Afternoon Tea at Prestonfield House

Prestonfield is a baroque, richly decorated 17th-century house set in its own grounds, complete with resident peacocks, a short drive from the city centre. Its afternoon tea changes with the seasons and, per the official menu, spans finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, home-baked cakes and savouries, with Champagne and Gusbourne sparkling upgrades available. Indicative pricing is around £70 per person for the standard tea, rising to roughly £85 with a glass of Champagne. It lands just behind the Signet Library: the food and service are firmly in the same five-star bracket and reviewers single out the romance of the setting, but it scores lower on accessibility because you will want a taxi rather than a walk from Waverley. Choose it over the two above when atmosphere and seclusion matter more than a central location.