Three Edinburgh walks make the top five in new study of Scotland's best family walks

Three Edinburgh walks have made a list of the top five best family walks in Scotland, including the two best in the country.

As autumn approaches, it's a great time to explore the great outdoors as the seasons change. With this in mind, outdoors experts Millets have revealed their top family walks in Scotland.

Looking at walks that are accessible, family-friendly and have a pub on the route, the team ranked the top family-friendly walks by their ratings and number of reviews. 

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Harlaw and Threipmuir Reservoirs Circular in the Pentland Hills has been named the best family walk in Scotland, with an overall score of 9.97 out of 10. Located near Balerno, the 4.5km circular trail is considered an easy route and takes an average of one hour and three minutes to complete.

The walk is deemed child-friendly and is used by many for runs, bike rides, and walks. Visitors can also stop in The Balerno Inn for refreshments and for hearty food. 

The Pentland Hills are a range of hills around 20 miles in length, running southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale. They feature stunning views, many family walking routes and fishing spots including Harlaw Reservoir (pictured). Photo by Ian Georgeson.placeholder image
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills around 20 miles in length, running southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale. They feature stunning views, many family walking routes and fishing spots including Harlaw Reservoir (pictured). Photo by Ian Georgeson.

In second place is the Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace walk with an overall score of 8.85. The 3.2km dog-friendly out and back trail highlights the sights of the Royal Mile and is celebrated for its historical depth. The route takes walkers down the Royal Mile, where they can pop into pubs such as The Inn On The Mile, The Piper’s Rest and Tolbooth Tavern. 

The Balloch Country Park and Whinny Hill 10.5km route was named the third best family-friendly walk in Scotland with a score of 8.30. The 5.5km Tobermory Lighthouse Circuit in Argyll and Bute took fourth spot with a score of 7.74.

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Rounding off the top five is the 4.5km Capital View Walk in Pentland Hills Regional Park, providing spectacular views of Edinburgh from up high, which scored an average rating of 4.4 from 71 reviews and was given an overall score of 6.08 in the Millets study.

Pentland Hills Regional Park's Harlaw biodiversity trail gives children the chance to enjoy learning about the local plants and wildlife along the route, while there are plenty of other trails to try depending on time and fitness levels.placeholder image
Pentland Hills Regional Park's Harlaw biodiversity trail gives children the chance to enjoy learning about the local plants and wildlife along the route, while there are plenty of other trails to try depending on time and fitness levels.

Speaking about the family walks study, Natalie Byrne, author and outdoor enthusiast at Millets said: “A walk is the perfect excuse to get all the family together and moving. To allow the whole family to get involved, it is a great idea to choose a route that is accessible to both wheelchairs and prams.

“It is also recommended that you check the difficulty of your walking route as well as the estimated time that it will take for the whole family to walk it. Of course, if you have any younger children or any slower walkers, allow for extra time to stop on your walk.

“Packing the correct equipment can make all the difference between a good walk and a difficult walk. I recommend a sturdy pair of walking boots that will support your ankles and be comfortable on longer walks.

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“It is also a good idea to pack some lightweight waterproof clothing for the family. It may be coming up to summer, but British weather cannot be trusted, and no one wants to sit post-walk in the pub in wet clothes!” 

The Royal Mile Walk from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace and back came second on the list of the best family walks in Scotland.placeholder image
The Royal Mile Walk from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace and back came second on the list of the best family walks in Scotland. | Google Maps

To find the best family walks Millets sourced a list of pub walks in Scotland using All Trails. The outdoor clothing and equipment retailer applied the filters 'pub walk', 'walking' and 'child-friendly', only including walks with at least 50 reviews. The data was sourced in May this year, with each walk based on the review rating out of five.

Millets gave the 'review rating out of five' full weighting and the 'number of reviews' half weighting to ensure more popular walks with lower review scores did not receive disproportionately higher scores.

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