you’re rarely more than a ten-minute walk from a bag-drop. Your options split two ways: the staffed Excess Baggage Company desk inside the station, and app-booked storage in nearby shops and hotels, which starts from around £2.99 per bag per day through Stasher, with a few hosts from £1.49. This guide matches each to a common Edinburgh scenario so you can pick on cost and convenience.

Key facts

• Waverley is Edinburgh’s central station, at the eastern end of Princes Street Gardens and directly below the Old Town.
• The station has a staffed left-luggage desk run by the Excess Baggage Company, near the Calton Road entrance by Platform 2, open 07:00 to 23:00.
• App-booked storage places your bag with a nearby business. Stasher lists 90+ locations across Edinburgh in shops and hotels, many within a short walk of Waverley, from around £2.99 per bag per day, with a few hosts from £1.49.
• Stasher charges one flat price per bag covering a 24-hour window, fixed at booking, with no size or weight surcharge (oversized items at the standard rate).
• Stasher’s guarantee stretches to £10,000 per booking at no extra charge, with a £1,000 maximum per bag, for theft or damage. It won’t pay out on valuables, though: electronics and travel documents are excluded and stay your responsibility.
• Always check each location’s opening hours against your train time. A late train can leave you locked out of a shop-based drop-off.

Storage by scenario

Different trips need different storage. Here’s how the main options stack up.

 

Option	Type	Location	Price	Hours	Booking
Excess Baggage Company desk	Staffed counter, on station	Near the Calton Road entrance, by Platform 2	Roughly £7.50 for up to three hours and about £12.50 per item for 24 hours; confirm at the counter, as the operator only shows prices in its booking flow	07:00 to 23:00 daily	Walk in or pre-book
Stasher	App-booked shops and hotels	90+ locations across Edinburgh, including the Old and New Town	From around £2.99 per bag per day (a few hosts from £1.49)	Mix of open 24/7 and open till late, set by each partner	Website or app, in advance
Bounce	App-booked partner shops	Central Edinburgh; check the app for live coverage	Per bag, per day; the app shows the current rate	Set by each partner	App in advance
Radical Storage	App-booked partner shops	Central Edinburgh; check the app for live coverage	Per bag, per day; the app shows the current rate	Set by each partner	App in advance
LuggageHero	App-booked partner shops	Check the app for live Edinburgh coverage	Hourly or daily depending on the city; the app shows the current rate	Set by each partner	App in advance

Early arrival before check-in

You’re off the sleeper or an early train and your hotel won’t take you until three. You want to drop the bags and go, ideally without doubling back.

The staffed desk by Platform 2 is the shortest walk from your carriage. You pay per item, hand the bag over, and collect later. The trade-off is queues at peak times and fixed staffed hours: it opens at 07:00 and closes at 23:00.

If your hotel or activity is up in the Old Town or along George Street, a partner shop closer to your destination can save you the return trip. Stasher lists partner businesses across both the Old and New Town, and you can see the map of drop-off points around the station on Stasher’s site. Book before you arrive so the location is expecting you.

A Fringe or festival day-trip

August turns Edinburgh into one long crowd. You’ve come in for the day, you’ve got a rucksack and maybe a coat you’ll regret bringing, and you want your hands free for the Royal Mile and the venues.

For a single day, the per-bag total matters more than anything. Storage booked through Stasher starts from around £2.99 per bag, with a few hosts from £1.49, and that rate covers the entire day while the location is open, so a light day-tripper with one bag often pays less than a family with four. The other apps start close to the same figure, so let the drop-off point decide, not the brand. Book one near your first show, not near the station, so you’re not walking against the crowd twice. Check the closing time carefully: some Waverley-area points are open 24/7, others only till late, and Fringe programming runs past eleven.

The staffed desk suits you if you’re catching a late train home and want a spot that needs no app, though remember it shuts at 23:00.

An overnight layover or long gap between trains

You’ve a wait of several hours, or you’re breaking a journey and want to see the city before an evening connection.

Here the calculation is simple. Per-bag pricing means a multi-bag group can add up, so compare the total across your bags rather than the headline rate. The staffed desk is a safe bet for a same-day collection because you’re not tied to a shop’s shorter hours. If you’re storing overnight and collecting the next morning, confirm the drop-off point opens early enough for your train; the station desk doesn’t open until 07:00.

Whichever you choose, keep the collection reference or receipt to hand and photograph your bags before you leave them.

How the two types differ

The staffed left-luggage desk is manned, takes walk-ins or pre-bookings, and keeps set hours (07:00 to 23:00 at Waverley). You hand the bag to a person. Good for short same-day storage and for travellers who’d rather not use an app.

App-based storage (Bounce, LuggageHero, Radical Storage, Stasher and others) books you into a local business that stores your bag. You reserve online, get an address and a code or reference, and drop off within that business’s opening hours. Good for storing near your destination rather than the station, and for planning ahead.

The apps differ more on strengths than on price. Bounce runs the biggest network of the group, so it tends to give you the widest pick of drop-off points. Radical Storage is at its densest in European cities and charges one flat rate whatever the size of the bag. LuggageHero is the one built for short holds, with hourly pricing in some cities.

Around Waverley, Stasher shows a 4.8 out of 5 rating from more than 2,700 reviews. All bookings are made through its website or app rather than on the door; booking online is what activates the guarantee: up to £10,000 in cover per booking at no extra charge, with a £1,000 maximum per bag. Saving money is not the argument for it: around Waverley the gap between the apps’ starting rates amounts to small change. What Stasher offers is a total fixed at booking, cover that comes included, and free cancellation before drop-off. The 24-hour window cuts the other way too: a two-hour stop costs the same as a full day, and a provider that bills by the hour can beat it on a genuinely brief hold.

Frequently asked

Is there left luggage at Edinburgh Waverley station?

Yes. The Excess Baggage Company runs a staffed desk inside the station, near the Calton Road entrance by Platform 2, open 07:00 to 23:00. Beyond that, Stasher lists 90+ app-booked locations across Edinburgh in shops and hotels, many within a short walk of the station.

How much does luggage storage near Waverley cost?

The staffed desk charges per item and by duration: roughly £7.50 for up to three hours and about £12.50 for 24 hours, though the operator only displays prices in its booking flow, so confirm when you book. Stasher’s nearby points start from around £2.99 per bag per day (a few hosts from £1.49), one flat price per bag with no size or weight surcharge.

Can I store my bag overnight?

Yes, most options allow multi-day storage billed per day. For an overnight drop-off, confirm the collection point’s opening time the next morning matches your train: the station desk opens at 07:00, and shop-based partners may open later.

Which is cheaper, a staffed counter or an app?

App storage usually wins for a full day: from around £2.99 per bag through Stasher (a few hosts from £1.49), against roughly £12.50 per item for 24 hours at the desk. For a stop of an hour or two, the desk’s short-stay tier narrows the gap and spares you an app. Either way, tally the total across all your bags rather than the headline rate, and confirm the desk price when you book.

Do I need to book in advance?

Yes, for the apps. Radical Storage, Bounce and LuggageHero are booked through their apps, and Stasher takes bookings online through its website or app; walk-up drop-offs aren’t part of its service. The staffed desk takes walk-ins, though pre-booking can save you a queue at busy times such as the Fringe.

Where’s the nearest drop-off to the Royal Mile?

The Old Town sits directly above the station, so several partner businesses are within a short uphill walk of the Royal Mile. Use a provider’s map to pick the point closest to your first stop rather than the station itself.

Is app-based storage safe for a full day out?

Theft and damage are covered up to £10,000 per booking through Stasher at no extra charge, with a £1,000 maximum per bag; the usual exclusions apply, so anything irreplaceable is best kept on your person. Photograph your bags before handing them over and keep your receipt or code. Other providers set their own cover, so check the terms before booking.

Are the competitors available in Edinburgh?

Bounce, LuggageHero and Radical Storage all operate through local partners, but coverage changes by city. Check each app for live Edinburgh locations before you plan around it.

Before you go

Match the storage to the trip. The staffed desk by Platform 2 is simplest for a short same-day gap and needs no app. App-booked storage lets you drop bags near your destination and plan ahead, which helps most during festival crowds. Whichever you pick, check the opening hours against your train and hold on to your receipt or reference.