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...

My nephew goes for football training here and it's a great venue with great facilities and the…read morecoaches are all fantastic and very professional.

The Burlesque scene is thriving in Edinburgh, and every year the club scene moves to the gardens…read morefor a few nights (usually July) and the place is thronging with followers of the Burlesque phenomena. There are marquees set up where you can buy a drink, some must have gear, ( you must dress to suit the occasion) and the main tent houses the music and dance, with DJ Frankie Sumatra giving it his best to entertain a very wide spectrum of ages. The whole scene would not be complete however without the Burlesque dancers, with Scotand's top Burlesque Queen - Missy Malone the big favourite. Normally the show would be held in Club Noir or the Voodoo Rooms, but no matter where, it is a sell out - so be fast or you'll be last!.

Lovely park, right opposite all the shops so nice to wander through away from the crowds - such a…read morecontrast. Lots of ice cream stalls and coffee bars dotted along to help with the experience, nice in all seasons, wrap up warm in winter and sunbathe in summer! Keep an eye out for performers to keep you entertained

This place was a perfect end to our trip through Europe! So good that I ended up booking a second…read moreday of Escape at One the following day. The spa was not busy/overwhelming at all. A substantial amount of thermal/water amenities, all of which feel very sanitary/maintained. I wish I was able to schedule a massage - however, it is completely understandable I couldn't squeeze in an appointment the day of. I felt completely relaxed after my appointment! My only note is that the aroma mist in the salt room did not seem to work (this may have been user error). Additionally one of the showers in the locker room was not in service. Definitely recommend booking here if you are looking for a relaxing day!

The fact that this spa is roof top just says luxury to me!…read more It puts the spa into Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa, and just off Lothian Road. Mind you they can be quite pricey, but this has all got to do with the image their trying to project, as well as the various treatments they offer. As usual I haven't heard of most of them, but was particularly curious about the rainforest shower. Thankfully, I have a friend who has actually been to the Amazon (they come in REALLY handy!) and basically it's a room with showerheads all over the ceiling, so it seems as though it's raining in the room. Ofcourse if you'd rather just have a facial and a massage, they do that as well. They've got two pools, one of which is thermal, and a gym for those who'd rather "feel the burn" than relax, though I'd rather get in the sauna when there's that alternative.

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!

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!)

Saughton Sports Complex is a smaller sports centre but with most things you need in a sports…read morecentre. They have outdoor pitches with astroturf for 5-a-side football and an athletics track with various other sports packages. In the past I have only used the 2 things named above but my time there was enjoyable. The complex is cheap, and the pitches are a lot cheaper to hire out than those of larger chains. The athletics track is large with grass verges at the side where ou can sit and watch, it's lovely on a summers day. Many a school uses the complex for their sports days or for their baseball classes. The changing rooms are spaceous and clean with plenty lockers. There is not a great deal of staff on the complex but normally a janitor who can assist who sits near the entrance.

I'm not sure how I feel about the Edinburgh Zoo; I don't think it's a destination spot if you're…read morevisiting for the first time. If you live locally or come to the city often, sure, make your way to the zoo eventually. They have some great events: social for new parents to meet other new parents, afternoon teas, photography workshops, and more. They are home to more than 2,500 animals including: camels, monkeys, pelicans, zebras, highland cows (...obviously), giraffes (a four back of bachelors named Arrow, Gerald, Fennessy, and Gilbert), a red panda, tigers, meerkats, a bear, a very large penguin pool with LOTS of gentoo, king, and rockhopper penguins (you can watch them live on the zoo's website!), flamingos (their oldest one was born in 1961!), and more. Unfortunately, you won't see all of them when you visit: I would say about 30% of them weren't there (for various reasons: rehoming, new structures being built, vet visits, it was the wrong time of day, etc.) when I came. There is, however - and this won't make sense unless you've seen it - an unexpectedly LARGE dinosaur presence here. IYKYK. Thankful for the conservation work they do here and in the protection of endangered species around the world, but I'm not sure this is a spot I need to have repeat visit at.

This is one of my favorite zoos. Was disappointed on how they have let it decline since our last…read morevisit Oct of 2023. The landscaping used to be perfect but now there are lots of weeds. Staff is always friendly here. Animals here are always great. Wish it was easier to find a drink here while walking around. Hoping they find a way to fix this zoo back up I miss the old zoo.

So I have a love/hate relationship with Gravity too, without a membership it is extremely expensive…read moreand I still think their should be more options in the cafe area concerning hot and cold food but the kids love it, the staff are amazing and it's a lot of fun. So I'm back and forth with this one, mainly because I like the staff and it's the kids favourite.

Holyrood Park is a large park home to a number of historic sites and landmarks accessible via a…read moretrail system, including Arthur's Seat, Hunter's Bog, Dunsapie Crag, St Anthony's Chapel, Duddingston Loch, and The Radical Road. I approached on foot the morning of Friday 19 July 2019, reaching a sign of the park and its trail system at approximately 9:31 a.m. There were a number of cars coming and going already. It was my first visit to the park, so I opted to walk and skip any hassle I might encounter with parking. I was happy with that decision as it was a quick look at the map to get my bearings and I was on my way without needing to find parking. For my final destination in the park for the visit, I chose to hike to the top of Arthur's Seat - remains of a volcano that was active over 300 million years ago. The trails were well maintained and well designed for handling a large number of hikers.

This hike was perfect!! Beautiful weather in June, over looked the city, not crowded at all, and…read moreeasy for a family to tackle together (just keep small ones away from the edges as some areas are steep drop offs abruptly).

Top notch place! I'm not from around here, but the staff…read morehere made me feel very welcome. The routes are awesome and there are many different walls to choose from with a very diverse set of problems for all skill levels. Definitely coming back here!