I only did a small portion of the 22 mile long walk, but the section I waked was lovely, and a nice…read moregreen corridor within a bustling city. I started at Dean Village, and walked through Dean Garden to the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. It was a nice alternative to walking the city streets or taking transport to the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, which was my destination. It took me just about an hour at an easy stroll with brief stops to take a few pictures. I sent a few of those pictures to some girlfriends and their comments were, "It's like you're in a storybook" and "Gorgeous, that can't be real." Take a look at the pictures and see if you agree. Or better yet, take a walk and see for yourself!

The Water of Leith is my happy place…read more Anytime I'm having an off day, it's a perfect little refuge just steps from my door for a wander and a think. The fact that you can traverse most of the city via its paths? Well sheesh, like I needed another reason to love Edinburgh...

Ok, for those who don't know. Go Ape is like an obstacle course, except you're 60ft up in the air…read morein the trees attached by a pair of ropes. You have the cross various increasingly tricky bridges between trees, and get to descend on a number of tarzan swings and zip lines. AND IT IS TOTALLY AWESOME!!! ahem. I'm definitely a thrill seeker kinda guy, and while this is long way from base jumping insanity, it's an awful lot of fun. thanks to the careful instruction of our trainer at the start of the course, and the fairly tight strapping in of the harness you're given, you never feel in *real* danger, but jaysus some of it is *rather* hairy! the highlight of the whole course is the finishing zipline. You get to wheeeeeee across a big valley! They views are a little breathtaking, it does feel a little like flying. Go Ape Glentress is a great day out from Edinburgh, it's not a million miles away, but it feels like a great day out. I'd definitely recommend it, and I'm desperate to go back!

Nuffield is a small quiet gym with friendly staff who will help you wherever required and help you…read moreset up a training plan. The gym itself is in need of a makeover with some of the machines starting to show signs of wear and tear, sometimes not working properly. Merits four stars on its pool however, which is great. The sauna, steam room and jacuzzi all also up to a high standard. Kids have allocated times so it's generally nice and quiet. Prices are quite high but I think standard for private gym memberships. You can however, like me, take on a three month membership to see how motivated you are (£40p/m). Discounts also if you work for the local council or take on a 12 month option. Other facilities on offer are busy classes timetable, salon and tanning and a cafe area with free wi-fi.

Small comfortable swimming pool a Sunday kids club and a great gym and swimming supply's when you…read morego in and free wifi.

Have been a few times to this skatepark over the last few months and had a consistently awesome…read moretime on each visit. Even though I'm pretty rubbish so far I've never been scoffed at or felt unwanted and park regulars have been happy to watch me ride and give little tips and tricks Staff are super friendly and chatty. Park is well maintained and foam pit is always open. At night there is no cafe to get snacks so bring snacks and drinks with you. Kit bags can be stored on the mum and dad benches right beside the track and I've always felt safe leaving my semi valuables in my bag there. Was particularly impressed tonight when a member of staff (Pete I think) challenged me to a shot in the foam pit. Me?!? Scary stuff! However I like to live by 'if it's not scary it's not fun' so I was game for a wee adrenaline buzz. Normally they would charge for personal tuition but this lovely man coached myself and two other adults into the pit. He even got a backflip out of one of us! Please give it a try if you're up for a laugh. BMX, scooters and skateboards can be rented from staff. Lessons can be booked if you feel really unsafe. You'll have a great time. Just remember a helmet - brains are important!

It wasn't on our itinerary but on our first day in Scotland driving around in circles on the wrong…read moreside of the road (sorry to all the old folk, children who had to run for their lives along the way) we noticed these huge wind turbines on the far horizon, first one, then two, then eight until we saw the whole farm - all 42 turbines! We had to see them up close so we zigged & zagged through the countryside until we got up close to them along Dura Road near Forth, some maps say South Cobbinshaw, either way it is in South Lanarkshire and you really can't miss 'em! Some sources say you can access them by Climpy Road too, we noticed going up Dura Road that there were a couple of spots to park with trails managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. One trail leads to the Darmead - Linn Covenanters Monument part of Scottish religious history / struggles, the trail takes you though some moors and you can hear the faint sound of "American Werewolf in London" if you get out of the car & listen carefully. Beware the moors! We chosed to just travel up the road by car until we hit the end of it right by the entrance of a small farm, along the way we saw tons of sheep & coos (Scots for cow), I couldn't believe how close we got to the turbines and how peaceful it was up on the law (Scots for hill) though breezy. Well worth a drive to see a reclaimed coal mine now serving a dual role as a wind farm & bird sanctuary with hiking trails. I should point out that the farm generates 97 MW of electricity or roughly enough power to provide for 70,000 homes from a clean renewable source.

What a great hike! Easy enough and walkable from the majority of Edinburgh. You can take a few…read moredifferent paths to get to the summit. We took the one on the edge of the cliff and it was steep, so maybe avoid that one. There is one that takes a dirt path that is a little less steep to get up to Arthur's Seat. This summit provides a beautiful panoramic view of Edinburgh. Open 24/7, it's definitely worth a visit (maybe even more than once!)

I have hiked Arthur's Seat, an ancient volcano, a few times and it's not for the faint of heart…read more But if you want a challenging workout with fantastic views of Edinburgh as your reward, this is for you! There are a few different ways to make your way up to the top. For first timers, I would suggest taking the route near Holyrood Palace which, while not easy, is more gentle than the route near Pollock Halls. My first time up, I took the latter and ended up climbing up boulders - which felt a bit precarious. No matter which way you go up, bring lots of water and wear shoes with good traction. You will definitely feel like you accomplished something when you reach the top. And, as I mentioned, the views are spectacular! At the summit, I always make a point to touch both the white triangulation pillar and the bronze geographical indicator. On our most recent trip, it was April so the weather was perfect! The previous time, we hiked it in August when it was a little too warm and we were greeted by swarms of midges at the top!

Although it's a bit of a drive to get to, this is a gorgeous place to spend a say wandering among…read morethe trees. Definitely worth a trip

Prestige Golf Vacations Scotland offers high quality golf tours to Scotland, the home of golf.read more