Circumnavigating Arthur’s Seat (the easy way)

We will ride from the Meadows through George Square and through Southside to join Queen’s Drive in Holyrood Park just before Dynamic Earth. We then follow the road past St Margaret’s Loch and exit Holyrood Park along Duke’s walk. Here, we turn left along Royal Park Terrace before cutting through houses to Lower London Road. We then cross straight over London Road and make our way to Lochend Park and then join the Restalrig Railway Path. We follow this as far as Seafield Road, where we turn right and then head along the coastal path to Portobello Promenade, where we will stop for refreshments at one of the seafront cafes. After our stop, we will turn right at the side of the Portobello swim centre and follow quiet route 61* through Bingham to Jewel Park. From here, we follow the Innocent Cycle Path through the Innocent Tunnel and on to the cycle path back to the Meadows.

*Edinburgh’s Quiet Routes are signposted routes joining communities by avoiding main roads, https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cycling-walking/explore-quietroutes/1. Quiet route 61 originally linked Gilmerton to Roslin, but has recently been extended to Portobello promenade.

Starting from the Meadows, we will go through Holyrood Park and Lochend Park, and cycle along Portobello promenade from Seafield to the Swim Centre, before returning to our start point. This means we will have completed a loop around Arthur’s Seat, but without having to go up the hills in Holyrood Park.

The route is mostly cycle / shared use paths, with a few sections on quiet roads. The path surfaces are suitable for all type types. As we have to get from the coast back to the Meadows, there are inevitably some inclines, but there is nothing too severe. We will cross the busy London Road near Meadowbank, but we won’t need to cycle along it.

We will stop at one of the cafes along Portobello promenade, where we can sit outside if the weather is nice enough but have the option of sitting inside if the weather isn’t so good.

Bring a payment card or cash if you wish to buy any refreshments in Portobello. Also bring a spare inner tube if you have one, and have a means of getting home in the event of mechanical breakdown.

First-timers welcome. We never leave anyone behind.