Walking in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a beautiful city, and it's also a city built in layers, some literally on top of each other. This layering creates little pockets of the city that feel like they are from a different time and place than the surrounding areas.

You can turn a corner and find yourself in a beautiful new place.

I love going for walks in Edinburgh. You can turn down a new street or round a corner and find yourself in a whole new city.

Some places feel as though they are completely isolated from the modern world, with quiet walks in forests or along canals. Then walk up a set of stairs, and you're back in a modern bustling city. Go just a little further, and you're in the Georgian era or even the dark ages. Edinburgh is such a beautiful and winding place. Filled with secrets that invite you in.

As much fun as it is to wander around and just discover the city, there are also some wonderful pre-planned walks.

My top three are walking along the Union Canal, Roseburn Path and the walk in Deans Villiage along the Waters of Leeth.

The union canal connects many parks and neighbourhoods you might want to visit on your trip to Edinburgh. It takes you away from the city's cars and bustle and meanders along beautiful scenery dotted with boats and wildlife. Because it's in a central part of the city, you can use it to get from one place to another or treat the canal as a destination in and of itself.

Roseburn Path is one of the lesser-known walks in Edinburgh. It's paved and fairly level and goes from central Edinburgh out to Leeth. In order to keep it level, this walk sometimes goes through hills or over bridges giving you beautiful views you can't see from anywhere else. Much of the walk is through a woodland environment that serves as a green corridor for the local animal population. For a large part of the walk, it's as though you are far from the city. Then you walk over a bridge and are reminded of where you are. It's a surreal experience that I couldn't recommend more.

Last but not least, there is Dean Villiage. This odd little place feels detached from Edinburgh though it's just down the hill from New Town. The architecture is more Swiss or German than anything you would find in the UK. The steep hills that go down to the Waters of Leeth, combined with the architecture, make it feel like you're in the foothill of the Alps or some fantasy world. The walk along the water is serene, and you can keep following it all the way to Leeth or exit, where it comes out along the way. On the weekends, several farmer's markets pop up close to the walk.

Edinburgh is a magical city, and there is no way to get to know her better than to go for a nice long walk. You can live here for years and still find yourself down a street you'd never seen before or admiring a vista you had previously missed. You can turn a corner and find yourself in a new place that might even feel like a new city. I love getting to know my city this way, just as much as I love walking the paths that I have loved for years.