This is quite a small beach with lots of shells, it is quiet therefore more peaceful than the…read morepopular Portobello beach. There are toilets and snack van and the beautiful Fisherrrow harbour to see all the boats. Great for the kids!

Lovely beach with 1st class facilities. Clean toilet block, easy parking and an excellent food van…read more It has a real local feel about it. I take my dogs and have never seen dog mess left anywhere. It's probably down to the plentiful bins which are well located and emptied regularly. The only downside is the usual rubbish not picked up by some people. Beer cans, barbecues and packaging are all to noticeable. It's a shame but doesn't spoil the place overall. I love it there.

This park is amazing for kids, with its treehouses, bridges, chutes and climbing frames, its huge…read moreand there is so much for the kids to do and explore all its nooks and crannies, while the adults find a picnic table to relax with a bite to eat. i would love to explore this place without the kids as I'm sure there is so much more to see other than the park. It's not that difficult to get to from the centre, we got the number 3 bus from princes street but its a little bit of a walk from the bus stop to the park so be prepared for that. It was great going down to the river too and the kids enjoyed getting their feet wet and throwing stones, all in all a great day out and fun for all the family in stunning surroundings!

Dalkeith is a small town about 5 miles outside the centre of Edinburgh. Although close to Auld…read moreReekie, you wouldn't know it thanks to the sizeable green belt that Edinburgh has. Within Dalkeith is the Country Park, an oasis of 500 acres of woodland, all of which can be explored by foot, bike or even horse. Entering from Dalkeith itself, one of the first things you'll see is the adventure playground. I have visited this a couple of times with the children's charity I volunteer with, and the kids have absolutely loved it each time. There's a long slide, a wooden fort, high wooden walkways, swings, an obstacle course, all surrounded by the usual amount of bark chippings. There seems to be no end of different games and ways round the adventure playground. It will quite happily occupy you for a couple of hours. As for the rest of the grounds, if they're anything like this, then they'll be beautiful. Dalkeith Country Park, especially in the summer, is a great day out, with something for all the members of the family to enjoy. There's free parking at the Dalkeith end, and some picnic tables near the playground. There's nothing better than watching the sun set slowly with a vista looking over Dalkeith Palace. A true gem.

This is one of my favourite parks in Edinburgh, it is only small, but it is in a secluded area, so…read morenot many people come here. I generally come here to eat my fish and chips, or whatever eatery has attracted my business, to make sure that I don't get any sand in my food! It reminds me of St Andrew's Square, which I also love, but without the big statue, and with the bonus that there is a beach literally 2 minutes walk away! The park is a real sun trap and no matter what the time is, there is nothing blocking the sun out, so would be an ideal spot for lounging in the sun all day and picking up some rays. There isn't much to do for kids, which is good, which means you don't have to worry about kids shouting and screaming when you are chilling out, which sounds very scrooge-ish I know!

One of the many beautiful castles you can explore in beautiful Scotland. We loved the beautiful…read moreviews from the upper walls, the green grass all around, and all the different places to explore. Some of the rooms have little description plaques on the walls. We walked the stairways, and explored every room in the castle. It was very peaceful and serene. We definitely recommend Craigmillar Castle for any travelers in the Edinburgh area.

Although I didn't have time to see inside the castle, the exterior was enough to keep me happy…read more Will absolutely come again to explore further within. Once again a brilliant piece of history and would recommend it to anyone!

I've always wanted to visit Dr Neil's garden for quite a while and today I did and I'm so glad I…read moredid as it's such a stunning peaceful place of calm and tranquility with a beautiful view of Duddingstone loch. I especially loved the little bridge. There is a cafe too but unfortunately it was closed when we were there on Saturday but I highly recommend you visit soon.

I'm very glad a friend suggested to visit Dr Neil's gardens in Duddingston just behind Arthur's…read moreSeat in Edinburgh. There also is a little cafe, which is attached to the local 14th century Duddingston Kirk. We stopped at the café before visiting the amazingly hidden away jewel of a garden that lets you relax in a very peaceful environment and just beside Duddingston lake. An oasis indeed. I believe that the café is run by volunteers. They serve coffee/ tea and other soft drinks and cakes. There are toilets inside and outside. Prices are good. It's a jewel. Go and visit to see for yourselves It's also open during the winter, I believe.

I did return and it is still as beautiful and tranquil as ever and my luck was in when I came…read moreacross a beautiful swan nesting and I saw her eggs which was such a special moment.

Lovely local park with a big pond. Popular for dog walkers & more recently Portobello Parkrun which…read morehappens every Sat morning at 9.30. It's a free timed 5k run that involves 3 loops round the park. More info can be found on the Parkrun website

This is a fairly large and other than dog walkers fairly underused park. The park is dominated by…read moretwo 11-a-side football pitches and a cricket pitch (though currently those football pitches are out of action due to building works). Both of these are generally underused and 9 times out of 10 you will find them completely empty - you're almost assured an 11-a-side pitch to yourself. If we decide to play a friendly match we almost always come down here and we've never had problems with other people being on the pitch. The only downside is that in wetter times water pools on the pitch which can be a bit of an issue when the ball ends up in these pools. The greatest highlight, especially in winter, is a small basketball court with goals and it is here that I spent most of last year playing 3-a-side football. They can get a bit crowded with more people, but for 3-a-side it cannot be beaten (think of it as a small Power League pitch). Their greatest asset is the surrounding walls which stop most of the balls going wide. All in all, this is probably what I miss most about where I used to live and we could visit here 2 or 3 times a week. The only downside is that you do get a few lads drinking or smoking down here, but we've given them a game on occasions and they seemed decent enough.

Dunsapie Loch is a small artificial loch nestling between Dunsapie Hill and Arthur's Seat in…read moreEdinburgh's Holyrood Park. It was formed during the construction of Queen's Drive through the park, and owes its origin to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, who oversaw its creation in 1844. The loch is home to a variety of wildfowl, including greylag geese, mallards, tufted ducks, coots, moorhens, pochards and mute swans. These are always appreciative of scraps of bread. The grassy slopes around Arthur's Seat are excellent playing areas, and when the wind gets up you may well see the odd kite battling against the air currents. The loch is accessible via the park's east entrance, at the Meadowbank end, where a winding road leads gradually up towards around 110 metres (361 feet) above sea-level. The road is one-way, making for a hassle-free drive around the park (apart from Sundays when the roads are closed to traffic). A path runs parallel to the road, popular with everyone from gentle strollers and hillwalkers to the more intrepid joggers. Parking locations en route make excellent picnic spots, offering wonderful views out over the city's eastern suburbs, towards Berwick Law. One reason why I am drawn to Dunsapie Loch is that it offers by far the easiest route to the summit of Arthur's Seat. After parking by the loch, or strolling up from ground level, you can march up towards a path leading straight to the peak. From here you can enjoy panoramic views around 360 degrees. If you feel that Arthur's Seat is a bit daunting, then a good warm-up would be Dunsapie Hill. This overlooks the loch, and contains the remains of a 2,000-year-old fort and farmstead. What I particularly like about Dunsapie Loch, is that more than the other 2 lochs in Holyrood Park, St Margaret's and Duddingston, visiting here makes you feel as if you have escaped from a city with a population nearing half a million. It is tucked away, teeming with wildfowl, and yet a matter of minutes from 'civilization'. And on a Sunday, you can enjoy the whole experience without being bothered with cars.

The Dunsapie Loch is one of Edinburgh's most beautiful, most often overlooked attractions. At a…read moreheight of about 110 meters above sea level, this manmade reservoir looks and feels the part of Scottish Loch in the hills. In order to get to this beautiful lake, you need to follow Queens Drive up the side of, and around Arthur's Seat, until it wedges itself between Dunsapie Hill and Arthur's Seat itself. At first, you can easily miss the hidden gem, since a relatively thick growth of trees hides the Loch from view from the road, but the car park on your left gives it away. Walk into the carpark, and, voila, curving around the wee hill lies Dunsapie Loch. This lake is host to a wild variety of species, both bird and fish, including, but not limited to crane's, ducks and swans. Sometimes, it gets very misty, and the view from Dunsapie Hill (maybe a 5 minute walk and climb from the loch) offers a great, vantage point to see the city shrouded in an exceptionally thick fog, only the lights shining through as beacons. And even if does not get foggy, the view is still breath - taking, and an alternative to the oft overdone look off the top of Arthur's Seat

Out of the three loch's around Arthur's seat, Duddingston loch is my favourite. It's trickier to…read moreget to if you don't drive but once you're there you are greeted with breathtaking views of the loch and the bird sanctuary where swans, geese and ducks surround you, especially if you have food, they have no problem getting close, which is great fun for both adults and kids. Theres great attractions in the nearby village too, Dr Neil's garden, Duddingston kirk a 12th century church and Sheep's held Inn for food and drinks.

Nestled at the side of Arthur's Seat, Duddingston Loch is a great place to relax on a sunny day…read morewith a picnic ( make sure you pack enough for the birds though). Swans , geese, ducks and the more ruthless seagulls etc all gather here , bet they're the best fed birds in Scotland with all the attention they get from tourists etc. Benches surround the perimiter of the loch so you can sit and watch the world go by.. or the birds!