The Royal Mile runs through the heart of the Old Town and is a must for any visitors to the city.  As a resident, I have walked up and down the street hundreds of times over the years, but there is always some small detail that I notice every time I explore the area.   The Royal Mile  runs from Edinburgh Castle down to Holyrood Palace and consists of six different sections.

Edinburgh Castle

Starting from the top, there is Edinburgh Castle where you will find the Scottish Crown, Sword and Sceptre, and the legendary Stone of Destiny.  Free guided tours are included with the admission price, or you can take it at your own pace with an audio tour.  At peak tourist times, it makes sense to buy your tickets in advance as the ticket queues can take up valuable sightseeing time.  If your budget doesn’t allow full entry to the Castle, make sure you still walk through the grand entrance so you can say you have been within the Castle walls.  This is now possible due to the relocation of the box office inside the grounds, leaving the esplanade clear for taking excellent photos.

There are panoramic views of Edinburgh to be had from the castle esplanade.  Look out for the magnificent George Heriot’s School built in 1628 which looks like another castle, straight out of a fairytale.

As you head down the Castlehill section of the Royal Mile, you will see the Scotch Whisky Experience which also houses Amber Restaurant.  On your left, you will see Camera Obscura which is a 150 year old observatory and a fun place for children and adults alike.

Views down the Royal Mile from Camera Obscura

Moving down the Royal Mile, you will start to see many tourist shops which basically sell all the same souvenirs, but at a variety of prices, so it pays to shop around.

The Writer’s Museum is set in a charming courtyard which you can access through Lady Stair’s Close.  This is the place to learn about the three great Scots writers, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, through manuscripts, portraits and their personal possessions.  (free)

Moving down the Royal Mile, you will come to the High Kirk of St Giles (St Giles Cathedral) which has been an Edinburgh landmark since 1160.  Make sure you see the rib-vaulted ceiling of the Thistle Chapel.  The cathedral looks good at any time of the day or night and in all weather conditions (admission is free, but a donation is welcomed; there is also a small charge requested if you wish to take photos inside).   Opposite the cathedral, there is the spooky Mary King’s Close to explore which is a perfect all-weather activity for those aged 5 and up.  We have also visited the Close with a psychic medium.

High Kirk of St Giles

Further down the Royal Mile, you will cross North Bridge, and to the left, the road leads down to Princes Street.  Stay on the Royal Mile though, and on your left hand side you will come to the Scottish Storytelling Centre which is a theatre with a wide range of entertainment.  Those in the know enquire about the local storytellers who can often be found here.  This is also the place from which to access John Knox’s House, home to the fiery religious reformer in 1599.  The house is a beautiful building to admire from the outside as well.  Across the road is the Museum of Childhood, another council-run museum (free admission) which allows older generations re-live toys from their childhood. Young children also like this museum as they try to comprehend what amused the oldies in times gone by!

Why not stop at Clarinda’s Tearoom in the Canongate for tea and cake?   Make sure you adhere to the rules in this cute eatery.

Further down is Dunbar’s Close Garden, not often found by tourists.  This is a perfect little green area to enjoy a break from the main street. You will often find locals having their lunch here in the warmer months.

Right at the bottom of the Royal Mile you will find the Scottish Parliament.  It was designed by Spanish architect Enric Mirrales and despite being a controversial design, he won the contract.

Directly opposite is the Palace of Holyroodhouse which is the royal residence best known for tales of romance and intrigue during the time of Mary Queen of Scots.  The state rooms are still used by the present-day Queen, who stays here when she is in town.  There is an admission charge, but you can still take a good picture of the palace through the gates to the left.

Although, not strictly on the Royal Mile, you will see Arthur’s Seat which is a fabulous place to get sensational views across the city.  It forms part of Holyrood Park and it is worthwhile walking one of the several circular routes around the extinct volcano.  You will look down on the Palace and see the spires of the places at the top of the Royal Mile and a fantastic view of the Castle. We reviewed this walk when the area was covered in snow.

The Castle from Arthur's Seat

Bear in mind that it’s still light in the evening till around 10pm in the summer, so this free activity can be enjoyed when other tourist attractions are closed.

This guide is by no means a definitive list of what there is to do on the Royal Mile, but gives you a selection to choose from.  The whole area buzzes with charm and surprises and despite having trod the pavement for thirty five years, I still enjoy exploring the hub of activity that is The Royal Mile.

Many of these attractions are available on the Edinburgh Pass that we reviewed.

The Royal Botanic Garden is a wonderful place to visit at any time of year.

At Autumn, it is arguably at its best – when all the many different species of trees and plants begin to shed their leaves, resulting in all the varied colours and hues of the season.

And on clear, sunny autumn days, there are few places in Edinburgh to beat ‘the Botanics’.

Click on the small images below to view our gallery of photos.

With guests in town, we took a stroll around the city centre today to show them some of the best views of Edinburgh. Blessed with perfect Autumn weather and a gorgeous blue sky, here’s some of what we snapped today.

Started off with a walk through Inverleith Park

Reflections in St Andrew Square and the tents for 'Occupy Edinburgh' protest

View from The Mound

View from the museum roof garden on Chambers Street

Greyfriar's Bobby

Classic shot of Edinburgh Castle from Johnston Terrace

Ramsay Gardens with the tattoo seating dismantled

St Mary's Cathedral from Edinburgh Castle

View from Edinburgh Castle looking north. The trees are the Botanical Gardens,

With the exception of the views taken from within Edinburgh Castle, all the photos and places mentioned are free. You can still take a stroll up to the esplanade and take pictures of outside the castle for free and it well wor-th doing for the panoramic views of Edinburgh.

For years, the Royal Museum on Chambers Street was the ‘forgotten bedfellow’ of the National Museum of Scotland. Now, after a three year refurbishment, it is ready to reopen its doors once more: with a treasure trove of objects and exhibits and a modern space which has been designed to give access to its rich and varied collection to everyone.

View our photo gallery and video tour of the National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland - a treasure of Edinburgh

Window on the World

The grand steps from Chambers Street leading to the entrance doors of course remain: but street-level access to either side of them now leads into the new Entrance Hall. Originally the basement, the space was used to store the huge number of objects not on permanent display.

Now, with its vaulted ceiling and new Caithness stone flooring, the Entrance Hall provides a new and welcoming introduction to the museum, with a shop, a brasserie and visitor facilities. Described by architect Gareth Hoskins as like ‘holding up a grade-A listed building with one hand’, the work done on the Entrance Hall is the first sign of the museum’s impressive and modern transformation.

Newly-installed glass lifts take visitors into the stunning Victorian architecture of the Grand Gallery. As they glide smoothly upwards, they pass the Window on the World, a four-storey installation of objects from the museum’s collection. An example of the innovative work by designer Ralph Applebaum, it is intended to evoke a sense of drama and wonder: a nod to the original Victorian intention of the museum as a ‘portal’ into cultural amusement and public education.

The World Cultures galleries

The lifts also ensure access to the upper galleries is easy and fully accessible. Prior to the refurbishment, only around 10% of visitors ever ventured above the ground floor. Now, we imagine most people will take the lifts straight to the top, to marvel at the architecture of the Victorian ‘birdcage’ design and to enjoy the new sense of light and space which the transformation has provided.

From the Grand Gallery, 16 new themed exhibition spaces can be reached. The National Museum of Scotland’s collection is broad, encompassing science, nature and culture: but the galleries are connected by a broad theme of showcasing the Scots as a nation of inventors, entrepreneurs and explorers; their objects telling stories of the nation’s ingenuity, sense of adventure and its thirst for knowledge.

The galleries therefore include Shaping Our World, an innovative look at how technology has affected our lives; and the World Cultures galleries, bringing together objects from all corners of the world in a fascinatingly curated collection.

Old friends in the Natural World galleries

If like us, you have fond memories of visiting the museum as a child, then the Natural World gallery will be a welcome surprise. A stunning new three-storey installation, it is filled with some old friends – and some destined to become new favourites. Sealife exhibits ‘swim’ overhead: above leaping tigers, fighting peacocks and powerful dinosaur skeletons. The overall impact is striking and modern, and this section of the museum is likely to be the first stop for children and families.

When the museum first opened in the 19th century, the papers proudly reported that there was ‘no sign of wantonness’. Nor, we are happy to report, is there any on display today – only a stunning and impressive modern museum for the 21st century which is all set to become one of Edinburgh’s top attractions for visitors and residents alike.

The National Museum of Scotland opens to the public at 10:00 on 29 July. The grand reopening will be preceded by celebrations on Chambers Street outside at 09:15 – more information is available here.

Video of the Grand Gallery and Natural World gallery

With the glorious weather in Edinburgh at the moment, we couldn’t resist taking a walk up Blackford Hill to admire Edinburgh from a different angle.

The view of Arthur's Seat

Edinburgh Castle

Looking towards Salisbury Crags

Looking down to East Lothian through the haze. Berwick Law and Bass Rock visible.

Gorgeous Edinburgh

Head down towards Mountcastle and beside the High School lies Figgate Park. The last time we visited this gorgeous green space, it was so foggy, Arthur’s Seat couldn’t be seen, but today, the sun was shining and we got views galore.

There’s some more information on Figgate Park on the council website but we found it a great place to wander around and soak in the views, look at the wildlife in the pond (with board walk) and admire the beautiful pictorial garden. You can walk your dog here, there’s picnic tables for good weather and it connects to Edinburgh’s cycle network.

Well worth a visit, but make sure to take your camera and binoculars for all the wildlife.

Figgate Park with Arthur's Seat in the background

Pictorial Garden

Baby moorhens

The excellent boardwalk

A heron on the central island

View from Camera Obscura

Get busy in the summer holidays by exploring Edinburgh

It’s almost the summer break and the kids will be off school looking for things to do.  Here’s some of our suggestions that come with our full recommendation and have all been individually reviewed.  You can also look at our things to do section for further ideas and our kids section.

1.Visit the excellent Camera Obscura on the Royal Mile.  Allow the kids to explore and learn on this very hands-on tourist attraction.

2. Take a trip to Edinburgh Zoo.  It’s a firm favourite of ours and we’ve taken the mini-Spotlight members many times.

3.  Explore underground Edinburgh at Mary King’s Close.  Perfect for any weather, the mini-Spotlight members enjoyed their time there.

4.  Pay a visit to Dr Neil’s Garden in Duddingston and pretend it’s a secret wonderland.   FREE

5.  Use up energy by climbing to the top of the Scott Monument and enjoy panoramic views of Edinburgh.  Get children to count every one of the 287 steps.

6. Explore the National Museum on Chambers Street and be sure to visit the 7th floor for spectacular views of the Edinburgh skyline, including the castle. The new museum is open now. FREE

7. Go squirrel hunting the Botanical Gardens.  Arm the family with some nuts and hunt out the squirrels and feed them.  FREE

8. Be a tourist in your own city and make good use of the Edinburgh Pass.  We saved a whopping £57.15 with a bit of careful planning.

View from Nelson Monument

9.  Admire the swans at St Margaret’s Loch and then walk around Arthur’s Seat.  Point out areas of Edinburgh to the children and get them to spot buildings such as Edinburgh Castle and Easter Road football stadium. If you’re feeling particularly energetic, you could also walk to the top!   FREE

10.  Visit an ancient castle.  We love Craigmillar Castle as you can climb all over it and explore every nook and cranny.

11.  Pay a visit to Gorgie Zoo. The goats, pigs, horses and other animals will keep youngsters amused for hours.  FREE

12.  Take a stroll along the Water of Leith and see if you can spot one of the otters living there just now.  There’s an abundance of wildlife to be seen and if you do spot any, photograph it and submit it to the excellent Edinburgh Wildlife site.  FREE

13.  Take a trip to the Edinburgh Brass Rubbing Centre.  Admire the beautiful building and have some quiet ‘craft’ time with children.  A perfect wet weather activity. (currently closed for refurbishment),

14. Visit the Museum of Childhood on the Royal Mile and show the little ones toys from years ago. FREE

15. Ever seen a million pounds?  You can at the Museum on the Mound as well as seeing what used to be used as money.  The museum often run workshops for children in the summer holidays. FREE

View from the Scott Monument

16. Explore the Royal Mile and Holyrood Park. Start at the top and walk down one side exploring every close, nook and cranny.  Once you reach the Parliament, cross the road and explore the other side back up to the Castle. You’ll discover secret gardens and places you never knew existed. FREE

17. Walk up Calton Hill and soak in the views of Edinburgh. Look southwards and try to spot Holyrood Palace. You also get a perfect view of Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags.  Sit on the Portugese Cannon and climb the Athenian acropolis. FREE

18. Visit Nelson Monument and climb to the top for unrivaled 360 degree views of Edinburgh.

19. Walk up and down the newly opened Scotsman Steps that connect North Bridge to Market Street.  There’s 104 different coloured steps to count and get the wee ones to point out their favourite colour. FREE

20. Have a game of pitch n’ putt on Brunstfield Links. FREE

Heron, Water of Leith

A million pounds

Ever seen a million pounds in real life?  You can at the Museum on the Mound amongst many other interesting bank-related exhibits.  The museum has been open for a few years now and is an excellent free activity for people of all ages.

The museum has different sections to explore and the friendly staff supply you with a map of the floor plan and any information you may need.  As you walk through the entrance, you immediately spy £1,000,000 encased in a glass display.  Look carefully at the top right hand corner, it looks as if there’s 4 lots of bank notes missing – but there’s no money missing.

This money display used to be housed elsewhere but the sheer weight of the money (130 lbs) was no longer suitable for the cabinet, so it’s now been placed here.  Every single note has been marked ‘cancelled’ so it’s no longer legal tender.

Although we think of money today as banknotes and coins, things like tea, shells and even feathers have been used in the past. You can find out how money has evolved over the past 4,000 years and even have a go at cracking a safe!

There’s a few hands on exhibits, which will amuse children whilst adults may look at the old currencies on display and remember the designs of the coins and notes.

It’s certainly interesting to use the interactive maps to see how the city has changed and grown since the 1600s and to find out how the Mound got its name.

During the school holidays, the museum normally runs special workshops with hands-on activities.

There is a small gift shop that sells a selection of money-related items and the museum is completely accessible and buggy friendly.

Information:

Museum on the Mound
The Mound
Edinburgh
EH1 1YZ

Tel: 0131 243 5464
E-mail: info@museumonthemound.com

Group visits by appointment only

Opening hours:

Tuesday – Friday  1000 – 1700

Saturday – Sunday  1300 – 1700

Bank Holiday Mondays  1300 – 1700  (closed normal Mondays)
13:00 – 17:00

Free entry to the museum

Free museum

The Museum of Childhood, Royal Mile, Edinburgh.

By Victoria Bamber

The City of Edinburgh is home to many museums, all of which have a unique and interesting way of portraying the story they wish to tell. One museum which does this particularly well is the Museum of Childhood, situated on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. As many would agree, childhood is a magical time; a time of learning, developing, growing and playing. The Museum of Childhood is solely dedicated to this period and it enchants its viewers in the only way it knows how; pure, innocent nostalgia – and lots of it.

With free admission, and generous opening times, the Museum of Childhood is instantly appealing to those visiting alone or as part of a group. Surprisingly roomy and with 5 floors full of artefacts, guests can easily spend a good couple of hours drifting back to a time where Muffin the Mule ruled our television screens, stamp collecting and metallic spinning tops entertained children for hours and pristine dolls with porcelain faces were to be admired from afar, out of reach from sticky fingers.

Collection of dolls

The museum is arranged in five well presented sections; ranging from hobbies, activities and games to the school yard, teddies, health and holidays. The third floor is especially impressive and plays host to hundreds of dolls, each with their own history and culture – many dating back to the early 19th century.

At the moment, some exhibitions in the Museum of Childhood are undergoing a refurbishment, leaving parts of the second floor in particular a little sparse, but despite this each section has the wonderful ability of appealing to visitors young and old through the classy displays, interesting arrangements and clever use of sound and picture. As expected, the museum is exceptionally child friendly, and offers old-fashioned games and toys such as snakes and ladders and rocking horses on every floor to combat boredom whilst educating and entertaining youngsters. One particular part of the museum which is especially thoughtful is situated on the fifth floor and gives children the opportunity to dress up in the fashions of the early 20th century with a few chosen garments symbolic to the period (adults too could indulge a little here if willing to leave their dignity at the door.)

One of the other lovely aspects of the Museum of Childhood is that visitors are so obviously enchanted by the items they see in the display cases. Whatever era you lived in, it is almost a guarantee that you recognise and identify with many artefacts on show – although the fact that your childhood toys are now behind glass in a museum is a harsh reality many adults can probably do without. Often the phrases ‘I had one of those’ or ‘Do you remember that?’ can be heard when passing a meccano set from the 1960s or a pedal car from the 1940s. Often much comfort can be found in the past when reminiscing over items which obviously brought much joy and happiness once upon a time.

Various displays

The Museum of Childhood is obviously popular with guests and has an informal air that many larger, less intimate museums lack. If you visit on a bank holiday, or at weekends the floors are usually busy – yet quiet reflection and pointed silences can be found when visiting on weekdays.  During the holidays family classes, events and workshops are introduced by staff, which help enhance visits and provide entertainment – usually free, for children and adults alike. The museum shop, selling replica toys and faux vintage items is also worth a wander around and one can almost guarantee that each group will leave with a few ‘Daddies Sauce’ or Reliant Robin postcards as a memento of a fabulous trip back in time.

Information:

The Museum of Childhood

42 High Street, Royal Mile, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TG
Tel: 0131 529 4142

Suitable for disabled?  Galleries One to Three are fully accessible. There are stairs to galleries Four and Five. Please ask the customer assistants for directions to the disabled toilet.

There’s nothing we like more than a stroll around the Royal Botanical Gardens.  Today, we took our camera with us and captured the vibrant colours of the flowers.

Pink bush

Yellow

Lilac

Orange

Scarlet

Purple

White

Green appearing on the hedge

Oldest short hole golf course in the world

Play on the world’s oldest short hole golf course for free

A wonderful free activity to do all year round is to play golf on Brunstfield Links.  Believed to be one of the oldest sites of gold (pre-dates 17th century), the short hole course was founded in 1895. 

Situated south of Melville Drive, there are two courses available to play on.  A summer short 36 hole course (open end of April to October) and a 9 hole winter course (open October to end of April). 

In the summer months, the green starter’s hut on the edge of the links is open most days to get information and advice on where to start your game. 

Pasture Golf state you must follow the rules of the Bruntsfield Links which are as follows: 

1) playing each hole from the tee areas
2) replacing any displaced turf (divots, not just your own, all over the course, particularly the tee areas.
3) repairing golf ball plugmarks on the putting greens.
4) keeping a watchful eye open for anyone: – a) causing willful damage to the course, b) damaging/stealing the flag pins, c) not playing in accordance with the Course Rules, e.g. playing over paths, and to politely advise them accordingly. 

You must also adhere to the rule that  ”no player shall play his or her ball across any footpath or road”. 

Permanent maps explaining courses are available

Playing on the course is free, so just take a long your own clubs and balls.  Should you need to hire equipment, visit the Golf Tavern on the edge of the links and hire them from behind the bar.  £5 deposit for clubs and balls (£3 hire, £2 returned at end of play) which is very reasonable. 

This BruntsfieldLinks course is not to be confused with the golf course situated at Barnton of the same name. 

You can play all year round, but adhere to the rules

Pic courtesy of Tollcross.org

Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh

We love Arthur’s Seat and have previously covered a walk around the extinct volcano and also when it has been covered in snow. 

Today we were taking our usual walk around the path but had the sudden urge to head for the summit once we reached Dunsapie Loch. 

The summit in the distance

There are various routes you can choose to walk up to the summit, some of which are suggested here.  The easiest way to reach the top is from this point up one of the two recognised paths on the grass, which leads to a stone path and steps closer to the top. It’s really important that you use this path as the area can be slippy, especially after rain, but also to stop further erosion of this natural beauty spot. 

The stone path to the summit

It takes about 15 minutes from Dunsapie Loch to reach the summit, longer if you stop to take photos on the way up.  On a clear sunny day, you can see across to Fife and right down the East Coast. 

At the summit

It can be very windy up at the summit and today was one of those days.  It was hard to hold the camera steady to take pictures of the wonderful views. 

Looking East

Looking North

Edinburgh Castle from the summit (zoomed in)

The weather was only a few degrees at the top, so after 5 minutes we headed back down taking care to watch our step as the rocks are uneven.  We continued on our way anti-clockwise around the path and patted ourselves on the back for choosing a fit and healthy way to start the day. 

The view as we continued around the footpath

The minute we touched back down to ground level, the skies turned blue and the sun came out (just our luck) but we’ll save going back up for another day. 

Suitable for disabled? There is a road all the way around Arthur’s Seat, but not to the summit.  There’s a separate path for walkers and joggers, so suitable for wheelchairs and buggies.  There are car parks at the top beside the Loch and lay bys that you can park in and enjoy the view.

There are many places around Edinburgh to get a great view of the skyline, but one of the more unusual ones is from the 7th floor roof garden at the National Museum on Chambers Street.

Edinburgh skyline and roof garden

The roof garden is open from 1000 -1645 hrs every day, yet is often missed by visitors to the museum.  The garden tells of the Scottish landscapes in the middle of the city: coastal plants face the Firth of Forth, summit vegetation as you look up to Edinburgh Castle and a sunken platter displays typical bog vegtation.

Sunken planter and bog vegetation

There are signs and pictures telling you what the buildings are in each direction, but if you’re an Edinburgh resident, you should know most of them without looking.

Rooftops of Edinburgh

You can access the 7th floor garden by lift or from the 5th floor you can walk up via two outdoor staircases. Well worth a trip to the top even if you don’t have time to spend in the museum and best of all, it’s free.

A unique 360 degree view of Edinburgh city centre and its wonderful skyline.

Eye level with McEwan Hall

Over the Old Town to Calton Hill

Arthur's Seat

Close up of the Castle

And to finish this article off, here is one of Keith’s excellent shots from the roof garden.

Museum roof garden

*updated from September 2009 article*

Gorgie City Farm is an excellent trip for children of all ages. It’s still free to enter, but a suggested donation of £2 is welcome.   It’s placed off Gorgie Road and is open every day from 9.30am – 4.30pm in the summer (slightly different in winter).

They’ve got a good selection of animals, turkeys, pigs, goats, sheep etc including a hands-on section where they encourage you to touch the animals.

It’s a good way to spend a couple of hours and the animals seem happy.  They are also used to little people standing close by.  There are mini gardens to explore

A lot of the farm workers are volunteers and this has continued to be successful through donations by local companies and the fact that Asda provides the pig food!

There is a tractor that kids are positively encouraged to climb over and there’s now a wee playground for them to let off steam.   You can buy tea and coffee and have something to eat at Jemima’s Pantry which is at the exit to the farm.  You can also have  children’s party.

Asleep in the summer heat

It’s well worth to visit at any time of the year, especially when the lambs and calves are born, they’re so cute!  There are also lots of events on during the year, so check the website out.

Suitable for disabled? On the whole yes, but the farm is on a few slopes.

Hungry goats

Keeping cool

In with the hens

Yesterday, I took some mini Spotlight members to the Botanics and they helped me capture the beautiful summer colours on parade at the moment.  Enjoy the photos, which were all taken by children aged 5-11.

Bright summer colours

Waterfall

A big purple jelly?!

Edinburgh Botanics

Blossom and water

Squirrel in the tree

A rainbow of colours

Japanese style

The Edinburgh – Kyoto Friendship Garden is within the grounds of Lauriston Castle which I visit requently and posted some pictures last year.  With summer on its way, this is a perfect place to escape from busy city life.

The Japanese garden was built to celebrate the twinning of Edinburgh and the Japanese prefecture of Kyoto was opened in August 2002, but many Edinburgh residents don’t know about the garden and it is never mentioned in tourist guides, but well worth a visit.  The garden’s official name is ‘Castle Garden to Water and Beyond’.

I absolutely love visiting these gardens at different times of the year.  There are a couple of bamboo shelters, one of which affords wonderful views over the Forth estuary.  I have spent many an afternoon with picnic in hand, reading a book and enjoying this wonderful escape from hectic city life.

Other visitors range from pensioners taking a wee stroll, to mothers and their children exploring every nook and cranny of the beautifully landscaped hectare.  There is no admission charge to the grounds of Lauriston Castle or this garden and with on site free parking, makes a wonderful alternative to the Botanics.  Dogs are not allowed in the garden (or Lauriston Castle grounds) or cyclists, so it really is a place for peacefulness and reflection.

Entrance to Kyoto garden

View from top shelter

Beautiful Trees

Edinburgh Kyoto Friendship Garden

Stones across the water

Edinburgh

You can read more about the founders of the garden, Drs Nancy and Andrew Neil.  Thomson’s Tower is a curling museum housed in the gardens and where the rules of the game were first penned.  This is open Saturdays and Sundays in June, July and August, 12-5pm and costs £2 to enter.  I have been inside and it’s fascinating to learn the history of curling in this restored building and see photos of players on a frozen Duddingston Loch in the 1920s.

Dr Neils’ Garden is open every day from 10am till dusk, including weekends and a suggested donation of £1 per person is advised.    There are also ways you can help out to support this fabulous garden.  I thoroughly recommend you visit Dr Neil’s and enjoy the peace away from the city hustle and bustle.  Enjoy the photos.

Entrance to the garden is in the far left corner

There is free parking on the nearby street and part of the gardens are suitable buggies and wheelchairs, although the path slopes down, so some strength would be required.

Arthur's Seat and Duddingston Kirk in the background

Colourful flowers

Sundial accurately predicts spots of rain

Bridge over the pond

Dr Neil's flowers

Thomson

Dr Neil

There are places on this stretch of the Water of Leith where it’s easy to forget you’re in a city. Not just on those parts which run next to Edinburgh’s outlying suburban ‘villages’ of Balerno, Currie and Juniper Green either: the section from Colinton to Slateford also has a wonderful countryside feel.

By the waterside

The Water of Leith walkway starts at Balerno, and – if you’re planning to walk part or all of the route – is best reached by the regular 44 Lothian bus service. From here, it runs next to the water and winds its way past fields and long-abandoned mills, through disused railway tunnels and alongside modern housing developments.

This section ends at Slateford, where the fascinating and modern Visitor Centre is placed, providing information, displays, gifts and refreshments.

Enjoyable at any time of year, the following photos were taken during early spring, when the greenery of the trees and plants provided a beautiful setting for the crystal-clear water as it flowed its way through the city towards its endpoint at Leith.

Popular with cyclists, walkers and joggers

Under the bridge

Currie Kirk

House on the Water of Leith

On the path

Weir

Bridge at Colinton

Disused railway tunnel

Weir in Craiglockhart Dell

Fishing at the weir

Inside the grotto

Water of Leith at Slateford

At the visitor centre