Hidden away at the foot of a steep cobbled hill, with the Water of Leith lapping beside it, and surrounded by verdant greenery, it's easy to forget that Dean Village is but a mere five minutes walk from the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh City Centre. It is also near Edinburgh New Town and Stockbridge.

The name of the village comes from the word dene meaning "deep valley." In addition to the small business offices and residential tenement flats (the main block is in a quad shape with a shared courtyard at the centre), there has been a fairly substantial residential development on the North side of the Water of Leith. The fact that the "village" has few public amenities - shops, pubs, and restaurants are at the top of the hill on Queensferry Street - has helped it retain its sleepy, picturesque character.

The Water of Leith shared walkway and cycleway connects the village. You can also see vestiges of its grain milling heyday, which continued for up to 8 centuries. Up to eight mills were once grinding away here powererd by the strong currents of the Water of Leith. One of the old mill buildings can be found directly under the monumental Dean Bridge, built in 1832, to the design of Edinburgh engineer Thomas Telford.

Dean Village is close to the Dean Gallery and Edinburgh's Gallery of Modern Art. The faux temple of St Bernard's Well is a short walk North along the Water of Leith.