Delighted to stumble upon this while our coach stopped for a break up to Loch Ness. John Muir lived…read morein my hometown, Martinez, California, so I know quite a bit about him. This center is lovely, the man at the desk nice, too. Just a bit of information, nature, prints, some things to buy. I hope in years to come there are more exhibits and naturey things in there.

Stopped in to this interesting exhibit while passing through, it is part of the John Muir Trust,…read moremission is to protect the natural Environment. Nicely presented, a welcome change from all the tacky tourist shops. Definitely worth a visit. They have a small assortment of interesting items for sale.

We had a short walk along Loch Lomond and even though it was overcast and misting it was…read moreabsolutely gorgeous. I would have loved more time here l. Parking lot was easy and restrooms were clean.

I took a wonderful boat ride today. The scenery was beautiful. The air was cool and crisp. I was…read moreeven able to meditate. But, I never actually saw the Loch Ness monster.

Excellent little visitor centre near some fantastic walks. Make sure you visit Burn 0' Vat a 5…read moreminute walk from the visitor centre. Liked this place as it encourages to "touch" things which is a big difference compared with those "Don't touch" exhibitions. Great for kids and adults! Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXN6ttK6J90

While the site is certainly historic and the gorge and river picturesque, overall I was…read moreunderwhelmed. Since I had paid £2 for parking, I did about an hour's worth of hiking, taking in the major spots pertaining to the battle. (What? You don't know about the famous Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689? Well, go look it up on Wikipedia; I don't have time to tell you the whole story.) I suppose that the deciduous, ridge-and-valley terrain simply reminded me too much of back home in Pennsylvania to be interesting. So it wasn't the most breathtaking hiking, but it was a pleasant hour in some historic woods. The visitor centre itself contains a modest exhibit on the battle, but focuses mostly on local ecology. There were many kids around who seemed to be having a great time.

Well just the place to come to following a battle re-enactment, more of a nature reserve though…read morethan a historical establishment. But if you like your Scottish history and all the scuffles between Jacobeans and Redcoats then this is a place you need to see. Allegedly the soldiers leap is where a certain Donald Mcbean jumped 18ft across a water filled gorge to escape King George's men back a few years ago in 1689. I think he was probably notoriously trying to escape his wife's nagging to stay off the ale and fight for his country. So he just ran to the hills the Redcoats got wind he might have hidden his ale in a cave so followed him to get it??? Not sure if the battle today was a success for the folks watching but it certainly was entertaining as well as educating. They had horse charging, pistol, muscat and cannon firing, torture through the ages, and Angus's antics(includes tying a guy to a horse on a long rope and dragging him through a grassy field), Scottish youth theatre, big tent Ceilidh later on. You can also try your hand at Archery, learning about battlefield archeology, buy refreshments, sample local highland burgers(venison/hotdogs), there is even a drinks tent. But since you are in an open field if it's overcast and cloudy remember your brolly. Thanks to the local folks and council for supporting events like the battle but without our attendance there would be no Soldiers of Killiekrankie or visitors centre. This visitor centre doubles not only as a historic establishment but a nature venue with grand views of the River Garry.

The Tourist Information Centre is your first port of call for...tourist information. This is the…read moreplace you come if you're new in town, Maybe you're lost, maybe you need to know how to get from A to B. If they don't know, they can at least point you in the right direction. Essentially the centre will tell you where streets are, which buses to get when to where, how to get to any of the cities tourist attractions. It also serves as a booking office for some of the cities tours and day excursions. They also provide office services, like printing and photocopying (not exactly sure why). You will also find a gift shop. Not surprising in Edinburgh for anything remotely related to tourism. Although this is actually not your usually tacky trash. Expect some tasteful thistle mugs and saltire stationery. I have to concur with the others though, this place can get crowded fast, and during the festival period don't expect to be able to get in the door after early morning.

Being quite lazy one afternoon I decided to enquire about bus times and routes in the Tourist…read moreInformation rather than checking the individual bus stop notices. Turned out to be a handy choice as I was swiftly provided with all the information I needed to set me off on my journey. One word of advice though, get there nice and early as there it can get excruciatingly congested with swathes of tourists - which I suppose is expected as it's every tourists instinctive information provider.

I can't believe there are places like the Colinton Dell inside a city. I'm still shocked just now…read morethinking about how lovely everything was. A great place to come for a big walk on a Sunday. We started at Colinton and ended almost at Slateford then took the return path back again. Every so often you come across a little clearing to sit down or take a few photos. Lots of dogs running about and birds singing. One of the few places in Edinburgh where you could get lost and not be too frightened about it. If you're in the area or even if you aren't and fancy a big walk, start here and remember to take your camera.

This is boooom in Edinburgh? Helll Yeah! You wouldn't of guess it either…read more What a gem! It's a great photography site as i took members of a photography group to the visitor center and then back along the old railway walk to the dell. it's approx 4 miles to the visitor centre and back in total. Lots of lushness and focal points. You may be lucky if you are quiet spot a heron or a kingfisher. there are lots of dogs and walkers with the frequent jogger and the union canal has bikes coming along in both directions so keep your ear alert!

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...

For me, this wasn't a great experience and unless you drive it's pretty difficult to reach and a…read morehard walk but with lovely views of corn fields, rolling hills in the distance and woodlands. There are clear signposts which led me to the visitor centre and a cafe and probably more points of interests but by the time I got there and the time it would take to get back to any public transport in Linlithgow, I didn't have time to go any further which is disappointing and unless it was easier to get to by public transport, it's unlikely I'd return.

The best dog walking! Lots of options from gentle to hilly to paved to off the beaten path. Big…read morereservoir is great for a short loop. If you walk right up to the top park boundary it is much quieter. Also great for families as they have a play park and visitors center with a cafe.

Palacerigg Country Park is a lovely place to bring young people! I work with children and have…read morebrought some of them there occasionally! Invarioubly they ask to visit this park again! You take the cut off for Cumbernauld when you are heading out of Airdrie on the Stirling Road. Turn right and then first left down through the little hamlet of Luggiebank (I just love that name!). At 1st roundabout turn right and then right again at the second roundabout where you will see the sign for Palacerigg Country Park (right turn just about 100yds from r.a.). It is not very large but is a pretty setting with lots of lovely trees and foliage and this is home to some georgious animals and birds. Two beautiful black swans with red bills sail about serenely in the little lake. You will see pigs (one giant one), goats proudly showing off enviable (if you're a man that is!) goatees, rabbits, hares, ferrets, peacocks, peahens, Zebedee a sacred Asian cow and Eddie the donkey who sadly has a condition that makes him a bit wobbly on his legs! There are any number of lovely animals who look genuinely happy to be there! I have a bit of a thing about animals being kept in captivity but these little creatures do look at home unlike magnificent cheetas, lions, pumas, elephant, giraffes and others of the mighty animal kingdom who appear to be miserable (understandably) and stagnating in badly run zoos and so called safari parks. There is no charge to enjoy this contact with nature, which is not far from the city of Glasgow. Parking is free with sufficient space and the little park hosts a cafe and toilet facilities, of course. A lovely place, particularly for young children or just to have a bit of space in a pleasant little haven for yourself.

This is the best place to go at Easter as it is full of baby chicks and other animals that you can…read moreget up close to. The kids will love being able to actually interact with the animals rather than just looking at them via a cage, and it will defo bring out the big kid in you