Who doesn't love the canal?…read more Crazy people, that's who. Now, I'm sane so I adore strolling, jogging and biking along it's banks, taking in the rowers, the ducks, the swans and the air. Tucked away you'd hardly know it was there - in fact I lived within a minutes walk of it for 3 months before I found it - I just never happened to walk in such a way as to see it! Since my discovery, however, I've whiled away not nearly enough Saturday afternoons here. Since moving back to the area it's become my favourite place to jog - see Robyn's review! It is definitely the flattest place around!! Some of it's charm comes from the handsome barges which are littered throughout. Quite amusingly one or two have been converted to cafes and I swear there is nothing so quaint as a cafe in a barge! It's fantastic and a new tourist spot for when I have visitors! I've never been down here in the dark though. The concept is quite frightening, despite the adorable coloured lights that mark the way! I'm quite happy viewing them from the bridge! Give it a go! You can't beat a canal walk for clearing the head and getting some air in your lungs! Exclamation Mark!

One of my favourite spots in Edinburgh to walk along and the occasional picnic in the evening…read moresunshine. Union canal is lovely all year round and changing constantly. In the winter sometimes the canal freezes over creating beautiful textures in broken ice and frost. In the springtime you will see beautiful wee ducklings and plants starting to return. Summer is lush and green and overgrown reeds and there are a few floating pontoons perfect for picnicing or you can hire kayaks and canoes and get out on the water. There are also lovely wee narrowboat cafes you can stop in for tea and cake. Autumn is my favourite when all the trees are changing colours. You can walk or cycle all the way to the Falkirk Wheel if you are feeling energetic or turn off at the aquaduct to either the Water of Leith Walkway (another beautiful walk) or to the Dells in Collington (just stunning). When you are on the canal you forget you are still very much in the city centre, some points are so peaceful and leafy with various parks on route and if you get tired you are never far from a bus stop back into town. I've walked all the way out to East Calder where you find yourself surrounded by fields and countryside and fabulous scenery, just gorgeous!

A beautiful quiet space in Canonmills bordering the Stockbridge area. Has a playground for children…read moreand whilst not a huge park, ample space with different quadrants that offer room to walk your dog, benches to sit and private little spots to enjoy a picnic. The playground is actually really cute and perfect for locals who want to enjoy a bit of greenery right in their doorstep.

This park and ride is a godsend for anyone who wants to travel into edinburgh without taking the…read morecar the whole way. Parking here is free and you have the option to either take the bus into Edinburgh or the tram. There is a staffed ticket office between 0730 and 1830 that also has toilet facilities. With an all day ticket that is valid on both buses and trams its excellent value. When we park here we always use the trams as its still something of a novelty for us Glasweigans and it drops you right in the city centre in under 20 minutes. When travelling back here later on at night you can get the number 35 bus that will also drop you here. The trams will take you to Edinburgh airport but they do not allow overnight parking here so bear that in mind.

What a wonderful canoeing experience. Very nice staff and a reasonably priced activity. They…read moreprovide the life jackets with the boats. The views are great and the rowing is not too difficult. This was one of my favorite activities in Edinburgh.

Is it a Bike?  Is it a Raft?  Is it Boat?  No, it's Akwakat!…read more It's early on a Friday morning; we wake up and anxiously check the weather.  Our planned outing on the canal will be so much better if the weather holds out. But what are we up to? Akwakat!  When I spotted a deal online for a chance to cycle a floating bike ON the canal - how could I refuse? I found the website and facebook page a bit vague for booking and directions and had to rely on emails and texts for the full story on bookings, location etc.  We didn't have a full address but  set the GPS for Calder Crescent and hoped for the best.  The map did show that this was near the canal so we put our faith in Google Maps and headed out.  As we approached our 'Final Destination', we saw a group of guys digging away near a few shipping containers.  We drove around the bend to where we could see access to the canal.  A friendly dog walker pointed us back to the shipping containers - yep - that's Bridge 8!  We pulled in alongside the containers where there was parking for a few cars. One of the guys put down his spade and bounded over to great us. He looked surprised to see us, even though we had email confirmation from our date change (a weeks prior).  No worry - they said it would only take a few minutes to set up our Akwakats. Mark opened up a container - well it was more like a T.A.R.D.I.S. , holding dozens of Akwakats, Kayaks, canoes, paddleboards sea kayaks, lifejackets and bikes.  All these are available for the public to hire but the main goal of Bridge 8 hub, is to provide activities for schools and youth groups.  Bridge 8 is actually a social enterprise.  They use the hire business to fund the youth activities both at Bridge 8 (the bridges along the Union are numbered and the centre is located near Bridge 8 - clever!) and abroad.  In fact, the Akwakat proceeds are reinvested into their youth sea kayaking expedition to British Columbia next year.  So not only were we getting a fun day out at the canal, but we were also helping others - win, win!! Oh, but you still don't know what an Akwakat is? Akwakat is a bike.  No, it's a boat.  Or is it a Raft?  Actually it's all 3.  At the heart is a standard mountain bike, without wheels.  This is mounted to a frame using Velcro (yep - good ole Velcro) onto 2 inflated pontoons.  The pedals drive the underwater paddles/propeller that make you move and the handlebars steer you in the right direction (most of time).  Simple! Once the Akwakats were assembled we were suited up with lifejackets and given instructions.  I thought we would be on a led tour, but no, we had free use of the 'bikes' for 90 minutes!  We could go in any direction as long as we stayed clear of long reeds and made way for other canal users (or let them make way for us).  Before setting off, Mark gave us his mobile number in case we got stuck and needing rescuing. Getting on, with a little help, was tricky but I managed!  (no soggy trousers today :D) The Akwakats were pretty easy to manoeuvre and felt like riding a normal mountain bike. Although, the drag from the water created resistance equivalent to climbing a small hill - so we were really getting a great workout.  This also meant that we couldn't go very fast (in fact, we were warned that pushing the gears too hard could strip them as they were plastic - to be waterproof).  If we picked up some loose reeds in the paddles or rudder we could instantly feel the resistance increase and our speed decrease.  Pedalling backwards for a few rotations easily cleared the debris and we would be back on our way. We cruised along, enjoying the stares and surprised looks from passersby, feeling quite special cycling along above the water!  The scenery was amazing!  The Akwakats were really stable so my hubbyfelt safe bringing the good camera.  In fact, we were told in most places the canal was only waist deep.  We managed to get to bridge 13 before being stared down by a swan - a good point to turn around (Swan 1, Akwakat 0) This was a great day out and we will definitely do it again!  In fact, if I lived closer to the canal, I would buy one!!  It was such a cool way to travel, see great scenery and get a workout.  Oh and I can't forget - help out a social enterprise that does great work with the local community! You can even pack a picnic and chill out at the canal side tables after your ride. If you want to give Akwakats a try (do it! do it!) contact Bridge 8 to book.  Or find out more about their other activities; Bridge 8 have  are large fleet of canoes,  stand paddle boards and touring kayaking for rent from £7.50pp for a half day. I think Paddle Boarding is next on our list. Although communication was a bit shaky - it's definitely a 4+ organisation and actually well run when you consider is it a social enterprise manned mainly by volunteers - good work guys!

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!

My wife and I were lucky enough to be the only guests on our tour, so we got to have a very…read moreinteractive experience with our guide Gary. He shared with us a great mix of stories from different eras of history, plus his own experience growing up and living in Edinburgh. I found him super engaging, funny, and intelligent. He answered all our questions expertly and helped us interpret the surrounding landscape. I was enthralled for the entire tour from beginning to finish.

Best tour company! Chris, Gillian and David were our guides for 3 different tours and all were…read moreamazing! Highly recommend booking a private tour with them. It made all the difference for us and we were only 3 adults! Don't miss the Coastal Tour too! You won't regret it!

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...

There are plenty of awesome Edinburgh Castle viewpoints for you to choose from within the city…read more Whichever one you visit will offer spectacular views, but the views from Princes Street Gardens truly are something special. The Gardens are made up of two adjacent parks which have been around since the 1820s. They sit in the shadows of Edinburgh Castle so as you can imagine, the views are very impressive! These gardens are found next to Edinburgh Train Station and the Scott Monument. They're free to enter, but just keep in mind that it does get really busy here! It lies in the valley between Edinburgh's Old and New Towns, at the heart of the Scottish capital's World Heritage Site. well, it was not always beautiful- Princes Street Gardens was created by draining Edinburgh's largest loch, the Nor Loch. there are many statues, monuments, landmarks in and around this iconic garden * Pictish Symbol Stone- The stone, now in the National Museum of Scotland * Monuments and statues- in a garden full of monuments and statues the Scott Monument, built in 1844 to commemorate the writer Sir Walter Scott, is the largest and most striking. * Ross Fountain: On the west side of the gardens is the Ross Fountain * St John's Scottish Episcopal Church * Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial: A tribute to the famous author, this memorial prompted a discussion about his adventures and literary works. * Norwegian Stone Memorial: This stone commemorates the enduring friendship between Norway and Scotland, established during World War II. * Ross Band Stand and Royal Scots Memorial: These stops offered a glimpse into the cultural and historical significance of the gardens. Every year at Christmas, part of the Gardens is transformed into the "Winter Wonderland" with a Christmas Market, an ice rink and many other fun attractions, including a Ferris wheel that stands 108 ft (33m) tall, often called The Edinburgh Eye. Today, the gardens are a popular Edinburgh tourist destination, especially beautiful in the spring and summer when the flowers are blooming.

The gardens were created in the 1820s. We walked briefly around the gardens. It is comprised of two…read morepublic parks along Princes Street with Scott Monument at one end and Ross Fountain on the other. There fountain is a picture perfect spot with the Edinburgh Castle in the background looming above. There were many benches for you to sit and relax.