Date spot in Edinburgh
St Giles' Cathedral
Step inside the High Kirk on the Royal Mile for its stained glass, blue vaulted ceiling and the carved Thistle Chapel.
High Street, Royal Mile, Old Town
Address: High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1RE- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
Why it's a good date: One of the few big Old Town sights you can see with your dog: dogs are allowed in the building, and staff or volunteers will bring water if yours needs some. You'll need a ticket now (free with a Resident Pass if you live in Scotland), and it's a dry half hour before a wander down the Royal Mile.
Photo: Eveline Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
More from our Edinburgh guide
Edinburgh Printmakers
Castle Mill Works, Gilmore Park, Fountainbridge
Address: Castle Mills, 1 Dundee Street, Edinburgh EH3 9FP- Culture
- Free
- Dog friendly
See the free exhibitions in the old rubber mill offices at Fountainbridge, browse prints in the shop, then walk the Union Canal towpath next door.
Why it's a good date: The whole building is dog friendly apart from the main print studio, so your dog can come round the galleries, shop and café with you. A small print makes a good keepsake of the day, and the canal is right outside for a stroll afterwards.
Photo: M J Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
The Devil's Advocate
Advocate's Close, Old Town
Address: 9 Advocate's Close, Edinburgh EH1 1ND- Bar
- Mid-price
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
- Romantic
Share a dram or a cocktail in a 19th-century pump house down Advocate's Close, a steep Old Town lane just off the Royal Mile.
Why it's a good date: Stone walls, low light and over 300 whiskies, plus a covered terrace with heaters and blankets for a cold night. Dogs are welcome in the bar and on the terrace but not in the restaurant, so make it drinks rather than dinner if yours is coming. It's up a run of stairs.
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)
