The Great Outdoors

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Explore the highlands & islands of Scotland, discover the famous Whisky Trail, visit historic castles and sacred sites or Scotland's west coast wilderness with the wind rushing through your hair. One of the best ways to tour the country, Cycle Scotland offers affordable bike rentals and tours. You'll be able to really immerse yourself in the country's natural beauty and not from behind the plexiglass of a far-too crowded bus.

Located on Blackfriars street off the Royal Mile, Cycle Scotland's tiny shop has been described in "Let's Go" as "The grooviest bike shop on the planet". They use high quality lightweight bicycles, with either 21 or 24 gears. They also have a wide range of sizes and types of bicycles best suited to the terrain being covered. Mountain bikes, hybrid-trekking bikes, road bikes and tandems are usually available.You can also rent bikes in Inverness, Oban, Isle of Skye, Pitlochry and Fort William.

Our Local Expert Says:

For those who like to spend, Princes Street Gardens is the picturesque gateway to the shopping district beyond. A beautiful park with historic statues and monuments, it’s a peaceful refuge for those who’ve hit the stores all day.

Description:

Step out amongst the vibrancy of Edinburgh city centre and visit Princes Street Gardens. Take in views of Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town on one side of this splendid park and the bustle of the New Town on the other. Princes Street Gardens is the gateway to the shopping district beyond, it is a great place to wander through with historic monuments and a fountain. Frequented by families, students and performers Princes Street Gardens is alive with people.

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Families of all ages are welcomed to Edinburgh Zoo. Hop onto one of the zoo buses and spend the day away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Edinburgh Zoo has lots to offer, with scheduled activities such as petting and feeding and everyone's favourite highlight- the Penguin Parade.Visit Rainbow Landings to meet and feed the rainbow lorikeets and see Budongo Trail where they can get up close and personal with chimpanzees. Serengeti animals live on the sprawling land at the peak of Edinburgh Zoo. There are Sun bears, Indian one-horned rhinos, Sumatran tigers, Amur leopards, the UK's only koalas and European wolves.

The Edinburgh Zoo opens at 9am and is located on Corstorphine Road. Admission costs £15.50 for adults and £11.00 for children (kids under 3 get in for free). You can also buy family and group tickets; visit the Edinburgh Zoo website for more information.

Description:

Holyrood Park, also called the Queen's Park, is a Royal Park in Edinburgh free and open to the public. It is a huge area of parkland, rough terrain, lochs, hills and crags including Arthur's Seat, the Salisbury Crags, and St. Anthony's Chapel. The three lochs are St Margaret's Loch, Dunsapie Loch, and Duddingston Loch.

It is popular with joggers, tourists and hikers, who can enjoy stunning views of Edinburgh all the way across the Firth of Forth to Fife from the peak of Arthur's Seat and the Crags. The park is adjacent to the Scottish Parliament and the Dynamic Earth museum at the bottom of the Royal Mile.

The park was created in 1541 when James V had the ground "circulit about Arthurs Sett, Salisborie and Duddingston craggis" enclosed by a stone wall.

Get here by car: Arthur's Seat (the main hill in Holyrood Park) is visible from just about anywhere in Edinburgh. Follow signs to the Palace of Holyroodhouse visitor car park, on the south side of the palace.

Our Local Expert Says:

Get up close to birds of prey at this educational centre.

Description:

Formerly the Birds of Prey Centre, Falconry Scotland provides falconry services from Jedforest and Dalhousie. These are located in the scenic Lothians and Borders of Scotland and are easily accessible. Both of the centres provide the opportunities for handling falcons, hawks, owls and eagles. Whether it be for an experienced falconer, a beginner, a corporate day, a school visit, a gift, a special occasion (such as a wedding) or just for fun, they can provide you with a tailored made bird of prey experience.

At our Jedforest site, located in the Jedforest Deer and Farm Park (near Jedburgh), there are daily flying demonstrations which entertain and amaze the young and old alike. Coupled with the experience of the deer herds and rare breeds of sheep, pigs, cattle, chickens, ducks and others, Jedforest Deer and Farm Park makes for a good family day out.

The Dalhousie site, located in the grounds of the Dalhousie Castle Hotel and Spa at Bonnyrigg (near Edinburgh), provides falconry services on an appointment only basis, so why not treat yourself to a luxurious break at the hotel whilst exploring your interest in falconry? The hotel is also the perfect venue for conferences, meetings,... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

Arthur’s seat is one of the highest of Edinburgh’s seven hills and makes for a good walk for photo opportunities of Edinburgh below. Pathways are easily located from the foot of Arthur’s Seat with a car park area at the base.

Description:

Like Castle Rock, Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags were formed by an extinct volcano and carved out by moving glaciers. These hills, lochs (lakes) and cliffs make up Holyrood Park and offer somewhat easy walking trails. Arthur's Seat is the highest point in Edinburgh (251 meters high) and is located at the center of the park while the Crags are located west of it. It is not known if the name is truly related to the mythology of King Arthur.

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On the shores of Duddingston Loch at the foot of Arthur Seat, just 2 miles from the City centre, lies one of the most beautiful small gardens in Scotland. It is situated within the grounds of the 12th Century Duddingston Kirk. A colourful series of terraces, sloping down to the bird sancturary loch along with the peace and tranquility of this unique garden makes it an ideal short excursion away from the busy city. The Thomson Tower is an octagonal building, which sits in the grounds of Dr Neil's Garden. It was designed by William Playfair and built by Duddingston Curling Society in 1825 as a meeting house when they gathered to curl on the frozen loch. The Tower was named after Duddingston Kirk's most famous minister, Rev John Thomson (1778 - 1840). Thomson was a noted landscape artist, one of the first in Scotland, who used the tower as his studio. His celebrated artist friends Joseph turner and Sir Henry Raeburn used to visit him there, as did Sir Walter Scott, who was an elder of the Kirk at that time. The building has now been restored, its ground floor is dedicated to the sport it created while the upper floor is an interpretation centre to the village and garden, with the opportunity... read more