Rock climbing is rubbish. It's rubbish. It's rubbish, it's rubbish, it's rubbish rubbish rubbish…read more Well, this is what I initially thought, until I lived with two ex-punk, Spanish rock climbers who, as you'll probably have guessed by the way I've described them, really liked rock climbing. It's a fantastic facility, even if I don't trust crash mats to fall on even from half an inch away, the staff are really professional and didn't laugh at my inability to get more than a metre off the ground as much as my pals... which was really nice of them and they helped me as much they possibly could. It had a real community spirit and sense of family. I actually had a really great time because I laughed so much. My arse felt great the day after too... Maybe if I could do it every day I'd look like Hulk Hogan like I've always dreamed of.

Okay kiddos, let's talk business. Are you a climber? Or, having never climbed before, would you…read moreconsider yourself an adventure-seeker? Someone who likes trying exciting new things? Don't mind the gritty feeling of chalk beneath your fingernails? The ache of muscles long-unused? If you're already a climber, then I can guess that you, like me, will pretty happily take whatever climbing venue you happen to be gifted with! If not, Alien Rock 1, happily nestled within the walls of an old church, complete with an upstairs observation deck, a small bouldering room, facilities that offer tea, coffee, and snacks, and a team that would be happy to teach you--well, go on then!! If you've never climbed before, you should know that this is not the sort of adventuring you can sashay your way into and pick up on the fly. Climbing gyms like AR1 are affairs where a little know-how and training are musts in order to not injure yourself or others. (If you're not sure if you would even like climbing in the first place, I would recommend scoping out nearby AR2 which specializes in bouldering, in which you can come and go as you please with little instruction except in the way of safety, and free climb without the aid of ropes). Climbing at AR1 means it is essential that you, or at least one or more of the people you are with, know what they're doing in order to safely belay and tie the knots involved to keep anyone from well... hurtling to meet the floor from great heights. Do I honestly have to stress this? Nah, didn't think so. If you've no experience belaying or tying the knots involved in top-rope climbing, no worries: Alien Rock 1 will teach you all the things you need to know, guaranteed. While it is pricey at around 45 pounds, I was lucky enough to have discovered a Meet-Up group for climbers in Edinburgh that allowed sessions for special discounted rates of learners that made it a much more tolerable 25 pounds or so split between a group of 6, arranged for a three-hour slot between 6:30 and 9:30 pm. (If you're looking to learn on the cheap and meet new folk at the same time, I would absolutely recommend sniffing around for this group: pennypinchers rejoice!) On the other hand, if you're just starting out but know a friend who's registered at AR1, if you sweet talk 'em some they may be willing to show you around the place and even belay you. If they do this willingly you certainly may owe them as it does end up a one-sided affair, as they can't climb themselves when you can't belay them in return. But you could certaily get an idea for if you like it! If you decide you fancy climbing more at AR1 on a long-term basis, or at least once a week, I would certainly recommend a few things: first of all, purchasing a white card, which allows you to enter at a discounted rate. Not only that, you should absolutely consider buying your own set of shoes and a harness, because honestly, who wants to stuff their own feet into the rented, smallish shoes that so many others have worn time and again? (Not only that, but watching my learning group attempt to sort out the variously colored straps and clips on their harness vs. putting on my own super-simple one made me feel quite lucky to avoid all that!) It's a sound investment as it'll save you hiring both accessories each time you visit for a fee of around a fiver ON TOP OF your entry fee of 9 pounds. (For more pricing, http://www.alienrock.co.uk/alien_one_pages/alien_one_prices/alien_one_prices.html should do you!) But enough of all that garbage. For those climbers who know their stuff, well, AR1 is certainly a pretty cool place to climb. Out of the gyms I've been to in the past it's extremely laid-back, with the staff appearing as needed to help but otherwise letting their climbers sort themselves out. The church-turned-gym itself is novelty enough, but having the upstairs observation deck filled with seating area that you can take a break and have a chat or a tea in is pretty cool. Also the tiny bouldering room available for warm-ups, learning, or just escaping the crowd downstairs is nifty as well. My only real beef with AR1 is mild at that, and it's merely the wish that while there are plenty of climbing routes to scope out on the main floor, I do wish that they'd have a bit more difficulty ranges to choose from at each section. Tying in over and over to just have one in your range means you do feel you kill some time roping up, so it'd be nice if there was at least an easy, medium, and hard per wall. Some it seemed to my untrained eye had only hard, some only easy. But routes change all the time, so who could say what'll be up on my next visit! What more can I say here that I haven't already? Climbers gonna climb, and AR1 is a lovely wee facility to get your game on. You'll certainly find me flexing my puny climbing muscles at AR1, and are welcome to shout a hullo if you do, after all climbers are normally the friendliest of folk! So go on then!! Climb on!!

Reception was warm, friendly, efficient and informative. The lobby is huge - and it was filled…read morewith different kinds of sofas & chairs. The cafe makes a great decaf soy latte - and the views of the climbing walls are fantastic from the cafe. The lockerrooms are pretty nice - clean and lots of space (no bumping into people as you change or access a locker). The coin-return system used by the Edinburgh Royal Commonwealth recreation system is great - just leaves you with a key to keep track of though (at the Royal Commonwealth pool - the key is on a bracelet). The climbing gym itself is huge - I wasn't prepared for this from the pictures - there's no way to do it justice. The 25 m wall just goes on and on! There are walls that are at a slope (like slab climbing) and corner problems with shelves for mantling and problems you have to jump onto - which we don't really have at my local climbing gym chain (Touchstone). The materials used for the walls and the jugs/pieces are much more abrasive than what we have at my local gyms (though ours could just be worn). Everything is color coded as well - you have a climb with all the same color pieces -- it's much simpler that way, though at night - the kind of lights they turn on make all the red-colors blend together (ie, is that purple or red? I can't tell now that the lights are on!). The ropes they use are different, too - esp on the 25m top rope routes - much stiffer (for obvious reasons) and overall, the ropes all seemed to be heavier and stiffer. If you're used to having to "prove" you know how to belay - EICA just has you sign a waiver that says "I'm a grown up and I know what I'm doing and won't sue you if I'm an idiot" - no belay test, no belay card - have at it, kiddies! On this visit, I didn't get to try any of the outdoor climbing - but I'll work on my lead climbing classes and certifications this winter so I can travel and climb outdoors more next year. I hope to visit England again - and want to see more climbing gyms - I've heard there are some in old churches (ie, crazy high walls and indoors).

I went there recently for a meeting not a climbing experience, but what I could see was amazing. I…read morewill definitely be back to conquer the vast amounts of climbing possibilities and challenge my fear of heights! Its a place for adults and children. Lots of space inside and outside for parking. There is a cafeteria where you can eat, converse and indulge. I am sure they are offer memberships, so why not give it a try. Just one thing - you might need a car to get there. Not sure about the public transport as its a bit outside of Edinburgh , near Ratho Station.

This is a great place in Motherwell, on the route of express buses from Buchanan Bus Station and…read moreround the corner from the main train station in Motherwell. It's got a soft kiddies play area (Ziggy's) a trampoline area (BounceZone) and an amazing lazer zone (Lazertag). I remember when the place opened me and a mate went in for a look and got a tour around the place when it was fully lit and they showed us the equipment. It was super cool. A regular Sunday afternoon booking followed for almost a year in a big squad where we would shoot each other up with silly avatar names. Sometimes we even hooked up our I-Pod to shoot each other up to our favourite tunes. Sneaking around in the dark with the Metal Gear Solid theme tune playing.. about the most fun I have ever had in my life. The lazer zone is really really good, probably the best one around, with 'Gems' kicking around which are computers on the wall that shoot you if you don't shoot them first and they give you special powers that give you an edge. They change the layout often enough to keep it interesting and there are a fair few game options. The prices are decent and the staff are friendly and up for a laugh. They do bookings and lock ins which is cool. The only annoyance for me is that they need to run through the equipment every single time which is a pain when you just want to start shooting people in the face! Good for kids.

Not one for the mindless shooting of people in the dark, i gave the laser quest in here a miss…read more However i do enjoy a soft play area, so Ziggy's was perfect. We took our nephew here when he was visiting and he loved it; three floors of netted in soft play, ball pools, ropes and slides. You can see everything the little terrors are up to in here, and run in to rescue them if need be. It is also really cheap, and perfect for a rainy afternoon where the kids would usually be causing havoc on the couch with crayons. I was too big to go in though (sadface)

I like this because it has lots of different things to do and I love there pizza and chips meal…read moredeal for 2:50 it is amazing with the McDonald's fries .the best part is that it has a person in it and it has water. The thing is it doesn't have a time and it dosent have a capsule so why call it the time capsule that's why I gave it 4 stars ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

I used to come to the Time Capsule every Saturday morning between the ages of 9 - 11. This was when…read morethey held the childrens ice-skating, where you could skate around and they also held a little dancing on ice disco where the leader showed us some moves and we had to copy. After this wild workout everyone got a little paper bag full of tuck shops sweets, it was great! After the ice-skating my dad usually took us to the swimming pool, the river rapids were my favourite part and I could swim here for hours. I particularly remember the scary red dragon statue and the cave men who looked down on your when you were swimming round the pool, one of them was wielding a spear which I have to admit, was a little bit scary. They also have a huge play area with ball pools, slides, climbing walls - it just looks amazing. Unfortunately, my parents never let me go here and I feel that I've missed out. At the moment the play area pool is closed for major refurbishment, who knows what it will look like when it's finished? I think I might take a trip back soon for good old times sakes. A fantastic day out for all the family!

Ryze is my favourite of all trampoline parks. It's utilised better, it's organised better and it…read moreoffers a lot more than say Gravity or Jump In. Although it is a bit far out and hard to get to, it's our favourite.

So much fun and not just for kids. It's a huge warehouse that is full of trampolines…read more Because they had issues when they first opened they make you watch a video before you can book tickets, fill in a disclaimer, and then undergo an in person briefing before you can get on the trampolines. It's all common sense and about not trying things that you don't know how to do. They have loads of lockers to store your stuff in while playing that you need a pound coin for. They also have cubby holes for non-valuable things if the lockers are too small. Make sure to arrive about 15 minutes before your session to allow time to do all the above. Once you get on the trampolining area you can play dodge ball (it's really hard to pick up balls while bouncing), bounce on trampolines or my favourite the foam pit area. There are several fun things in the foam pit area, trampolines that you can jump off into foam, a slack line, ropes, and a really high bit to jump off into foam. It's super fun and you will be embarrassed at how long it takes you to crawl out of the foam. There is a cafe and relaxing area upstairs if you have those that don't want to take part but I think pretty much everyone can do at least part of it. It's quite tiring so an hour is more than enough unless you are super fit and love trampolining. I'm planning to go again and work on jumping off the high bit without squealing. You know like the 6 year old in front of me did.

I'm sorry, Peak, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me for my last review?…read more So we didn't get off to a great start but that's okay! I paid a second visit in the form of the Cannie Gingers versus the Parma Violents Roller Derby match. (GO, BRIONY, GO!) This time round, I can honestly say that as a sporting venue, it's fabulous for events. The main hall was a really good size, perfect for the various Roller Derby team stalls and the spectators were treated to bleachers, meaning you could get a great view of the action from wherever you were seated. (I really loved this, it made me feel like I was at an All-American game!) The hall's size meant minimal queuing so we really were in in no time! Whilst I can't comment on the ticketing and organisation side of things, as that was all done by Roller Derby, (They did a really good job!) the venue really did feel suited to the day and made for an all-round great experience. I can't say I'm completely enamoured by the Peak just yet since there was a leak just above my spot which meant avoiding the drips during the game! (Eek!) But in all fairness, I do think that it deserves some props for managing to host bigger scale events, similar to those held in larger cities. I may well come and try that ice rink. I'm holding out on you, Peak!

Visited here for a roller derby bout so this review might not have a lot of relevance if you're…read moreconsidering it as a gym or climbing venue! We were in the main hall which has banked seating at one end for a crowd which was good although normally a crowd would sit along the long side of the track rather than the bend. The floor itself is a normal basketball court and was very good for skating on. The changing rooms we used were very clean and fit in about 20 of us while we got ready for the game. The staff made sure to lock the room while we were playing so we didn't have to worry about our valuables which was appreciated. There was a good amount of toilet facilities which meant there weren't any queues at halftime. In the foyer area there's a shop as well as a cafe and a climbing wall which I didn't notice until we were on our way out (clearly I was too focused on the game). The car park was large enough that we got a spot easily and didn't have to wait ages to leave the car park again at the end, and it was easy to get to from Glasgow. All round, an impressive venue.

In a standard burst of January fitness (after spending two weeks eating and boozing like Fat…read moreBastard) , The Man and I discovered that Gracemount Leisure Center is about 5 minutes from our house. How did we miss that before? Oh yeah, we were too distracted by the chippy that's RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from it (how cruel is that??). So we checked it out. We're usually work in the garden and go hillwalking kind of people but in the dark winter months there are literally not enough hours in the day to do very much of that. On the one hand, I like it. It wasn't busy (though the pool was filling up by the time we left), the gym had plenty of machines that meant you hardly had to wait, the facilities were clean and people friendly. They offer a pretty wide range of classes here too which is nice. On the other hand, a gym visit is £6.90, and if you go to the sauna that's an extra £1.50. £1.50 to sit in a hot room for 10 minutes is pretty excessive, no? Surely it should just be part of your entry fee? You could pay £25/year for a discount (20-25% I believe), or £44/month for a gym membership. You would practically have to go twice a week (gym only) for that to make any sense and let's be honest, I'll never do that. So, no fault on this gym as I know Edinburgh Leisure sets the prices, but in a country where the government bangs on about people needing to eat right an exercise more, surely they could lower the price of a visit to a council gym?

I've loving this whole deal Edinburgh Leisure has got going on. Granted, it's not the cheapest…read moreoption for fitness, but what you get is access to NEARLY EVERYTHING. By that, I mean across Edinburgh. Commonwealth Pool I seem to recall is the only exception to this rule. But, if you want classes, rock climbing at Ratho, a game of golf, indoor bowling, gyms, pools, there is a membership that gives you the lot. And I like that, especially as my fat backside really needs to get into shape, stat. What I had struggled with in the past was the, if I sign up to the gym near my work, then I have to trek out at the weekend, but if I do it near my home, well there isn't anything, and it means by the time I get there, I'll be too tired. This way, if I am home, I can nip out to a gym like Portobello (with Turkish baths!), or at work, run into Ratho, or Gracemount, which is a happy halfway point. Gracemount is a pleasant gym, a little rundown, and with one endlessly running tap in the ladies loos (come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed it!). It has a pool (haven't tried it), and a decent sized gym. Seriously, Meadownbank has a gym the size of a cupboard - this is mansion sized in comparison. I've never had a problem getting onto a machine here and I can work away to my hearts content, and if I am near a window, I can watch the pigeons doing what pigeons do, which helps while away the misery of a walking machine.

This farm was right next to our Airbnb and so we just had to visit! It's not too big so this is…read moregreat if you want to squeeze in a visit while you're exploring. There is a cafe but it was closed when we were there. Entry is free, and there are stations to wash your hands. I didn't see any employees while I was there though, just a couple of other tourists. It was pretty empty so I felt like I had everything to myself. I saw some cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, lambs, and they were all adorable! You can't feed them but they are so friendly they sometimes let you pet them.

was a lovely warm sunny day visiting Gorgie City Farm &…read moreCafe 8/8/19. I think I came here a very long time ago so it was great to see all again. Walking around seeing all the animals was great and taking some photos of my experience. The weather was so hot, it felt like my head was burning a bit. Very impressive what I saw from goats, chickens, pigs, birds and many more. The young goats where so cute, I wanted to fit one in my pocket lol. I would recommend this place to anyone, if you love the outdoors and animals. You can get a Lothian Buses number 25 from Princess Street in Edinburgh and it will take you straight there also Gorgie City Farm is free to anyone too. Check out my article on Gorgie City Farm on my Blog below https://socialsandi1.com/2019/08/08/gorgie-city-farm/