Legacy Blog

14 Things to do Near Edinburgh - Places to Visit & Days Out Around Edinburgh

Fab Family Outings

You’ve no doubt heard a thing or two about Scotland’s Southeast, with its castles, bogs and golf courses. But there’s much more to the region, especially if you venture on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

So if you are staying in the capital with your family and friends this year and fancy taking a break from the history, architecture and hustle and bustle of the city, why not look for days out slightly further afield?

There are many great activities near and around Edinburgh that welcome all manner of groups. In fact, we can think of 15 breath-taking and bucket list-worthy sights and tours that will take you through Scotland’s history, from coal extraction to cloning which we have shared below for you to look over.

The Five Sisters Zoo

West Calder

The Five Sisters Zoo is full of interesting and exciting animals and with over 100 different species (Arctic Wolves, Raccoons and Scottish Wildcats to name but a few), this zoo prides itself on the conservation and protection of both native and non-native mammals, birds and reptiles. With plenty of talks and feeds throughout the day you are guaranteed to have a fun and educational day out. You can even be a zoo keeper for the day!

Craigies Farm

South Queensferry

For the ultimate outdoors and country experience take you and your family to Craigie’s Farm and enjoy all that nature as to offer. Pick your own strawberries and raspberries, explore the countryside on the Nature Detective Trail or meet some new furry and feathered friends as you feed lambs and hens. This is a great educational experience and fun filled day out for all the family.

Glenkinchie Distillery

Pencaitland

For those of age, with a love or interest in whisky, there is no better day out than a trip to where they create Edinburgh's only single malt distillery. Follow the malted barley's journey through the distillery and various unique processes until it becomes a single malt whisky maturing in a cask for years. Don't forget the most important bit of the tour, the tasting at the end!

Midlothian Snowsports Centre

Pentland Hills

Set in the Pentlands is Britain’s largest dry slope centre; you can even see it from some parts of the city. You can brush up on your skiing and snowboarding or give tubing a go. The centre provides lessons for beginners or, if you are more experienced, you can take to the Freestyle slope to show off your tricks. If you are looking for something that involves less effort and balance, book a tubing party and whiz down the slopes on a large doughnut.

Rosslyn Chapel

Roslin

Mentioned in the ‘Da Vinci Code’ - both the book and the film - Rosslyn Chapel in Roslin is said to have once been the hiding place for the Holy Grail and for a piece of the Holy Rood. The chapel is also believed to display carvings portraying plants indigenous to North America, like the potato and the American cactus, even though the New World had not yet been discovered when the chapel was erected.

Roslin Glen Country Park

North Esk Valley

Once home to the bleach fields that bleached Queen Victoria’s garments, the carpet factory that exported tapestry for over a decade, and the saltpetre and sulphur refineries of the Gunpowder Mills that operated for 150 years and became Scotland’s largest supplier of munition, Roslin Glen is now a blend of woodland, river walks, caves and wildflower meadows.

Roslin BioCentre

Roslin

The birthplace of Dolly The Sheep, Roslin BioCentre is the ‘centre of excellence’ for life sciences. It overlooks the monument cairn that commemorates the Battle of Roslin. The Loanhead-Roslin cycle track cuts across the former battlefield, and takes you to the institute, where events are held regularly, including the Royal Highland Show, Venturefest Scotland, and one of the most well-known, a 4-month event which celebrated Dolly’s 20-year anniversary.

Edinburgh and Lasswade Riding Centre

Lasswade

Hacking, trekking, common ridings and galas are activities the local riding centre is prepared to accommodate, particularly as there are 50 horses available for indoor and outdoor schools, making it ideal for large parties or teambuilding events.

Kevock Garden

Lasswade

This hill-side garden and nursery with a plant catalogue in a class of its own, Kevock Garden offers free plants to all those whose orders of shrubs, rare trees, bulbs and plants meet a certain minimum order value.

Groove Tunnel

Loanhead

This local recording studio offers a Yoo-Star party experience to those who book, be they student groups, schools, solo singers, stag or hen parties, or corporate staff.

Moredun

Penicuik

Moredun is a research centre that occasionally hosts events for the wider public, such as the One Day On-Farm event featuring a farm walk and a panel discussion on the topic of Aberdeen Angus cattle health.

Arniston House

Gorebridge

A short drive away from Edinburgh, this Georgian mansion built in the town of Gorebridge has been home to the Dundas family for over 4 centuries, but it was originally the property of the Knight’s Templar. Some of Edinburgh’s streets are named after the people who lived here, and the lady of the house has many stories to share. There’s even a secret passageway, but if you’d like to know more, then why not visit on Doors Open Day, which happens every September.

National Mining Museum

Dalkeith

Once employing 120 ponies - the pride of Newtongrange - the Lady Victoria Colliery produced more than 40 million tonnes of coal, which went in the making of such essentials as lipstick and batteries. Pay the museum a visit to find out why miners never took matches in the pit, but took canary birds, instead.

Stewart Brewing

Loanhead

Whether you’d like a brewery tour, a BBQ or a birthday party, you can’t go wrong with Stewart Brewing. Their Rent-a-Keg/Cask service is perfect for at-home entertainment, but if you’d rather settle for a few free beers, a light snack, and a face-to-face grilling of its employees on the topic of beer making, then a drop-in tour is probably your best option.

What are your favourite things to do outside or near Edinburgh? Let us know on Twitter @reserveapts!

Reserve Apartments logo

By booking through the Reserve Apartments website you can enjoy exclusive benefits such as:

  • Flexible Check In and Out
  • Best Rate Guaranteed For Reserve Collection Properties
  • Free Wifi

 

Find a place to stay