Edinburgh can seem quite dreich at times.
It may also feel busy and boxed in.
Some call it a big city.
Others find it small.
Either way, there’s always a place to rest and relax.
You may meet interesting new people.
Or maybe run into someone you know.
If sometimes, things seem broken and hopeless,
and you feel lonely and tired.
You can always expect to find something that puts a smile on your face,
and brings some colour back into your life.
Have a nice day!
The Pentland Hills, located at the South-West of Edinburgh, provide excellent hill walking and hiking opportunities easily accessible from the city. Spread over an area of 90 km² (35 sq mi), it has over 100 km of waymarked routes. These go through a multitude of terrain types, covering everything from a leisurely stroll to demanding hikes across the Hills.
On a cold day in January, we decided to take a quick trip (an eight hour walk) along one of these routes and these are some of the sights we enjoyed along the way.
When you’re in the park, it is quite easy to forget that there is a city nearby.
As you can see, there was quite a decent amount of snow on the Hills that day. We went back a week later and most of it was gone.
These Hills, due to their proximity to Edinburgh, provide a wonderful escape for city-dwelling nature lovers.
For more information about what The Pentland Hills Regional Park offers, see here and here.
It was a cold Sunday morning in February, well before sunrise and the four of us were at Holyrood Park, looking up towards our destination. Instead of staying home within the warmth of our beds, we had decided to hike up Arthur’s Seat to try and catch the sunrise over Edinburgh.
I had been thinking of doing this for a while and when I floated the idea to my friends, I found three other souls who were willing to accompany me on this “adventure”.
As it was still quite dark, we were concerned about the visibility and walking up the path in frosty conditions. The weather is always a bit of a gamble and despite the fact that there was a hint of rain in the air, the sky looked to be clearing up. As we set off, I did think whether all this effort would be worth it. Needless to say, this being Scotland, we got more than we bargained for, including a beautiful rainbow over the city.
Totally worth it, don’t you think?