Edinburgh – top for hikes

The capital has been named Scotland’s top hiking hotspot, with a range of trails for people and pets.

Edinburgh came top in the study by outdoor clothing and equipment specialists Blacks, to mark “Take a Hike Day”.

Edinburgh was awarded a hiking hotspot score of 9.99 out of 10 — the highest in the UK.

The study identified 11 hiking trails per km² in the capital, with a range of difficulties, lengths and elevations.

Popular hikes around the city include Arthur’s Seat, the Water of Leith Walkway and the Pentland Hills.

Dunfermline (8.10 out of 10) ranked second thanks to walks such as the Fife Coastal Path and
Pittencrieff Park.

Aberdeen (8.03), where trails include The Old Deeside Railway Line and the Bennachie Range, came third ahead of Paisley and Glasgow.

Scots major towns and cities were ranked for a range of factors including the most trails, dog friendly hikes, loch and sea views, opportunities to see wildlife and average weather conditions as well as numbers of sunrise and sunset social media posts.

Cumbernauld, Livingston, East Kilbride, Hamilton and Dundee made up Scotland’s top ten.

Throughout the UK, Edinburgh came second only to London for hikers’ social media posts, while East Kilbride ranked highly for wildlife hikes including Calderglen Country Park.