very helpful receptionist,it was unfortunate the cafe didn't open until 10am however excellent well…read morestocked vending machines are available

I've recently joined this gym and have to say I am really enjoying it. I've only been going to…read moreclasses, not using the gym itself as that's what I prefer and I really do like them. The instructors are great. Easy to follow instructions with variety for different abilities and all very professional, but also fun. Not being instructed by robots! It's a really friendly atmosphere which is the reason I keep going back. And I have tried gyms before and just give up as don't enjoy it. The only reason for 1 star being off is because the pool can be seen from reception and the cafe area which for me is off putting. I'm sure a lot of people won't bother about this, but I'd prefer it to be more private.

Disclaimer: I won a three months membership…read more If I'd to sum it all up... + Good class timetable Good pool times Great showers Super friendly staff That little machine that dries your swimming costume The free bags to take home your laundry - You can't book online The price All in all, Westwoods is pretty swanky and I've thoroughly enjoyed using the facilities. I wish you could book classes online as it becomes a bit of a drag always having to phone. It's a little out of my price range but I've been so impressed with Westwoods that, if I could afford it, I'd happily become a member.

When I visit my family in Edinburgh I really enjoy keeping up with my workouts. Both of my sisters…read moreare members. They utilize the weight room , swim , and take classes there. This is a great Athletic Club. Although small the weight room has everything I need. Plenty of cardio equipment as well as free weights. The staff are friendly and polite as well as helpful with newcomers. The little cafe is lovely with indoor and outdoor patio. If I lived there full time I would definitely be a member.

A former church building converted into a community centre to serve citizens in the South side of…read morethe city. The centre runs throughout the whole year providing sports classes, drama, creative writing, etc for young and not so young members. The programme includes hours for surgery consultation, the rights club, lip reading, and a variety of courses for people with disabilities. Every Friday the centre screens a film for its members which is followed by a discussion. For immigrant or refugees the centre offers language classes twice per week. And during the Fringe festival the centre turns into one of the most exciting performance venues - the Pleasance.

This is the first time I have visited portobello swim centre since taking lessons at primary school…read moreand it was nice to return with my niece over 20 years later and I could see some changes but mostly as I remember. We enjoyed our visit, we both preferred it here than commonwealth pool or the WHEC as it is far less busy, and easy enough to get to by public transport, right on the beach promenade, it's a great location. This pool provide water toys and floats which we had lots of fun with but I must make you aware that the showers although partitioned are shared with both male and females and male attendants on duty but this wasn't a problem for me or my niece but it might make some people uncomfortable. Also, make sure you bring change for the locker because they don't have cash only card payment. It's handy to know that there are Turkish baths here too and a sauna but these must be pre- booked. All in all we had lots of fun and will definitely be returning again soon!

The gym had a refurb last year & although it's smaller than the one at Meadowbank, it's got a good…read moreselection of machines & i've never had any trouble getting on anything on the odd occasion I've ventured in. I have to confess that I've never ventured into the pool despite being the owner of an Edinburgh Leisure membership for the last 2.5 years.... The building itself is lovely & old. it's fair to say that some bits have withstood the test of time better than others. The best thing about it though is the cafe on the first floor. It's at the front, has lots of windows making it light & airy & more importantly, gives great views of the beach. I love sitting up there with a pot of tea & a freshly baked scone watching the waves crash onto the beach. They serve generous portions of the brekkie stuff. Their bacon rolls are generously stuffed & very filling, scrambled eggs are fluffy & come piled high on mounds of toast but my favourite is their home baking. I'm a sucker for a good scone. They do fab scones which are always fresh from the oven. Perfect after a run along the Prom. In fact their scones are the reason I run along the Prom. There's nothing like the promise of a reward to make me get out of bed on a Saturday morning & go for a run.

In a standard burst of January fitness (after spending two weeks eating and boozing like Fat…read moreBastard) , The Man and I discovered that Gracemount Leisure Center is about 5 minutes from our house. How did we miss that before? Oh yeah, we were too distracted by the chippy that's RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from it (how cruel is that??). So we checked it out. We're usually work in the garden and go hillwalking kind of people but in the dark winter months there are literally not enough hours in the day to do very much of that. On the one hand, I like it. It wasn't busy (though the pool was filling up by the time we left), the gym had plenty of machines that meant you hardly had to wait, the facilities were clean and people friendly. They offer a pretty wide range of classes here too which is nice. On the other hand, a gym visit is £6.90, and if you go to the sauna that's an extra £1.50. £1.50 to sit in a hot room for 10 minutes is pretty excessive, no? Surely it should just be part of your entry fee? You could pay £25/year for a discount (20-25% I believe), or £44/month for a gym membership. You would practically have to go twice a week (gym only) for that to make any sense and let's be honest, I'll never do that. So, no fault on this gym as I know Edinburgh Leisure sets the prices, but in a country where the government bangs on about people needing to eat right an exercise more, surely they could lower the price of a visit to a council gym?

I've loving this whole deal Edinburgh Leisure has got going on. Granted, it's not the cheapest…read moreoption for fitness, but what you get is access to NEARLY EVERYTHING. By that, I mean across Edinburgh. Commonwealth Pool I seem to recall is the only exception to this rule. But, if you want classes, rock climbing at Ratho, a game of golf, indoor bowling, gyms, pools, there is a membership that gives you the lot. And I like that, especially as my fat backside really needs to get into shape, stat. What I had struggled with in the past was the, if I sign up to the gym near my work, then I have to trek out at the weekend, but if I do it near my home, well there isn't anything, and it means by the time I get there, I'll be too tired. This way, if I am home, I can nip out to a gym like Portobello (with Turkish baths!), or at work, run into Ratho, or Gracemount, which is a happy halfway point. Gracemount is a pleasant gym, a little rundown, and with one endlessly running tap in the ladies loos (come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed it!). It has a pool (haven't tried it), and a decent sized gym. Seriously, Meadownbank has a gym the size of a cupboard - this is mansion sized in comparison. I've never had a problem getting onto a machine here and I can work away to my hearts content, and if I am near a window, I can watch the pigeons doing what pigeons do, which helps while away the misery of a walking machine.

Swimming lessons are great but gives young children and parents a false sense of safety. The kids…read moreare not thought ISR skills which can be life saving...my wee one is completely use to having the arm bands which floats her body in a vertical way not possible to do it without them https://www.parentspreventingchildhooddrowning.com/post/the-hidden-dangers-of-childhood-swimming. Where can I get ISR lessons instead in Edinburgh ?

I really, really, REALLY like the new Victoria Baths. I like it's old retro poolside wooden…read morechanging rooms and old school tiles and viewing gallery. For some reason it's always relatively quiet and if it's not there's the odd kid and parent combo but purely learning the basics of swimming with arm bands, apart from that there's a couple of old women in the slow lane and basically the rest is all yours. Private showers are a rarity, especially if you've just learned it's not ok to have "proper" showers when you're at swimming and shaving your arm pits is pretty much frowned upon... Unless you have your own private shower that is!

Wow! For club rugby, this complex is sensational and not many club rugby teams around the world…read morehave got a setup this good. Well done Boroughmuir.

This farm was right next to our Airbnb and so we just had to visit! It's not too big so this is…read moregreat if you want to squeeze in a visit while you're exploring. There is a cafe but it was closed when we were there. Entry is free, and there are stations to wash your hands. I didn't see any employees while I was there though, just a couple of other tourists. It was pretty empty so I felt like I had everything to myself. I saw some cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, lambs, and they were all adorable! You can't feed them but they are so friendly they sometimes let you pet them.

was a lovely warm sunny day visiting Gorgie City Farm &…read moreCafe 8/8/19. I think I came here a very long time ago so it was great to see all again. Walking around seeing all the animals was great and taking some photos of my experience. The weather was so hot, it felt like my head was burning a bit. Very impressive what I saw from goats, chickens, pigs, birds and many more. The young goats where so cute, I wanted to fit one in my pocket lol. I would recommend this place to anyone, if you love the outdoors and animals. You can get a Lothian Buses number 25 from Princess Street in Edinburgh and it will take you straight there also Gorgie City Farm is free to anyone too. Check out my article on Gorgie City Farm on my Blog below https://socialsandi1.com/2019/08/08/gorgie-city-farm/

I really wanted to love this place, but every time I went the staff would persistently harass me in…read moreone way or another. First off, they wouldn't let me keep my bag in the gym with me, but then the only place to put your stuff is in the lockers in the swimming area. This means taking off your shoes and walking on a dirty floor (yuck!) even if you're not going swimming. The area where the lockers are is also very humid and over time I believe my phone has been water damaged as a result of this, which is additionally frustrating. The staff have made no effort to work with me on this issue and when I pointed out that I have chronic fatigue and joint problems that make this endeavour more difficult for me than for others, they simply said that "no one gets special treatment here". I'm looking forward to trying Nuffield Health down the road, hoping that I won't be persistently harassed and scrutinized there.

The reception lady was exceptionally helpful on my first visit to the Dalry Swimming Pool…read more My visit was unfortunately spoiled due to a terribly rude member of staff who shouted at me "you can't have shoes on in here!" When I entered the pool area towards the lockers. Being new to the pool I had no idea that it was so poorly laid out that when you walk through the entrance doors from reception, the pool is right there with lockers, open showers and changing cubicals right next to the pool. No privacy there whatsoever. While swimming I hold on to the side when nearing the deep end as my feet don't touch the floor. This rude staff member then shouted at me again "if you can't swim without touching the sides you can't go up that end" all the while huffing and tutting and clearly in a foul mood. I know it may not seem like much but I am a disabled person and being confronted in such a way when I am new to the facilities and very rarely go to public places like this, has made me feel terrible and like I shouldn't go anywhere again for fear of repeat situations. Unfortunately a very negative experience on my first and last visit to the Dalry Swimming Pool.