Edinburgh car parks: Edinburgh is named the worst place to park in UK

Edinburgh has come bottom of the league in a survey of the best cities in the UK for parking.

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The UK Car Parking Index said parking spaces in the Capital were "limited" and "pricey". But Edinburgh was given credit for the number of electric vehicle charging points in its car parks.

The survey, published by Select Car Leasing, studied 12 UK cities and their major car parks. It looked at the number of car parks available, the number of car park spaces, the average price for one day of parking, the number of electric charging points and disabled spaces, and an analysis of Google reviews.

The report said: “Parking spots can sometimes seem few and far between. Whether drivers are heading out for a day of shopping, brunching, exploring a city’s sights, or simply commuting to work it shouldn’t be overshadowed by the stress of finding a parking space. That’s why we have created the UK Car Parking Index, to determine the best cities for parking.”

Once all the factors were taken into consideration, Edinburgh emerged with an overall score of less than 30 out of 70.

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The survey found Edinburgh had 7,292 parking spaces in the 15 car parks closest to the city centre. And it said the average cost of parking for a day was £16.52. It also found there were 84 designated disabled spaces in these car parks and 94 electric vehicle charging points.

The survey found parking in Edinburgh was "limited" and "pricey".

The report said: “Our data shows that the worst city for parking in the UK is Edinburgh. Edinburgh scored just 29.6/70 due to various car parks offering limited spaces, and the biggest ones being very pricey. The city's largest car park costs £26 for the day which might be more expensive than a train ticket in some cases.”

Birmingham was named the best city for parking with a total score of 35.6 out of 70. The report said motorists could park centrally for just £13.50 a day. Nottingham came second with 35.5 out of 70 and Bristol third with 34.6 out of 70.

Joining Edinburgh in the bottom three were London on 31.9 out of 70 and Sheffield on 30.8 out of 70. When the survey looked at which city was best for disabled parking, Edinburgh emerged as 11th out of 12, scoring 0.9 out of 10, with only London performing worse with zero out of 10.

But Edinburgh did well for the number of electric vehicle charging points in its car parks. The Capital was second only to Leeds as the best city for parking an electric or hybrid car in the UK.

Edinburgh emerged as the worst city in which to park in the UK.

The report said: “Those driving electric vehicles can find an abundance of charging points at NWR Edinburgh Waverley Station Long Stay Car Park that scored 10/10 and Fountain Park Entertainment Centre Car Park with a score of 9.3/10.”