Scotland Off the Beaten Track

City of Edinburgh | Cramond | Village | ★★ [Cramond] Cramond is almost part of Edinburgh yet at the same time a world apart. 5 miles from the city centre, it's a sleepy suburb with an old core boasting a cluster of interesting sights for day-trippers: an old church, tower house and even the remains of a Roman fort. The village backs onto the Firth of Forth next to where the River Almond meets it, and following the river bank upstream leads to a series of old mills and weirs. In the other direction, Cramond Island is accessible out in the firth via a mile of tidal causeway - check safe crossing times before embarking on a trip. [Causeway to Cramond Island] Location & info 📌 Cramond ★★ City of Edinburgh. Main village car park is at G.R.: NT 190771 ///open.notice.ducks Always open | Free 🚶 Though its suburbs spread widely, Cramond's interesting part is easily small enough to explore on foot. Cramond Island and Laurison Castle are each about 1 mi walk away, th

City of Edinburgh | Cramond | Tidal island | ★★★ [Cramond Island, looking towards the mainland] If you're looking for somewhere a bit different to explore in the vicinity of Edinburgh , Cramond Island is worth considering. Out of over a dozen islands located in the Firth of Forth between Lothian and Fife, this is the most accessible, with a concrete causeway connecting its rocky southern headland ("The Knoll") with the mainland at Cramond village. A visit nevertheless requires a little planning, as the causeway floods twice a day at high tide. People find themselves stranded on the island not infrequently, and the ruined wartime bunkers wouldn't be the most comfortable place to spend the night. These coastal defences are well worth (carefully) exploring while keeping an eye on the clock and enjoying the excellent views towards the capital, the Forth Bridges and north towards Dalgety Bay and Burntisland. Seabirds congregate around the causeway and coastline, and

West Lothian | Bathgate Hills | Short walk | ★★★ [Binny Craig] Binny Craig is a really quite remarkable spot - a sudden pillar of igneous rock jutting out from rolling, sedimentary farmland north of Broxburn. The striking shape of the hill was carved in the last ice age, when an eastbound glacier came up against the hard dolerite intrusion, depositing material in its wake to form a crag-and-tail feature. The steep sided summit is a superb viewpoint for central Scotland, with views as far-reaching as the Trossachs to the north, Pentland Hills to the east and Tinto to the south. The hill itself is mostly pathless but its ascent on short grass is as swift as it is steep; as for the approach, two routes from the south (one clear, one fainter) can be combined to form a short circuit. [View west from the summit] Location & info 📌 Walk: Broxburn's Binny Craig ★★★ Start / finish on minor road just east of West Broadlaw, 1 mi northwest of Uphall, G.R.: NT 041731 ///mixes.r

City of Edinburgh | Pentland Hills | Short walk | ★★★ [Harlaw Reservoir] Up Bavelaw Burn from Balerno and Malleny Garden , you'll find a pair of windswept reservoirs. A wander around the shores of Harlaw and Threipmuir gives good views across the water to the boggy northern summits of the Pentland Hills. Popular with dog walkers, anglers and student post-exam celebrations, but worth a visit at any time of year even if you don't fall into one of these groups. [Threipmuir Reservoir & Black Hill] 📌 Walk: Around Balerno's reservoirs ★★★ Start / finish at Harlaw Reservoir car park, off minor road 1 mi south of Balerno, G.R.: NT 182655 ///index.hello.healthier ❌ No public transport within 1 mi. ▶ 4 km / 2 mi | ▲ 40 m | ⌚ Short | ⬤ Easy Features: Harlaw Reservoir; Threipmuir Reservoir Terrain: Wide, fairly level paths, narrower with a little ascent after Threipmuir Reservoir. Optional, narrower paths stay closer to the shores of the reservoirs. Route &