It may or may not have escaped your notice that I moved to Edinburgh in August. One of my absolute favourite characteristics of this city is that there are a plethora of walks to enjoy. Since it has now been five months since that I moved here, I thought it would be nice to share my favorite places to escape the city for a bit. Armed with a home-brewed cup of coffee, I prepared a list of beautiful and relaxing places to walk in Edinburgh or around the Edinburgh area.
Arthur’s Seat
Arthur’s Seat can be spotted standing tall and proud in the picture from The Edinburgh Grand above. This was the first walk I did when I visited Edinburgh about two years ago. It still remains a
Blackford Hill
If you want the beautiful sight of Edinburgh stretched out before you, but don’t feel like getting up early or braving the crowds at Arthur’s Seat, Blackford Hill is the perfect walk for you. You won’t be as high up as you would be at Arthur’s Seat. But the walk is slightly longer as you’ll walk through a park before you start climbing the hill. The walk is very enjoyable and much less touristy. You will probably be joined by locals walking their dogs.
The Water of Leith Walkway
The Leith Walkway is one of those walks where you’re still right in the middle of the city, but it doesn’t really feel like it. The walkway is about 12 miles long and goes all the way from Balerno to Leith, passing some of my favourite areas in the city, such as Stockbridge and Dean Village. When I did this walk I started out in Dean Village and just followed the trail from there. I really recommend this walk as it is really nice and picturesque and you get to see the city of Edinburgh in a different light.
North Berwick
This walk is out of the city itself, but it is so nice that I really couldn’t leave it out. North Berwick is about a 40-minute drive from the city. When you arrive you’ll make your way through the woods before arriving at the beach, where you get to walk alongside the shore for quite a while. When I was there the tide was really high, but there’s usually quite a stretch of beach to enjoy! North Berwick is a great place to get out of the city for a bit.
That’s a wrap! If you know of any other walks that I might enjoy, feel free to recommend them to me!
I climbed Arthur’s Seat when I visited a few years ago. It was gorgeous!
Have you been to the Highlands at all?
Author
The view from Arthur’s Seat is so beautiful! I cannot recommend it enough!
Yes! I’ve travelled around the Highlands for three weeks. I’ve gone all the way up north and visited Isle of Skye. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. I’m hoping to plan another trip soon with friends. Have you visited the Highlands?
I haven’t been to the Highlands yet but I’m pre-planning a trip there! I’m hoping to go to Glencoe, Skye, Inverness, and maybe a few other places in between.
Author
Oh! That sounds great! I can recommend all of these places. Glencoe is beautiful and if you’re in Inverness I’d highly really recommend Culloden Battlefield. You can walk anywhere in the Highlands, but if you’d want to climb a mountain I can recommend Ben Nevis from experience. I didn’t make it all the way to the top because the weather turned quite suddenly and made it too dangerous to continue. The climb can be a bit challenging at some points, but it’s well worth it!