Thousands of people are descending on Edinburgh this month for its world-famous Festival with performances, events and productions taking place every day. With crowds lining the streets, throngs of visitors making their way around and street performers putting on shows, the city is awash with noise and colour.
However, local breathwork expert Stuart Sandeman, whose new book ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’ is a Sunday Times bestseller and top three on Amazon, has teamed up with Forever Edinburgh to highlight 10 tranquil spaces in the city for visitors to take a breather in during the festival fun.
Following Edinburgh’s recent crowning as Time Out’s Best City in the World for 2022, the joint initiative between the official guide to the city, Forever Edinburgh, and the wellbeing star shines a spotlight on peaceful places across the capital’s distinctive neighbourhoods.
So, if you're looking for the best spots to head to take some time out, here are the top 10 tranquil spaces for a breather.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Within walking distance from the city centre, the 70-acre Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in Inverleith near Stockbridge is home to a 350-year-old collection of plants, fossil trees, tranquil water features, a Rock Garden, sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy – as well as excellent food and drink options like the John Hope Gateway café and Terrace café, serving fresh, light meals and scrumptious cakes.
Portobello Beach
Take a beautiful seafront stroll along the Seaside Award-winning 2.2-mile Portobello Beach with its classic Victorian promenade and old-world waterfront.
Beach wheelchairs are free to hire for those with mobility issues, including their x8 All Terrain Power Wheelchair, perfect for exploring the sand. There’s no end of top-notch eating and drinking places for when you’ve worked up an appetite! To get there, hop on a Lothian Bus 26 or 45.
Dunbar’s Close
The sheltered and tranquil garden at Dunbar’s Close off the Royal Mile in the heart of the Old Town is one of Edinburgh’s best-kept secrets.
Laid out in the style and character of a 17th-century garden, it’s accessed via a narrow, cobbled path which emerges on a parterre of clipped shrubs under a green canopy of trees. You’ll feel like you’ve discovered something few others have.
Hermitage of Braid
Beloved by legendary Edinburgh crime writer Ian Rankin, the Hermitage of Braid is a beautiful woodland walk along the Braid Burn below Blackford Hill in Morningside in the south of the city.
Ian Rankin described this local nature reserve as a ‘little piece of wilderness in Edinburgh’, with mature trees, bridges to play Poohsticks in the stream from and a hillside to clamber up. Sturdy footwear is recommended. Get there by Lothian Bus: the 5, 11 and 16 all stop close by on Comiston Road (get off opposite South Morningside Primary School and walk along Braidburn Terrace)
Modern One
Wind your way round the stepped and serpentine grassy mounds and three circular pools which make up Charles Jencks’ iconic 2001 ‘ Landform ’ sculpture in the grounds of the Modern One modern and contemporary art gallery in the West End at Belford Road.
Feed your appetite as well as your soul in the gallery’s popular café with its delightful garden terrace. Walk to the gallery from the city centre or hop on an Edinburgh Coach Lines Service 13 from the city centre.
Water of Leith
Wander along the Water of Leith , Edinburgh’s main river, and spot kingfisher, heron, otters and much more among the wildlife who make this lovely place their home.
The walkway passes many areas of interest, including Colinton Village (home to Scotland’s largest historic mural in an old railway tunnel), Craiglockhart Dell, the Union Canal, Saughton Park, Murrayfield Stadium (home of the Scotland Rugby team), the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Dean Village, Stockbridge, the Royal Botanic Garden and Leith.
An audio commentary to accompany your walk is available online from the Water of Leith Conservation Trust.
Princes Street Gardens
Painstakingly landscaped in the 18 th and 19 th centuries on the drained site of what was once Edinburgh’s Nor Loch, a natural Medieval defence created on marshland in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street Gardens are two adjacent parks forming an oasis of green space where the Old Town meets the New Town.
Featuring the splendid Ross Fountain and the Ross Bandstand, home of the world-famous Hogmanay Street Party, as well as numerous eye-catching statues and sculptures, you’re sure to feel rested and restored after a visit to the gardens.
Shore Walk
Head out to South Queensferry (via train to Dalmeny or the 43 from Lothian Country Buses) and embark on the 4.5-mile Shore Walk to the beautiful old fishing village of Cramond, one of Scotland’s most important archaeological sites and its oldest continuously occupied settlement.
Starting from the Hawes Pier opposite the Hawes Inn (said to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘ Kidnapped ’) under the iconic Forth Rail Bridge, the walk boasts fabulous and ever-changing views over the Forth to various islands and the Fife coastline, passing Barnbougle Castle and Dalmeny House.
Corstorphine Hill
A woodland walk up Corstorphine Hill near Edinburgh Zoo is the perfect way to blow off the cobwebs. Get there on the 26 bus to check out Corstorphine Tower and the Corstorphine Hill Walled Garden and enjoy some truly spectacular views in all directions: across to the Pentland Hills to the south, the Kingdom of Fife to the north, Ben Lomond in the west (on a very clear day!) and the gentle terrain and coastline of East Lothian to the east.
LOVE Gorgie Farm
Commune with animals as well as nature at the small and family-friendly LOVE Gorgie Farm – a little piece of countryside in the heart of west Edinburgh. Feed the goats, and meet alpacas, guinea pigs, ducks and even a tortoise at this compact city farm, where there’s also a lovely café, outdoor play area and events space. Buses 1, 2, 25, 33, 4 and X22 all stop near the farm.
Fiona Hunter of Forever Edinburgh says the list has been put together as part of Forever Edinburgh’s The Story Never Ends campaign, which promotes the Capital’s ever-evolving stories and experiences to visitors and residents alike.
She said: “Edinburgh’s a brilliant, endlessly enchanting city made up of so many fantastic and unique neighbourhoods. Each one tells its own story about what it means to be a local citizen.
And if you’re looking for an idyllic spot to unwind and recharge your batteries during the August festival season – or at any time of the year! - it’s well worth taking the time to explore the hidden gems and well-loved green spaces in all corners of our city. We guarantee you’ll be glad you did!”
Stuart, who divides his time between Edinburgh and London, added: “One of the best things about Edinburgh is you can easily escape the hustle and take a breather in so many beautiful places across and around the city. You’re spoilt for choice, really, from waterside walks to tranquil parks, where you forget you are even in a city!
“Although my breathwork techniques can really be done anywhere, there’s something very special about finding a peaceful space in nature to help recharge your batteries, and I’m delighted to work with Forever Edinburgh’s The Story Never Ends campaign to help even more people discover the hidden hideaways in Edinburgh’s fantastic neighbourhoods.”
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