Parks & nature in Edinburgh

Balgone Estate

North Berwick

Pick your own pumpkins on a haunted trail, walk a summer sunflower field, or take a lakeside stroll with the dog on a lead.

Booking requiredCaféDog friendlyFree parking+1 more

Beecraigs Country Park

Linlithgow

Free woodland park with a play area, cycling trails and a skills loop for bikes, plus miles of walking to tire everyone out.

CaféDog friendlyFree parkingFood on site+7 more

Botanic Garden East Gate

Edinburgh

Free wander through Edinburgh's botanic garden, with paths, glasshouses and a café to fall back on if the weather turns.

Blue badge parkingCaféDog friendlyGift shop+5 more

Coast

Port Glasgow

A bar and restaurant with breakfast through to late dinner, right by Langbank train station.

Dawyck Botanic Garden

Peebles · ages 0-15

Tree trails tracing famous plant hunters' journeys through a big garden where under-16s get in free.

Bike parkingCaféGroup bookingsFood on site+3 more

Devilla Forest Red Squirrel trail

Alloa

A free forest trail where you look out for red squirrels and stop at four lochs with dragonflies and otters about.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingChanging PlacesParking+3 more

Glenogle Swim Centre

Edinburgh

A proper Victorian swimming pool with a sauna and steam room to warm up in afterwards.

Accessible toiletBike parkingCaféCard only+4 more

Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill

Edinburgh

Free woodland walks, an orienteering course and a pond full of swans and geese below Blackford Hill.

Accessible toiletOutdoor playParkingToilets

Holyrood Park

Edinburgh

Big volcanic hills and crags to scramble over right in the city, free to wander any time of day or night.

ToiletsPicnic areaDog friendly

Inverkeithing Skatepark & Playpark

Inverkeithing

A free outdoor skatepark with a mini ramp, a bowled-out end, banked pump track and a quarter pipe to session.

Leadburn Community Woodland

West Linton

Free woodland walking along old railway lines, past restored bogs and ponds, on the edge of West Linton.

Parking

Loanhead Leisure Centre

Loanhead

A 25m pool with a toddler pool, plus soft play and gym sessions, all under one roof in Loanhead.

CaféIndoor playLockersToilets

Lomond Hills Regional Park

East Lomond

Free walking trails across nearly 6,500 hectares of hills, with geology and archaeology to hunt out along the way.

Dog friendlyOutdoor play

Milsey Bay Beach

North Berwick

A quiet stretch of sand with rock pools to poke about in, paddling, and even the odd toy boat set sailing.

Dog friendlyFree parkingToilets

Pettycur Bay Holiday Park

Kinghorn · ages 0-16

A straightforward swim session in the leisure pool, with sauna and steam room for the adults once the kids are sorted.

Indoor seatingToilets

Saughton Park & Gardens

Edinburgh

Free walled garden and park with a play park, a putting green, a teddy bear hunt and a bandstand to potter round.

Outdoor play

Starbank Park

Edinburgh

A free park with a children's nature trail, a tiny outdoor library and views over the Forth, no café to fall back on.

Dog friendlyOutdoor playPicnics allowed

The Vennel Viewpoint Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

A steep set of steps up to a classic postcard view of Edinburgh Castle, free to visit any time of year.

Outdoor playPicnic area

Three Hares Community Woodland

Roslin

Free woodland walks with a musical shelter to bang about on and the odd campfire or egg-rolling day thrown in.

Picnics allowedToilets

Water of Leith Walkway and Visitor Centre

Edinburgh · ages 4-11

Free stainless steel models of waterwheels and flood defences to poke at, plus a wildlife sound wall, on the edge of the river.

Birthday partiesCaféDog friendlyGift shop+4 more

Woodbank Farm

Windygates

Pick your own strawberries straight from the fields at a farm shop near Windygates, open late May to mid September.