Edinburgh: Nature in the City

What do we love about Edinburgh? Oh so many things! In a city full of mythical water nymphs, secret underground tunnels, culture, history, bagpipes, kilts, and haggis… how do you choose a favorite!?

Whenever Brad and I look for a vacation spot and/or new city to live in, we try to find a place with that perfect blend of city and nature. We LOVE big cities! We love the hussle and bussle, the architecture and the history. But we are hiking junkies as well. We need to be able to take a couple of days a week to challenge our endurance while exploring the peacefulness that nature has to offer. Edinburgh has a wonderful blend of big city life right next door to beautiful landscapes.

Would you believe that this beautiful hike was right in the middle of the city? In fact you begin the hike in the parking lot for Holyrood Palace, the Royal Residence in Scotland.

Just a few switchbacks up, you get a nice little surprise. Ruins from St. Anthony’s Chapel sitting right here on the hill. Great views of Edinburgh already and we are just getting started! Not gonna lie though.. it was steep!

After about an hour you make it to the top of Arthur’s Seat! You are rewarded with 360 degree views of the Highlands and city center on one side and water to the other! It was gorgeous and the weather held out for us! We even took off our jackets!

[ GASP- no jackets in Scotland!? ]

Unfortunately, on the way down.. we somehow took the wrong path and ended up bush-wacking it down the side of the mountain. We were CLEARLY not on a path and were grabbing for roots to break our tumble, but ya know… we made it down alive. Bright Side: We wouldn’t have made it to this craggly cliff edge (below) had we taken the intended trail.

ArthursSeat_047 — YASSSSS I Didn’t Fall down the mountain!

Another gem in Edinburgh worth mentioning is the Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh. This is another place right in the city center that you can experience some amazing landscapes and beautiful scenery.