Edinburgh’s 3 Best Hikes

ICYMI, I spent some of June and July in Edinburgh with this sweetheart: Rudi! And as a self proclaimed boxer-obsessed-human, this was obviously one of my favorite housesits!

Aaaand what’s the one thing boxers need a lot of? Play.

Edinburgh is extremely dog-friendly, so I took Rudi with me nearly everywhere as I explored. And instead of doing the same routine everyday, I used my time with Rudi to go on as many unique walks as possible. To be honest, I loved almost all of my walks around the city, but there were a few that I kept going back to…

1. The Royal Observatory and Blackford Pond

Despite the fact that this hike was the closest in location to my house sit, it was truly and honestly my favorite! I’d compare it as a better option to Arthur’s Peak. It has the same type of panoramic view of the city, but it’s less crowded, an easier hike, AND it has more variety within the area as far as landscape and points of interest. It’s the best place for a sunrise or a sunset in Edinburgh.

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2. Pentland Hills

This place I wouldn’t have had the chance to visit if it wasn’t for a friend wanting to do this hike! Pentland Hills is a lot of what I imagined the Scotland Highlands being like – except it’s super close to Edinburgh. It’s just southwest of the city and it makes for a great day trip. The area has so much variety within it’s 20 miles and it has a restroom! Huge bonus if you are hiking in the wilderness.

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3. Arthur's Seat

I had extremely high expectations for Arthur’s Seat after all the hype…and it didn’t live up to the expectations. It’s super steep, crowded, and there isn’t much to see at the top except for the view – which you can easily see at the Royal Observatory as well and it’s a much better overall hike.

Shelley joined me for the first half of the trip actually decided to go back and do a sunrise hike with Rudi when it was much less crowded – and cooler!