Ever wondered how Edinburgh looks from the outside?…read more Well, one place to view the glorious city of Edinburgh is from Silver Sands in Aberdour. Silver Sands is both a beach and a park. The beach, accessed via a very steep road, is, apart from St. Andrews one of the most well known and most visited beaches in Fife! It even has been awarded a blue flag for its qualities! A word of warning though, even on a warm day, the water is still freezing cold, so best advice is to stay on the beach! The park surrounds the beach and is very large in comparison. It has plenty of car parking spaces and has many sporting facilities. It has enough grassy areas for football or other field sports, a children's play area and plenty of cycle paths. Usually on a sunny day there is an ice cream van, or it is only a few minutes walk to the high street for some snacks! However, the main attraction of Silver Sands is its magnificent views of Edinburgh. Arthur's seat and the crags dominate the skyline. Also, the sheer size of Edinburgh is quite surprising, as when in the city it does not feel that big. Silver Sands is an ideal place to chill in the hot summer and has one of the best views of Edinburgh!

Situated on the north side of the Forth estuary, Aberdour is well known forits castle and beaches,…read moremainly the Silver Sands, to the east. With the park between the beach and the town, parking is plentiful and beach access via a gentle path and some steps. The road from the town to the car park is almost flat, with plenty of cycle paths, walkways and sightseeing opportunities, including the walk round Hawkcraig point for the view onto Aberdour, to the west, and over to Inchcolm and the medieval Abbey. Further west rise the engineering wonders of the Forth road and rail bridges. To the south can be seen part of the expanse of Edinburgh with much of it hidden behind the bulks of Arthur's Seat, Castle rock, Clermiston hill etc. Beyond that can be seen the Pentland hills with the Hillend dry ski slope lit up like a Christmas tree at night. Central Edinburgh--the New Town and the Old Town have become surrounded by soul-less housing schemes but the historical character of the city is well worth exploring

Stirling's King's Park is most definitely somewhere you should head to as the summer months get…read morecloser and closer. It's easy to forget about this cracking little park, as it's a wee walk away from the centre of Stirling. Not far though, mind, and worth making the short journey to. KP is just perfect for a chilled out afternoon, a leisurely stroll, a jog; whatever you fancy. There's often families in the park and it definitely feels much safer this side of town. The park also has some lovely flower displays and a pretty little fountain by the gates. It's of a really good size and always seems very well kept. There's also quite a few children's play areas, including a mini trail for little ones and their little bikes. There's even what looks like an outdoor gym. Although, I think I'd only have the guts to use it seriously in the early morning, when the park is at its quietest. There's also tennis courts and a skate park, if that's your thing. The more I think about it, this park's got something for everyone and it's definitely family friendly. Also, there always seems to be a lot of dog walkers here. I don't have a dog myself but it's interesting to take a loop or two of the park and indulge in some pooch-watching. In my opinion, that beats people-watching. - Hands down. One of these sunny summery afternoons, I'm taking a blanket, a book and lunch and I'm going to chill out here. I suggest you do too. After all, King's Park is just perfect for a picnic!

We came to visit the impressive and historically important Dunfermline Abbey. And to pay respect to…read moreRobert The Bruce. We didn't know about this park though which is right across the street from the Abbey. And it's a wonderful park. There are several sights along the way, the small "Tower Burn" river goes across the park, there's a café, a playground and several trails leading you through woodland and open spaces. Some urban wildlife as well. A good number of pretty tame squirrels too. A nice place to spend some time in. Alone, with family, with your dog.... Really enjoyed it.

Pittencrief Park or as locals call it "The Glen" is a huge park in the heart of Dunfermline. The…read morepark was gifted to the town back in 1902 by Dunfermline's famous son, Andrew Carnegie, a philanthropist who made his millions in the States (think Carnegie hall in NYC). Before internet, reality TV and crime dramas people actually used to flock to the park on sunny days from across Scotland to spend in the 70 something acres of manicured lawns and gardens. It may not have the same draw today, but when the sun is shining it can still be really busy. Not only is 'The Glen' a wonderful park, but it has some other very interesting features such as Pittencrieff House Museum, the remains of the 11th Century King Malcolm Canmore's Tower, (when it was the royal residence of Malcolm and his queen, Margaret), greenhouses, woodland walks and a statue of the man himself, Andrew Carnegie. There are also fantastic views of Dunfermline Abbey and Palace from the gardens. The Glen Pavilion in the centre of the park holds many local events from gigs, to arts and craft fairs. The Pavilion is also where you can get a quick caffeine fix as here you will find the park's cafe. There are also 3 kiddies play parks, ideal if Mum and Dad fancy a wee break from entertaining the kids. Anyone who grew up in the area will have such fond memories of the park. It's still really easy to spend a good day here. There is also a great chance to see peacocks and squirrels, so take a bag of nuts for some close up fun of these cute little critters.

This place is fantastic for a sunny day out (if you're fortunate enough to catch one)…read more It's an unusual place to visit in that you have the combined attractions of forest walks with one of the longest beaches in Scotland (around 5 miles). There's also a large picnic table area which permits BBQ's, so you really could spend the whole day here. Access to the site is currently a very reasonable £2 per vehicle and there is plenty of parking as well as toilet facilities. If you've not been before, I'd definitely recommend it for a relaxing day trip!

A hidden gem which your Julia Donaldson loving little ones will love to visit!…read moreWe call this Gruffalo Wood because of the Gruffalo-themed carvings dotted near the entrance of the Loch. The Loch itself is fairly small, taking only 15-20 mins to walk around. There is lots of nature and wildlife to explore here from toadstools to frogs to wild raspberries to dragonflies... We met a particularly large, and bold, swan today whilst feeding the ducks! On our last visit we stumbled across hundreds and hundreds of baby frogs migrating across the pathway to the Loch. This has become a regular location for us to visit with our little Julia Donaldson fan. There is a play park at the far end of the Loch from the little car park off Kilmardinny Avenue and if you need something to eat or liquid refreshments after your walk there is a recently opened Waitrose with a lovely cafe minutes away by car or foot!

We visited here after discovering Gruffalo Wood through Ali's review :)…read more My friend was visiting with her 6 and 3yr old girls and we took A in his pram. We really enjoyed walking round the loch in the sunshine, the path is pretty easy going for littles and the pram alike, and there are a few places to stop along the way and see the ducks or discover the awesome carvings. We couldn't find the play park, perhaps a little sign would help, but we asked someone and soon found the little path leading up to it. There were some different play areas to explore including an awesome rope swing that the adults enjoyed too! We had a great, free day out and it worked well to tire out the kids. Would highly recommend.

Very clean on the edge of The Meadows. There are swings, slide, and climbing structure. Lots of…read moreparents and young children. Did not see any snack counters.

Ok, so I'm obviously not a five-year old child anymore. (I can type and spell and use words like…read moreincongruous, though I haven't had the opportunity yet). But I like play parks. There comes a point when people stop making fun things for you. I mean, I'm in my early 20s, so people give me clothes and books instead of water-guns. Which is totally valid. But I think every now and then people should give their friends bouncy balls and hoola-hoops and frisbees. Seriously. So, this playpark is not half as cool as the one on the Meadows, but it's in a quieter less crowded part of the park. They have slides and monkey bars and all sort of fun things. I've many a time seen children having fun on them. (I've also seen older teenagers having fun on them. At night. With beer). If you feel like you're tired of being 20, maybe have a visit. If you're a parent, then take your children there, 'cause that's where it looks like the party is.

How to describe the Carse of Lecropt? That, I'm not too sure. You can read more about the parish…read morehere: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecropt. But really, Lecropt is somewhere you're going to want to delve headfirst into. To which I say, go for it. - The Carse of Lecropt has the power to drive your imagination crazy. I wanted to head down to Lecropt as soon as I laid eyes on the crooked road sign that pointed down the hill. It sounded mysterious, and something called me to it. So, finally, we ventured down. Mile after mile after mile after mile. We cycled it; one day not too far, and then another deeper into Lecropt because we were captivated with intrigue. And we still want to go further. The second time, we turned off and took the main road back to Stirling (passing by the David Stirling Memorial) but you could keep working your way through the off-road twists and turns of Lecropt. The hills don't make for any unbearable climbs and the descents are rewarding enough. We discovered some seriously interesting finds, and got some really cool photos from our trip. It's reminiscent of the kinds of places found-footage horror films are set; it's eerie, vast and parts of it are decaying and abandoned. It really feels like undiscovered territory. So, pick a good day, take some snacks and, if you're a Geocacher, there's plenty of caches to be found. It feels very much like a secret, and as much as I wish I could keep it one, the legend of Lecropt is too good to keep to myself.

Stopped by the beach a few weeks ago to see the raft race! It was really busy but looked spotless!…read moreGood entertainment on offer! Lots of lovely clean sand! Pitch and putt available too!! Would recommend a visit on a nice sunny day! You could also go for a nice walk on a cloudy day!!!

Every single person who lives in or visits Edinburgh should make an effort to go to North Berwick…read morefor a day trip. There is a bus every hour or so from the bus station or London Road and it takes the scenic route along the coast, weaving in and out of the nice twee villages that sit along the roadside. It takes about an hour to get there, and once you arrive there is plenty to do, from getting sand between your toes on the beach, to visiting the Scottish Seabird Centre, to getting Fish and Chips or a pint in the pub. There is a sweet wee museum and the public loos have won numerous loo of the year awards!!! It is the place to get a good look at the Bass Rock, begin or end a drive of the local countryside, or quite simply the place to head to on a sunny afternoon. Unmissable.