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Edinburgh skyline with the Balmoral clock tower and castle on the ridge
A collection · Things to do

The Best Walks in Edinburgh

You can walk out of the middle of Edinburgh and be on a hill within half an hour, which very few cities can offer. From riverside paths to volcanic summits, these are the walks worth doing.

Curated and written by Hidden Scotland

Updated 22 September 2026. Across Edinburgh.

You can walk out of the middle of Edinburgh and be on a hill within half an hour, which very few cities can offer. There are riverside paths, the volcanic hills that ring the city, and green parks in the middle of town.

We've gathered our favourite walks in Edinburgh, from an easy stroll along the water to a climb that will get your heart going. Most of them need nothing more than comfortable shoes, and most of them end somewhere with a view.

Where these are

More of Edinburgh

Castle, closes and a festival every August

Our guide to EdinburghThings to do on EdinburghOn the map

Days out on Edinburgh

Ready-made days, stop by stop, with somewhere to eat
More infoA morningCoffee at Steampunk and the Coastal Communities MuseumNo car neededMore infoA walkA walk round Blackness Castle by the foreshoreBy carMore infoA walkA walk down the Royal Mile by its closesNo car neededMore infoA walkA walk through Princes Street Gardens, east to westNo car needed

Stay on Edinburgh

Places to stay we know, near these
A man walks past Bucken Booths entrance flanked by black lamp postsMore infoEdinburghOld Town ChambersPlace to stayA round table and chairs stand before tall curtained windows looking onto stone buildings, a sofa and mounted television to the right.More infoEdinburghMoment George IV BridgeSleeps 2A black kitchen counter with flowers on the worktop stands before a curved timber slatted screen opening onto a bedroom.More infoEdinburghCartshedSleeps 2More infoEdinburghWoodshedSleeps 2
The Best of Edinburgh

The Best of Edinburgh

Everything on this page, on paper. The closes, the corners and the tables worth booking, in a book that fits a coat pocket and needs no signal.

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Hidden Scotland, issue 13

Hidden Scotland, in print.

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