In this story:
- City sketching with Mark, the Edinburgh Sketcher, in New Town
- Wheel throwing at Bottega Ceramica — a solo-friendly pottery class in Leith
- Candle making with Candle Creations, Bruntsfield
- Scottish Mezze Cooking Workshop with Edinburgh Food Social
- Glass painting — Edinburgh’s most affordable solo class
- Silver clay jewellery making in the New Town
- Paint and sip with Paintvine — the class most Edinburgh first-timers start with
- What’s it actually like to go to a craft class on your own in Edinburgh?
- Which Edinburgh class suits your solo weekend?
There's a particular kind of nervousness that comes with trying to find fun things to do in Edinburgh for one. Not "will I be any good at this" nervousness — more "will I be the only person there without a partner or a friend group" nervousness. It's a fair worry, and it's also one that almost nobody writing about classes in Edinburgh actually addresses.
So here it is, properly: eight creative classes Edinburgh has to offer that actually work solo, not just classes that technically allow a single booking. For each one, you'll get a sense of the typical group size, whether the class naturally involves chatting with strangers or working quietly on your own, and whether solo attendees are common or a rarity. That's the information that actually matters when you're deciding whether to go alone — and it's not something any voucher platform or class listing page tends to spell out.
City sketching with Mark, the Edinburgh Sketcher, in New Town
Mark Kirkham spent years working as a graphic designer before going back to what he did as a kid: filling sketchbooks with the everyday sights around him. He's been doing it properly for over a decade now, sketching Edinburgh in ink and watercolour, and he's well-known locally for it — you may well recognise his work before you recognise his name.
His City Centre Sketching Tours with the Edinburgh Sketcher start at The Arienas Collective in the New Town, working through a handful of his favourite spots while he talks you through perspective, depth and composition. You’ll start with quick five-minute warm-up exercises before working up to something more detailed, and the whole thing is built for any skill level, including absolute beginners. One of our crafters, Louise Harkness, said of the class:
Mark was very kind and approachable, and welcoming to all skill levels. He provided all the materials we needed, and also shared the details of these in case we wanted to buy them for ourselves after the session. I learnt a lot about shading, perspective, and kindly embracing my mistakes. I really enjoyed the session and would recommend this Edinburgh experience to other artists at any skill level!
Price: £45 per person
Duration: 2.5 hours
Solo experience: very common — it’s a walking tour, so you’re naturally spread out and working independently even within a group; conversation happens in pockets rather than constantly
Wheel throwing at Bottega Ceramica — a solo-friendly pottery class in Leith
Bottega Ceramica is run by Chiara Dorbolò, an architect and ceramist trained across Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, who teaches from a sunny studio inside the Edinburgh Open Workshop in Leith. The name comes from the Italian word for a traditional workshop where craftspeople trained under a master, and that’s roughly the spirit of the class: small groups, hands-on guidance, and plenty of room to actually learn rather than just watch.
Groups are capped at four, so even on a busy day you’re getting real one-to-one attention rather than being one of a dozen people fighting for the teacher’s eye. The Wheel Throwing Taster Class Edinburgh has you centre and shape clay on the wheel, then choose your favourite piece to be glazed and fired. It’s a properly absorbing two hours — the kind where you forget to check your phone.
Price: £60 per person (public class) or £90 for a private session
Duration: 2 hours
Solo experience: common, and well-suited to it — the small class size means the teacher’s attention is properly shared between everyone, solo or not, and the wheel itself is a one-person-at-a-time activity regardless of who else is in the room
Candle making with Candle Creations, Bruntsfield
Candle Creations is a women-owned studio tucked into Bruntsfield, and their Candle Making Workshop Edinburgh is one of the most reviewed candle classes in the city for a reason: it’s straightforward, well-organised, and properly fun even if you’ve never melted a bit of wax in your life. You’ll make a large container candle from your pick of over 50 fragrances, two tealights you can decorate yourself, a scented wax ornament, and a seasonal candle that varies depending on when you book.
Price: £65 per person
Duration: around 2 hours
Solo experience: common — each person works on their own set of candles regardless of group size, so there’s no awkward pairing-off, and the studio’s casual, drop-in feel makes it easy to come alone
Scottish Mezze Cooking Workshop with Edinburgh Food Social
Edinburgh Food Social is a social enterprise built specifically around the idea that good food should bring people together, solo bookings very much included — their own description puts it plainly: come solo, bring friends, or make it a date, everyone’s welcome. They’ve recently picked up a Responsible Business of the Year award from the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, and they keep a couple of spaces in every class free for people from the local Craigmillar community.
The Scottish Mezze Cooking Workshop Edinburgh takes Scottish produce — local vegetables, sustainably sourced fish, artisan Scottish cheeses — and runs it through a Mediterranean mezze lens, so you’ll end up with a table of small plates rather than one big dish. Expect to learn how to balance bold flavours and season properly, and to leave with a set of recipes you’ll actually use again.
Price: £90 per person
Duration: ask for exact timing when booking
Solo experience: built into the format — this is a shared-table class by design, so going alone means you’re cooking alongside other people regardless, which suits anyone who’d like some company without committing to bringing their own
Glass painting — Edinburgh’s most affordable solo class
If you’d rather dip a toe in before committing to something pricier, this is the one. Run by That’s Pure Glass from The Raging Bull on Lothian Road, the Glass Painting Workshop Edinburgh is the cheapest class on this list by a clear margin, and there’s no minimum group size, so a solo booking is just as standard as a group one.
You’ll paint two glasses each with proper glass paint, with the option to bring your own drink along given it’s held in a pub. It’s relaxed and low-stakes, the kind of class where nobody’s watching what you’re doing too closely, which makes it an easy first solo booking if the idea still feels a bit daunting.
Price: £24–£26 per person
Duration: around 2 hours
Solo experience: very common, and the cheapest way to test whether solo classes are for you before booking something more involved
Silver clay jewellery making in the New Town
The splurge option on this list, and worth it if you want something that feels properly special. The Silver Clay Taster Jewellery Class Edinburgh runs from The Arienas Collective, a beautiful Georgian mews home in the historic New Town, and you’ll be taught by Anna Campbell, an Edinburgh-based metal clay jewellery expert.
You’ll mould silver clay into a pendant or earrings, fire it with a butane torch, and polish it to a proper hallmark-quality finish. It’s a focused, technical class — the firing and polishing stages need real concentration — which makes it one of the more naturally solo-friendly options here, since there’s not much room for chat once you’re mid-process anyway.
Price: £70 per person
Duration: around 3 to 4 hours
Solo experience: common — the technical, concentration-heavy nature of the class means solo attendees blend in naturally rather than standing out
Paint and sip with Paintvine — the class most Edinburgh first-timers start with
If you want your first solo class to have a bit more energy to it, this is the obvious starting point. Paintvine run their Paint and Sip Class Edinburgh sessions from the Counting House in Old Town, with a full bar on-site and a relaxed, guided painting format that doesn’t ask anyone to be technically gifted.
It’s the most social class on this list — people chat over their easels, drinks circulate, and it’s perfectly fine if you’d rather talk to your neighbour than concentrate hard on your painting. Solo bookings are common here too, since the format is built around mingling rather than pairing off.
Price: £32–£38 per person
Duration: around 2 hours
Solo experience: common, and the most naturally sociable class on this list — a good pick if part of the appeal of going solo is meeting new people rather than avoiding company altogether
What’s it actually like to go to a craft class on your own in Edinburgh?
The short answer: completely normal. Most creative classes Edinburgh runs welcome solo bookings as standard, not as an awkward exception, and the small group sizes typical of Edinburgh’s workshop scene — usually somewhere between 4 and 10 people — mean you’re never going to feel swamped or lost in a crowd.
Group sizes
Edinburgh’s creative class scene leans small. Wheel throwing at Bottega Ceramica caps at four. Silver clay jewellery runs similarly tight. Even the more sociable options like paint and sip rarely feel like a crowd, since the room is set up for individual easels rather than big shared tables. Small groups mean teachers actually notice you, solo or not.
When you arrive
You don’t need a plan. Most teachers will ask your name, point you to a seat or a station, and get you started — there’s no expectation that you’ll need to explain why you’re there alone, because plenty of people are. If you want a script, "hi, just me today" covers it entirely.
Classes that are naturally sociable
Paint and sip and the mezze cooking workshop both lean into conversation by design — a full bar in one case, a shared table in the other. If part of your reason for going alone is wanting to meet people, these two are your best bet.
Classes that are naturally quiet
Crochet, silver clay jewellery and the sketching tour all involve enough concentration that conversation happens in bursts rather than constantly. If you’d rather have company without the pressure to chat, this end of the list suits you better.
Which Edinburgh class suits your solo weekend?
You want to make something to take home
Candle making, silver clay jewellery and wheel throwing all leave you with a physical object at the end — useful if part of the appeal is having something to show for your afternoon.
You want to get outside
The sketching tour is the only class on this list that takes you out of a studio entirely, moving between locations around the New Town as you go.
You want a bit of social energy
Paint and sip and the mezze cooking workshop are both built around conversation, so lean here if you fancy some company alongside the creativity.
You want to focus quietly
Crochet, silver clay jewellery and wheel throwing all reward concentration over chat — ideal if you want a proper switch-off.
| Situation | Class | Price | Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make something physical | Candle Making Workshop Edinburgh | £65 | Bruntsfield |
| Make something physical | Silver Clay Taster Jewellery Class Edinburgh | £70 | New Town |
| Make something physical | Wheel Throwing Taster Class Edinburgh | £60–£90 | Leith |
| Get outside | City Centre Sketching Tours with the Edinburgh Sketcher | £45 | New Town (starts) |
| Social energy | Paint and Sip Class Edinburgh | £32–£38 | Old Town |
| Social energy | Scottish Mezze Cooking Workshop Edinburgh | £90 | Edinburgh |
| Focus quietly | Beginner’s Guide to Crochet Edinburgh | £29 | Edinburgh |
| Focus quietly | Glass Painting Workshop Edinburgh | £24–£26 | Lothian Road |
Going alone to a class isn’t the gamble it can feel like beforehand — most of Edinburgh’s creative classes are built for exactly this, whether you’re after a quiet afternoon of concentration or a bit of conversation with strangers who’ll probably end up being decent company. Have a browse through the full range of creative classes Edinburgh has to offer or if you’d rather bring people along after all, our craft classes for groups guide has plenty of options for that too.
Runs regularly
Edinburgh
1 to 4 guests
£65 - £85
6 years in business
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