Edinburgh City Centre to the Botanic Garden
| Distance | Approximate Time | Height Gain | OS Map |
| 8 kms | 02:00 (hrs:mins) | 30 metres | Explorer 350: Edinburgh |
Description
This is a gentle walk from Edinburgh City Centre, taking in the New Town with its splendid architecture, the historic Dean Village, the Gallery of Modern Art (which is well worth a visit), the Water of Leith walkway, bustling Stockbridge, eventually leading to the Botanic Garden and is an ideal way to fill a free afternoon.
A short-cut is available reducing the distance to 5 km/3 miles.
From the Royal Academy walk up Hanover Street to the new town area which boasts street after street of fine Georgian architecture. Continue by the sculpted grounds of the gallery of modern art to follow the surprisingly peaceful and leafy water of Leith Walkway.
Further on you reach Dean Village where time appears to stand still; mills operate here from as far back as the 12th century. Continue past St Bernard's Well with its marble statue of Hygeia. Walk by Stockbridge to finish at the city's impressive Botanic Gardens where you can catch a bus back to town.
Access Info
A walk in two distinct parts, starting and ending right in the centre of Edinburgh. The outward leg meanders through Edinburgh's New Town, the finest concentration of Georgian architecture in the country.
Additional Info
Begin at the Royal Academy (next to the National Gallery), which is right in the middle of Edinburgh at the junction of Princes Street and The Mound. Just about any city bus will take you near here, and Waverley rail station is five minutes' walk along Princes Street.
More Info
Some parts of this route are open only between 9am and 5pm (or dusk if earlier). The description on the WalkingWorld website explains how to bypass these and still get the best out of the walk, whilst aiming to complete it within these hours.
