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Craig Wallace · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsGuide · Scotland
Walks near Edinburgh you can do by bus
Nine walks from the city centre by Lothian bus or a short train ride, from the Water of Leith to the top of the Pentlands.
By the TRXO team · · 5 min read
- walks
- 9
- long
- 3–6.5 km
- biggest climb
- 310 m
- by public transport
- 9
- dog-friendly
- 9
Edinburgh has a mountain in the middle of it, a range of hills on its southern edge, a river running through it in a wooded gorge and a coast on its doorstep, and a bus network that reaches all of them for the price of a coffee. You don't need a car to walk here. Most of the time you don't even need a timetable.
These nine walks all start at a Lothian bus stop or a station on the East Lothian line. They go from a flat hour along the Water of Leith to a steep two hours in the Pentlands, with a tidal island, a volcanic plug, a mysterious chapel and the best city view in Scotland along the way. None of them needs more than trainers and a jacket, though the Pentlands reward boots.
Where they are
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Dean Village
Water of Leith: Dean Village to the Botanics
- 3.4 km distance
- 20 m ascent
- 1 h time
- Easy grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXThe Water of Leith Walkway runs 12 miles through the city, and this is the best bit: from Dean Village, a cluster of mill buildings in a gorge five minutes from Princes Street, downstream through the woods to Stockbridge and the Botanic Gardens. Flat, sheltered and lovely in any weather. Start at any bus stop on Queensferry Road.
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Holyrood Park
Arthur's Seat from Holyrood
- 4.8 km distance
- 220 m ascent
- 1.5–2 h time
- Moderate grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXThe extinct volcano at the end of the Royal Mile, and the walk every visitor should do. The route here goes up past Salisbury Crags to the summit and down by Dunsapie Loch, with the whole city, the Forth, Fife and the Pentlands in view from the top. It's steeper than it looks from below. Any bus to the Royal Mile or Meadowbank.
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Edinburgh
Blackford Hill and the Hermitage of Braid
- 3.3 km distance
- 140 m ascent
- 1–1.5 h time
- Easy grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXA wooded glen with a burn in it and a hill on the other side with the Royal Observatory on top. The Hermitage of Braid is the kind of place you'd never guess was three miles from the castle, and Blackford Hill's view back over the city to Arthur's Seat is the one the postcards use. Buses 5, 11, 15, 16 and 23 pass the bottom.
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Corstorphine
Corstorphine Hill
- 3 km distance
- 110 m ascent
- 1 h time
- Easy grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXThe ridge behind Edinburgh Zoo, a nature reserve of oak and beech with a Victorian tower on the summit and a viewpoint called Rest and Be Thankful at the end. You can hear the zoo's gibbons from the path. Short and gentle, and a good one for a dark afternoon in December. Buses 12, 26 and 31 along Corstorphine Road.
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Cramond
The River Almond Walkway from Cramond
- 4.5 km distance
- 60 m ascent
- 1–1.5 h time
- Easy grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXBus 41 to Cramond, a whitewashed village where the Romans had a fort, then up the River Almond through a wooded gorge past old mill weirs to the 15th-century Cramond Brig. Back the same way, and if the tide's out, across the causeway to Cramond Island. Check the tide tables on the noticeboard; people get stranded every month.
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Portobello
Portobello Promenade to Musselburgh
- 5.1 km distance
- 40 m ascent
- 1–1.5 h time
- Easy grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXEdinburgh's seaside. Two miles of sand and promenade from Portobello through Joppa to the harbour at Fisherrow, with Fife across the water and Arthur's Seat behind. Flat, bracing and good for a dog. Bus 26 out, train back from Musselburgh, or walk both ways and have chips.
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Roslin
Roslin Glen and Rosslyn Chapel
- 6.5 km distance
- 160 m ascent
- 1.5–2.5 h time
- Easy grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXBus 37 to Roslin, then the chapel of the Da Vinci Code, a ruined castle on a rock, and a deep wooded gorge on the North Esk with caves and old gunpowder mills in it. The glen is the surprise; most people only come for the chapel. A real country walk 25 minutes from the city.
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Hillend
Allermuir and Caerketton from Hillend
- 4.5 km distance
- 310 m ascent
- 1.5–2 h time
- Moderate grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXThe Pentlands start at the dry ski slope at Hillend, on bus route 4 and 15, and the climb up Caerketton and along the ridge to Allermuir is the best short hill walk from any British city: steep grass, a real summit, and a view that takes in the whole of Edinburgh, the bridges and the Highlands on a clear day. Two hours. Boots in winter.
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North Berwick
North Berwick Law
- 5.8 km distance
- 190 m ascent
- 1.5–2 h time
- Moderate grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXHalf an hour on the train to North Berwick, then a walk through the town and up the Law, a volcanic cone with a whale's jawbone on top and the Bass Rock, white with gannets, offshore. A seaside town, a hill and a beach in one afternoon. The fish and chips at the harbour are the reason to miss the first train back.
Before you go
- Lothian Buses are flat fare and contactless; the app shows live times. North Berwick is on the ScotRail line from Waverley, trains every half hour.
- Cramond Island is cut off for several hours around high tide. The safe crossing times are on a board at the causeway; don't guess.
- The Pentlands are proper hills: wind, cloud and mud. Allermuir is fine in trainers in summer and needs boots the rest of the year.
- Dogs are welcome everywhere here. Keep them on leads on Arthur's Seat's crags, in the Pentlands near sheep, and at Aberlady and Cramond for the birds.
Questions people ask
What is the best walk in Edinburgh?
Arthur's Seat, for the view and because it's a real hill in the middle of a capital city. For a quieter one with a view nearly as good, Blackford Hill.
Can you walk in the Pentlands by bus?
Yes. Buses 4 and 15 stop at Hillend, where the Caerketton and Allermuir walk starts, and bus 10 reaches Bonaly for the reservoirs.
Which Edinburgh walks are flat?
The Water of Leith, Portobello promenade and the River Almond walkway are all flat or nearly so. Cramond Island is flat too, when the tide lets you reach it.
Is North Berwick worth it by train?
Very. Thirty minutes from Waverley, a hill with a huge view, a beach, boats to the Bass Rock and a good harbour. It's the best day out on the East Lothian line.
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