Sitting immediately above them in the table are Leinster and Connacht, while Munster and Ulster are fifth and sixth respectively, leaving Alan Solomons' side sandwiched by Irish provinces.
Ireland also features heavily in their run-in, with Edinburgh set to visit both Munster and Leinster inside their final three regular-season games.
And Scotland scrum-half Hidalgo-Clyne admits those high-stakes clashes are likely to determine his side's play-off fate.
"We have to make sure we take points from the Irish teams during the rest of the campaign," he told the Daily Record.
"We must impose ourselves on all the big sides now that we don't have to worry about Glasgow.
"Our prime target is to finish in the top six, which would guarantee us a place in the Champions Cup, but we also want to make it into the title play-offs by ending in the top four.
"We were eighth in each of the last two campaigns but we are now heading in an upward direction."
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Guinness PRO12 Edinburgh News
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