I used to use the SPA, but the one in Ponteland has been out of action for many weeks and still no…read moredate when it will re open.

Crèche!! After many many months of searching for a gym with…read morecrèche facilities I finally came across ponteland leisure centre. This is a great crèche for my two young children. The two woman that run it are fantastic, they really put you at ease over leaving your children with them to do a quick workout. You can see that the kids love it in there too, there's always smiles, singing and laughter when you collect them. (Also it's always a struggle to get them to leave because there having so much fun) I would strongly recommend this crèche to anyone who wants to leave there child in very safe capable hands whilst catching a couple of hours to workout or take a little time for yourself.

Killingworth Lakeside Park is a lovely local escape, with, as its name suggests, a good-sized Lake…read moreat its centre! The Lake is a well-stocked resource for local fishermen, and there is a lot of lovely wildlife to see in and around the park. You'll regularly see wildlife photographers taking snaps. Check out the visitors boards describing the wildlife around the park. The park also has a model boating club, a small café shack (open only during popular hours) and a good play area for kids, with a wire slide, roundabout and other apparatus to keep the nippers amused. There is ample parking for visitors, and it's a good walk around the lake. In short, I love visiting the park here to take a walk, relax and unwind! How lovely to have these kinds of parks on our doorstep.

Ok, for those who don't know. Go Ape is like an obstacle course, except you're 60ft up in the air…read morein the trees attached by a pair of ropes. You have the cross various increasingly tricky bridges between trees, and get to descend on a number of tarzan swings and zip lines. AND IT IS TOTALLY AWESOME!!! ahem. I'm definitely a thrill seeker kinda guy, and while this is long way from base jumping insanity, it's an awful lot of fun. thanks to the careful instruction of our trainer at the start of the course, and the fairly tight strapping in of the harness you're given, you never feel in *real* danger, but jaysus some of it is *rather* hairy! the highlight of the whole course is the finishing zipline. You get to wheeeeeee across a big valley! They views are a little breathtaking, it does feel a little like flying. Go Ape Glentress is a great day out from Edinburgh, it's not a million miles away, but it feels like a great day out. I'd definitely recommend it, and I'm desperate to go back!

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!)

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!