Central Belt
Outdoor date ideas in Edinburgh
Updated
Edinburgh has hills, beaches and a river walk all inside the city. Arthur’s Seat is a proper climb at the foot of the Royal Mile, and Calton Hill is the easy one for a sunset over the Old Town. The Water of Leith Walkway follows a gorge from Dean Village to Stockbridge, the Hermitage of Braid is a wooded glen with Blackford Hill at the end, and the Royal Botanic Garden is calm and green even at weekends. For sea air, there’s two miles of sand at Portobello and the causeway at Cramond, where the island is only safe around low tide. And about half an hour away, Glencorse Reservoir puts you in the Pentland Hills. All of them are free.
Our picks
Arthur's Seat
Holyrood Park, at the foot of the Royal Mile
Address: Holyrood Park, Queen's Drive, Edinburgh EH8 8AZ- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Active
Climb the old volcano in Holyrood Park for a view over the whole city, from the castle to the Firth of Forth.
Why it's a good date: It feels like a proper hill walk, and you're back in town within a couple of hours. Go early for a quieter summit, wear decent shoes, and stop for breakfast in the Old Town on the way down. Dogs are welcome in the park: keep them on a lead where signs ask, in the bird nesting season.
Photo: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Calton Hill
Regent Road, at the east end of Princes Street
Address: Calton Hill, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH7 5AA- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Walk up the short path from Princes Street to the monuments on Calton Hill and watch the sun go down over the Old Town.
Why it's a good date: The classic Edinburgh view for very little effort: the castle, the Balmoral clock and Arthur's Seat all in one frame. Bring a flask and go on a clear evening. Dogs are welcome on the hill, kept under close control.
Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Inverleith Row and Arboretum Place, Inverleith
Address: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer
Wander 70 acres of free gardens, from the rock garden and its pond to the Chinese hillside, with a view of the castle and skyline from the high ground.
Why it's a good date: Calm, green and never too busy, even at weekends. The glasshouses are closed for restoration, so save it for a dry day and walk on to Stockbridge afterwards.
Photo: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Dean Village and the Water of Leith
Dean Path, West End, to Stockbridge
Address: Dean Village, Bell's Brae, Edinburgh EH4 3BE- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Follow the Water of Leith Walkway from Dean Village, a cluster of old mill buildings in a gorge, downstream to Stockbridge.
Why it's a good date: Ten minutes from Princes Street and it feels like a village. On a Sunday, time it to finish at Stockbridge Market for lunch from the stalls. Dogs are welcome on the walkway; keep them on a lead where it's busy.
Photo: Graeme Yuill, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Portobello Beach
Portobello Promenade, east Edinburgh
Address: Portobello Promenade, Edinburgh EH15 1HH- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer
Take the bus to Edinburgh's seaside and walk the promenade along two miles of sand.
Why it's a good date: A day at the beach without leaving the city. Walk the prom one way and the sand the other, and warm up with chips or an ice cream from one of the cafés along the front. Dogs are welcome on the sand all year; from April to July, when birds are nesting, keep them close or on a short lead.
Photo: Graeme Yuill, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill
Braid Road, Morningside
Address: Hermitage of Braid, 69a Braid Road, Edinburgh EH10 6JF- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Active
Follow the Braid Burn through the wooded glen of the Hermitage, then climb Blackford Hill for a view back over the city to the castle and Arthur's Seat.
Why it's a good date: A local nature reserve that feels miles from town, with a burn alongside the path and an open hilltop at the end. Dogs are welcome under close control; from April to July, when birds are nesting, keep them on a short lead in the woods and on the grassland.
Photo: Graeme Yuill, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Cramond Shore and Causeway
Cramond Glebe Road, Cramond, north-west Edinburgh
Address: Cramond Glebe Road, Edinburgh EH4 6NU- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Walk the shore at Cramond, the old village where the River Almond meets the Forth, and out along the line of wartime concrete pylons towards Cramond Island.
Why it's a good date: Wide sands, big skies and room for a dog to stretch its legs. The island is only safe to reach around low tide: check the safe crossing times on the board at the start of the causeway, and turn back in good time, because the tide comes in fast. From April to July, when birds are nesting, keep dogs close or on a short lead on the shore.
Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Glencorse Reservoir, Pentland Hills
Flotterstone, off the A702 south of Edinburgh
Address: Flotterstone car park, off the A702, Penicuik EH26 0PP- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Out of town
Head out to Flotterstone, on the edge of the Pentland Hills, and walk the quiet track up the glen to Glencorse Reservoir.
Why it's a good date: Proper hills about half an hour from the city centre, on an easy track a dog will love. Most of the park is sheep farming, so the rangers ask you to keep your dog on a lead unless you're sure it won't run off, and to keep it out of the water if there's blue-green algae after warm weather.
Photo: Stevie Wallace, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Quick answers
How long does it take to climb Arthur's Seat?
It feels like a proper hill walk, but you're back in town within a couple of hours. Go early for a quieter summit and wear decent shoes.
Are the Royal Botanic Garden's glasshouses open?
Not at the moment: they're closed for restoration, so save the garden for a dry day. The 70 acres outside are free and open, with a view of the castle from the high ground.
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