We love the Pentlands Hills Regional park and after the snow yesterday, we headed up a very cold Swanston track to get some wonderful views of Edinburgh. You can download a map of the Pentlands and plan your route according to your fitness.

We parked at the free car park beside the Swanston Golf Club House (open to the public) and followed the track through the picturesque Swanston village.

Approaching Swanston Gold Club House and the neighbouring car park

Choose your route

Walk through the cottages in Swanston Village

Tracks are well marked

It doesn't take long until you look back and get great views of Edinburgh

Looking over to Caerketton Hill

Looking over 'T wood' and Down to East Lothian

Enjoy the view!

Make sure you’re suitably dressed and have enough water and food etc. If you’re doing a long walk, please tell someone where you plan to go and what time you expect to be back.

Adhere to signs in the park with regards to dogs on leads and don’t go into the marked areas if the red MOD flags are up.

There can sometimes be highland cattle in this area, please do not approach.

If you head down to the Royal Botanical Gardens just now, you might just notice that one of their trees has turned pink. This is to acknowledge the thousands of walkers and volunteers that have been involved with previous Edinburgh Moonwalks and this year’s one – Midnight at the Oasis on the 9th June 2012.

The tree was covered pink after the material was donated by Mandors Fabric Store and is also to  acknowledge the charity’s latest grant towards a new Mammomgraphy Unit at the Western General Hospital.

We think it’s an excellent tribute to the wonderful charity and to everyone that is involved with the Moonwalks.

You can still enter the 2012 Edinburgh Moonwalk or volunteer to help out on the night.

Near the John Hope Gateway

Vibrant pink

The trunk and main branches covered

A great addition to the gardens

Will be great to see once the leaves grow

Dean Cemetery

With Halloween just around the corner, we thought it was the perfect time to take a stroll around one of our favourite graveyards in Edinburgh, Dean Cemetery.

The trees were in their autumn finery; and there was hardly another (living) soul around. It was very atmospheric – and the cemetery is a beautiful, historic and peaceful place to visit at any time of year.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the rest of our photos.

One of the best things to do for free in Edinburgh is to take a stroll up Calton Hill and soak in 360 degree views. This evening we took a stroll up for some exercise, but were rewarded with a lovely sunset which we captured in pictures. As ever, the photos are unedited and the following were all taken with a Panasonic Lumix compact camera. Enjoy!

The classic Edinburgh shot from Calton Hill

Tourists galore on Calton Hill

The sun setting

The Edinburgh skyline at sunset

Looking over to Fife

View west

Heading back down to Waterloo Place

Princes Street from Waterloo Place

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

Entrance of Castle

A trip to Direlton Castle in East Lothian

We headed down to East Lothian recently to pay a visit to Dirleton Castle in the beautiful village of Dirleton.  The castle is set in wonderful gardens which are beautiful to enjoy and are worth a visit in their own right.

We used our Historic Scotland membership to gain entry but the normal charges are Adult £5, Child £3, Concession £4.

You can pack a picnic, take a book or if visiting with little ones, just spend time exploring the castle and having fun.

The staff are very friendly and showed us an aerial map of the grounds and castle and the best route we should take.  One part of the castle was closed due to restoration work, but this did not spoil our visit.

The gardens

After walking through the main entrance into the castle, we explored all the nooks and crannies of the remains.  Staircases led to various look outs and the areas that are are damaged, are safely fenced off to visitors.  This is another good castle for children to explore and climb all over without getting into trouble.

We explored the castle vaults and read all the information boards to learn about the castle’s past before we exited through the west gardens which had an immaculate bowling green and lawn.

Explore the castle vaults

The castle is worth a visit if in the area as well as  Tantallon Castle in nearby North Berwick.  With views out to the sea and the Bass Rock, it is a must see when in East Lothian.

Whilst in  the Direlton area, you can stop off for afternoon tea and cake in Gullane and take a walk along the beach.

Suitable for disabled? The gardens are, but the access to the castle is via a set of steps.

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

Celebrate Midsummer

Edinburgh’s Botanical Gardens open until 10.30pm for Midsummer celebrations

We absolutely love the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh and visit at all times of the year.  In celebration of the longest day of the year, the gardens will remain open until 10.30pm. The wonderful glasshouses that we recently reviewed will be free after 5.30pm and there will be numerous other activites to celebrate the Midsummer.

Make sure you make the most of this opportunity to see the gardens in a different light.

From the RGBE website:

Glasshouses free after 5.30pm

This pair seemed quite comfortable on the pavement outside Charlotte Square Gardens yesterday!

We hope they enjoyed their visit and ended up somewhere safe and more suitable for ducks!

Panoramic views over North Berwick

We do love to be beside the seaside and a trip to North Berwick beckoned over the long Easter weekend.  It’s a beautiful town with several attractions and beaches worth visiting, but the purpose of this visit, was to climb to the top of Berwick Law which stands at a modest height of 187m/615ft

Blessed with good weather, we parked at ‘The Law’ car park (which is well sign posted around town) and just off the B1347. This walk can also be done from the town centre, but of course, adds to the total length. Walking Scotland gives a detailed description of this excellent 1hr long walk.

Start of climb to summit

We stuck to the main path as other routes up can be very steep and sometimes slippy.  After 10 minutes of walking this circular route to the top, we were afforded wonderful views west to Edinburgh where we could make out the shape of Arthur’s Seat and Edinburgh Castle.  There are plenty of rest stops on the way up, but after 20 minutes, we had reached the summit and started to soak in the panoramic views.

Berwick Law is a volcanic lump and the stone building at the summit was erected in 1803 as a signal station during the Napoleonic Wars.

There has been a whale’s jaw bone at the top of Berwick Law since 1709 but years of buffeting by the wind saw the jawbone become unsafe and it was removed in 2005.  A replica was winched into place by helicopter 3 years later in 2008 after being funded by ‘friends of North Berwick’.

Bass Rock can clearly be seen from the summit, as can the other Firth of Forth islands.  Look east and Tantallon Castle can be spotted and rolling farmland to the south.

We sat at the top for a good 20 minutes with our snacks and water before taking the same route back down.  Total walking time was 40 minutes (medium-fast pace) but the whole climb took longer due to photo stops.

Bass Rock and North Berwick below

The replica jawbone

Remains of St Baldred's Chapel

Boat heading out to Craigleith and North Berwick harbour area

Wonderful views of North Berwick and its beaches

Entrance to Malleny Garden

Worth the trip to Balerno for this stunning garden

Malleny Garden is a National Trust for Scotland property situated in Balerno. This beautiful 400 year old garden is free to enter for those that are members of the NTS, but non-members can pay the admission price of £3.50 into the donation box.  Concession and family prices also apply.

One of the main features of the garden is the four, 400 year old yew trees in the middle. Take a seat on one of the many benches and spend a couple of hours of quiet contemplation amidst beautiful surroundings.

The roses are stunning in the summer and the greenhouse is a wonderful array of colours.

This garden is perfect to visit after a walk along the neighbouring Water of Leith.

Suitable for disabled? Partially.  You can drop off near the house (private) and enter the gardens there to avoid the steps.  The paths are made up of small stones, but are manageable.

Take a seat and enjoy the silence

Spring blossom

Old yew trees

We took a stroll in the lovely weather this afternoon to the top of Arthur’s Seat.  It’s a walk we do often, but today we noticed that there was a collection of stone circles on the ground below us. 

Perhaps they started by one person creating their name in stones for a photo and they’ve organically grown – or perhaps it was done overnight by several mysterious stone-designers?

Whatever the reason, it’s a lot of fun and makes walking to the very top an even more worthwhile experience.

A cow design

An overview of all the stones

A detailed bagpiper and India

A smiling face

A boat design

Love sign

Ground level view of piper, complete with stone kilt!

Ground level view of cow

Antipodean flag

We’ve mentioned Lauriston Castle before and the wonderful Edinburgh Kyoto Friendshp Garden that is housed in the grounds there.  Upon visiting today, we were very excited to see the first signs of the Japanese blossom on the trees.  In another couple of weeks, the place will be stunning with the avenue of trees in full bloom.  Enjoy the pictures.

Lauriston Castle today

Beds of colourful flowers

Kyoto Friendship Garden and shelter

The Japanese garden with trees starting to blossom

First of the Japanese bloom. The end of April / beginning of May is the best time to visit

Cramond Island from Lauriston Castle grounds

We’ve been taking advantage of the lovely Spring weather recently and ventured outside Edinburgh earlier this week to take a lovely stroll around Linlithgow Loch.  The real name of this area is Linlithgow Peel, but people often refer to it as the loch and it’s also where Linlithgow Palace is situated.

Map of Linlithgow Peel

There are plenty of information boards dotted around the 2.3 mile walk and a couple of maps.  It’s really up to you where you start since the walk is circular, but the South side (Castle side) is a smoother path and more suitable for buggies and wheelchairs.

We started by Linlithgow Palace and walked anti-clockwise to avoid facing into the sunshine.  The whole circuit at a leisurely pace takes around an hour, but on beauitful sunny days, you may want to stop to take a break on one of the several benches and enjoy the magnificent views.

Looking back at St Michaels and Linlithgow Palace at the start of the walk

There were several people out walking their dogs, parents exercising with prams and cyclists even though it was a weekday morning.  A cheery ‘good morning’ goes a long way here as the chances are they’re doing a circuit walk as well and you’ll bump into them further on.

East end of the loch

Lots of swans, ducks and other wildlife

Looking at the Palace from the North side

Horses are allowed to ride on the North side, so don’t get a fright if you see some headed your way. 

There are several information boards at this side of the loch and is also perfect for spotting some of the rarer birds that visit the area.

Path on the North side

As you return to the South side, the area is busier with children feeding the ducks and you can continue straight to the Palace from the loch walk.  Admission charge applies for Linlithgow Palace.

This is an excellent walk that can be done at any time of the year.  In summer, the route is incredibly green and in winter, the loch sometimes freezes as pictured below.

View from Linlithgow Palace in winter.

There are many places to eat in and around the main street of Linlithgow but we like So Strawberry for toasties, baked potatoes and home-made cake.

Make sure you have a look at St Michaels whilst in the area and see the controversial 1964 aluminium crown which replaced the crumbling original tower.

St Michaels

Suitable for disabled?  The walk is partially suitable for wheelchairs, with a couple of steep inclines to negotiate.  There is unfortunately a gate which is not accessible on the East side and the North side is a rough path.  Best to stick to the North side close to the Palace and walk clockwise until the path roughens and then return.

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.

One of the entrances, the Palm House

It’s well worth exploring the Glasshouses for the modest fee charged

We love the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh and visit every week and in all weathers.  The gardens are free to enjoy, but there is a charge for the Glasshouses.  With a spring in our step as the sun was shining and blue skies galore, we headed down to explore this feature of the gardens. 

We entered via the Palm House (pictured) and paid our admission charge.  The Palm House itself is free to enter, so step inside and have a look to get a feel what the rest of the Glasshouses are like.  The desired temperature in here is 11 – 17ºC but different Glasshouses are as warm as 25ºC with 95% humidity. 

Spend your time wandering around each of the Glasshouses and learn about the plants contained within by using the information boards.  There are also maps showing you the directions around the 10 Glasshouses. 

We are far from calling ourselves Botanists, nut if you want to know about the all the plants in the Glasshouse before visiting, make sure you read the relevant section on the website.  We recommend paying the modest fee and visiting the Glasshouses as you get the privilege of viewing all kinds of ferns, rain forest species, orchids and tropical plant life that you would otherwise have to travel a long way to see! 

This pond features giant water lillies in the summer

The all important cocoa plant

Cactus, one of many species inside

Gorgeous flowers

An indoor waterfall

A different world

 Opening hours: Summer (March – October) from 10am, last admission 5pm.  Winter (November – February) open from 10am, last admission 3pm. 

Cost: £4 for adults, £3 concession and for children 5-14, it costs £1.  Under 5′s are free and a family ticket is £8 and allows 2 adults and up to 4 children admission. 

RBGE members are admitted for free. 

Suitable for disabled?  Yes the links throughout the glasshouses are all wheelchair friendly and there is a ramp for general access. 

Reflections of the roof in one of the ponds

Wonderful flowers

The first signs of Spring arrived in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago and one of the best places to see the crocuses in full bloom just now is Melville Drive.  Start at one end and walk the length of the road, taking in the all the flowers that line the outside of the pavements.

The flowers are in batches of all colours, just yellows, purples and whites and are stunning to see. It won’t be long before the daffodils appear here. Inverleith Park also has a lovely stripe of crocuses at the moment and we can’t wait for more to pop up all over town!

Melville Drive, Edinburgh

Purples and whites

Beautiful crocuses

Bright yellows

One of our favourite walks in Edinburgh is through the Dalmeny Estate. A circular route which leads from South Queensferry through the grounds of Dalmeny House, it hugs the coast for much of the walk, providing spectacular views across the Firth of Forth and of the city to the south.

There are plenty opportunities to leave the path and visit the beautiful and clean beaches en route, before the path passes in front of Dalmeny House itself and winds its way back (via the road) to the historic town of South Queensferry.

These photos are from a recent walk on a blustery but clear winter’s day – we hope you enjoy them.

The iconic Forth Bridge

Looking west towards the Forth bridges

The beaches are a mix of sand and rocks

And are often quiet - you may well have the beach to yourself

A glimpse of the city through the trees

Edinburgh on the distant horizon

The grandeur of Dalmeny House

Returning back the way we came