It’s the perfect opportunity to check out the many amazing day trips, activities and outings you can enjoy in and around Edinburgh.
Ever walked an alpaca or crossed the Forth Road Bridge on foot? How about giving roller skating a shot, trying to find a 480 million year old fossil creature, or visiting a mysterious plague island?
Those are just a few of the experiences you can enjoy this summer – and none are more than an hour from the Capital.
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. Daytrips
A few of the weird, beautiful and interesting day trips less than an hour from Edinburgh. Photo: Canva
. Go on an alpaca trek
BobCat Alpacas are based at the foot of the Pentland Hills on the edge of Edinburgh. The owners offer a 90 minute trek with their animals, followed by time on the farm interacting with, and feeding alpacas. Go to their website to book. Photo: Canva
. Get your skates on
Deliciously retro, The Boardwalk inside Ocean Terminal shopping centre in Leith houses its own roller rink, where visitors of all ages can skate to their hearts' content. It's fun to skate with friends, or there are lessons on offer for anyone who wants to dedicate a little more time to the sport. The Boardwalk also has facilities for skateboarders and BMX bike riders. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
. Explore a mysterious uninhabited plague island
The island of Inchkeith, in the Firth of Forth, can be visited by boat from South Queensferry. It's a place with a long and varied history, from being used as a quarantine island for plague victims in the 15th century to becoming a military fortification to defend against enemy invasion in the 20th century. Photo: Canva
. Find something ancient while hunting fossils
There are several places near Edinburgh where you might find something genuinely prehistoric. Strawberry Wood, near the East Lothian village of East Saltoun, contains a disused limestone quarry where fossilised shells, trilobites, sea sponges and even sharks teeth can be found. Or, for guaranteed easy finds of crinoids (a sea creature that was around a mere 490 million years ago) and corals, pop over the Forth and visit the bay next to Seafield Tower, in Kirkcaldy. Photo: Canva
1. Go on an alpaca trek
BobCat Alpacas are based at the foot of the Pentland Hills on the edge of Edinburgh. The owners offer a 90 minute trek with their animals, followed by time on the farm interacting with, and feeding alpacas. Go to their website to book. Photo: Canva
2. Get your skates on
Deliciously retro, The Boardwalk inside Ocean Terminal shopping centre in Leith houses its own roller rink, where visitors of all ages can skate to their hearts' content. It's fun to skate with friends, or there are lessons on offer for anyone who wants to dedicate a little more time to the sport. The Boardwalk also has facilities for skateboarders and BMX bike riders. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
3. Explore a mysterious uninhabited plague island
The island of Inchkeith, in the Firth of Forth, can be visited by boat from South Queensferry. It's a place with a long and varied history, from being used as a quarantine island for plague victims in the 15th century to becoming a military fortification to defend against enemy invasion in the 20th century. Photo: Canva
4. Find something ancient while hunting fossils
There are several places near Edinburgh where you might find something genuinely prehistoric. Strawberry Wood, near the East Lothian village of East Saltoun, contains a disused limestone quarry where fossilised shells, trilobites, sea sponges and even sharks teeth can be found. Or, for guaranteed easy finds of crinoids (a sea creature that was around a mere 490 million years ago) and corals, pop over the Forth and visit the bay next to Seafield Tower, in Kirkcaldy. Photo: Canva