Edinburghs Gardens: The Scottish Capitals Most Beautiful Natural Spaces

With an extinct volcano at its heart, verdant hidden gardens and sprawling urban parks, Edinburgh may be a major capital city, but it is also a surprisingly lush and green place where you are never far from nature.

Stroll through Edinburgh’s leafy Meadows, popular with students and joggers; explore the idyllic oasis that is the Royal Botanic Garden; or clamber to the top of Arthur’s Seat amid the extensive Holyrood Park.

Look out over Edinburgh from Calton Hill

From the peak, where it’s hard to believe you are still in the middle of the city, you can enjoy panoramic views over to Fife and East Lothian.

Enjoy views of the Scottish capital from Arthur’s Seat (left) and the Forth Bridge

Calton Hill may be a mere stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Princes Street, yet offers a grassy spot to sit and take in the city. If you’re a keen walker, stroll along the sun-dappled pathway that runs beside the Water of Leith, passing through Dean Village, the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Stockbridge and Leith.

Corstorphine Hill, to the west of the capital, provides picturesque woodland walks, while a trip to Cramond Island, only accessible via a causeway at low tide, makes for the ideal coastal escape.

Take some time out to appreciate the city’s architecture

Even one of Edinburgh’s most popular shopping streets in the city centre overlooks a vast expanse of green – Princes Street Gardens. Once the site of the Nor Loch, the gardens are now the perfect place for an impromptu picnic, a spot of people watching or simply to soak up the incomparable views of the castle and the Old Town.

Calton Hill is a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Princes Street

A less well-known city centre oasis can be found at Dunbar’s Close, tucked away down the Royal Mile. It’s planted with fragrant flowers and herbs, laid out in the manner of a formal 17th-century garden, and is perfect for some quiet contemplation.

Head to Calton Hill (left) and The Meadows

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.