Outdoor activities in Edinburgh

THE 10 BEST Edinburgh Outdoor Activities

Outdoor Activities in Edinburgh

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    Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked according to revenue made by Tripadvisor on those bookings, plus the number of page views by Tripadvisor users, and the quantity and quality of reviews
Outdoor Activities
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Bus Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 96% of travelers
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$78.96
per adult
Full-day Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 95% of travelers
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$117.92
per adult
Audio Guides
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 95% of travelers
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$76.37
per adult
Full-day Tours
10–12 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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$1,029.02
per group
Walking Tours
3–4 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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$220.04
per group
Adventure Tours
4–5 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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$108.73
per adult
Audio Guides
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 97% of travelers
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$64.72
per adult
Historical Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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$62.13
per adult
Audio Guides
3 days
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 96% of travelers
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from
$309.35
per adult
Bus Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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$1,229.65
per group
Historical Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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from
$23.30
per adult
Showing results 1-30 of 80
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

What travelers are saying

  • JW
    2 contributions
    First of all, I want to give a massive thank you to Lisa at Hairy Coo customer service. She went above and beyond to help me when I had an issue that needed sorting. Thank you Lisa!

    The trip was fabulous. Craig used his heart and soul to make the day amazing.
    It’s a long day, but it’s perfect if you want a good view of the Highlands and you have limited time.

    Review of: Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, Glencoe & Pitlochry Tour from Edinburgh
    Written August 11, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Monica B
    8 contributions
    I liked travelling woth them because they have small vans rather than big buses 2 advantages here 1 less waiting for people arriving late so we can have more stops and still be on schedule and second, the fact that they could just stop at the side of the motorway and let you have a close look and take pictures and go into very small roads to see the hairycows closer. The drivers have to be talking all the time it seem that it’s just something they have to do to keep you entertained after a while it makes you tired and sometimes I could see the driver wasn’t paying enough attention to the road and more the the chatting but maybe that’s just me. The experience also depends on your driver, it doesn’t seem that everyone stops at the same points (short stops) longer stops is the same for everyone. Because of the time that takes to arrive to the Ness lake (or lonch) you don’t get enough time in all the stops but that’s what happens always in any short trip that requires lots of miles to get to the main point.
    Overall I will recommend Rabbies but maybe a tour that doesn’t require to go that far.
    Review of: Loch Ness & Highlands Day Tour Including Cruise from Edinburgh
    Written August 11, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Chiu Wai C
    1 contribution
    We joined in a group of 9 including three kinds. The tour arrangement is excellent and the scenes are beautiful. The driver and tour guide Joe is exceptional friendly, caring, knowledgable and professional. I would highly recommend Highland Experience Tour if you want to see the beauty of highland.
    Review of: 3-Day Isle of Skye and Highlands from Edinburgh Inc Accommodation
    Written August 11, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • yash
    Bengaluru, India1 contribution
    Allistor the tour guide was fantastic but unfortunately the quality of the bus we got wasn’t great. The bus was run down and a bit squeaky with uncomfortable seats
    Review of: Full-Day Trip to Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands with Lunch from Edinburgh
    Written August 10, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • jennifer236
    Austin, TX11 contributions
    We loved the two tours we did today: we did the Old Town Tour with Fiona and then the Edinburgh Castle Tour with Jule, and they were both phenomenal. Both tours were informative and interesting-- and both Fiona and Jule were really knowledgeable, and engaging. Definitely helped us get so much more out of our short time in Edinburgh. Highly recommend!
    Review of: Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh
    Written August 11, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Gabrielle E
    1 contribution
    Loved this 3 day bus tour! Never been to Scotland and I had such a great experience seeing all the beautiful sites. Portree is the little town where we stayed for 2 nights, it’s such a cute little town. I asked the tour to book my accommodation, which was very nice. We had a great tour guide; Martin. He was very attentive and made sure we were all comfortable. He also made sure we knew where things were; food, restrooms, hotel, etc. He is full of historic facts, played great Scottish music and is a boss of a driver!
    Review of: Isle of Skye, The Highlands and Loch Ness- 3 Day Group Tour from Edinburgh
    Written July 23, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ShaheenSal
    Boston, MA18 contributions
    We had a great day thanks to our guide, Taimur. We started the day with a visit to see highland cows which my 6 yr old loved. We went on to visit castles and beautiful highland site. Taimur was flexible and gave us great options.
    Review of: Private Tour of the Highlands from Edinburgh
    Written August 8, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Bethanne A
    5 contributions
    DO NOT BOOK WITH ANYONE ELSE!

    Noel picked us up in a new 9 seat van that was so big and comfortable for the six of us traveling (myself, husband and 4 kids ages 21, 19, 16,16). From reading the other reviews we knew he could adjust the tour according to our preferences and that he did.
    We took out seeing Loch Ness as it wasn’t a big deal to us. We spent so much more time actually visiting the local areas because of this. We got coffee and pastries in a small town where Mary Queen of Scots was born, we spent so much time exploring breathtaking Glen Coe (which I believe would have been a drive by if we had gone to Loch Ness) and we had an amazing lunch at a local pub. Noel was so knowledgeable, friendly and funny that we will absolutely book with him again when we come back. When we stopped to see the Highland Coos the giant tour bus stopped after we did, then the 19 passenger bus did as well. They were in and out within 5-10 minutes. We patiently waited for everyone to leave again so we could spend more time with the coos. All four of our kids after seeing the other ways of touring the countryside were so thankful we chose to go with Noel. They all said today was their favorite day in Scotland.
    Review of: Luxury Private Tour of The Highlands & Loch Ness from Edinburgh
    Written August 7, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Burnadette
    5 contributions
    Excellent outing. Wonderful to get away from the typical tourist route and see around Edinburgh. Fabulous guide that provides local knowledge and answers every question. Small group also made for a fun morning.
    Review of: Edinburgh Sky to Sea Bike Tour by Manual or E-Bike
    Written August 8, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • swatt
    Fife, UK20 contributions
    We are granparents on the Three Bridges and Inchcolm Island tour with our two grandchildren.
    We liked going under the bridges, learning about them and learning about the Abbey on the Island.
    We loved the ease of the whole experience.
    Booking was easy online - with loads of clear information in the confirmation. On arrival at the port staff were very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Register your car at reception for free 12 hours parking. The boat was super clean and good quality. Staff friendly and helpful. On the island great, very well maintained by the stewards who work there. Stewards were knowledgeable, friendly and very patient with our grandchildren when they asked questions - the female steward who was recording what plants were on the island today explained loads to the kids. Perfect amount of time on island - 90 mins- with plenty benches to have a picnic. Ice cream from the wee shop was delicious.
    We had a fantastic day, well worth the money. Would definitely recommend.
    Review of: Edinburgh Three Bridges Cruise
    Written August 10, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Jak
    Birmingham, UK15 contributions
    This was the highlight of our holiday to Edinburgh. We had an incredible time on this tour of the highlands and would highly recommend them. Tom our guide was amazing. He was so knowledgeable, kind, funny, clear just an all round legend. Some of the beautiful sights we saw at Loch Ness, the mountains and other lochs were just beautiful and well worth a visit! Will definitely book again that's for sure!
    Review of: Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands Day Trip from Edinburgh
    Written August 10, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • AìneG
    1 contribution
    Wonderful 3 days with an amazing driver & tour guide. There has been a lot of driving but really worth while, Scottish music playing in the background as a sort of full immersion. So good! For me, coming back to the Highlands after a few years has been a refreshing experience, especially in a bus (first time ever). I can only recommend these tours, small bus, comfortable, simply fine. I suggest booking dinners at the very few restaurants located in Portree well in advance (no matter where you end up staying, all in walking distance... ok, might be a bit of a steep walk in some cases, but perfectly doable for all). Worst case scenario: takeaway fish & chips from Portree Harbour 😀 In Portree , there's also a good convenience store as last resort.
    Review of: 3-Day Isle of Skye and Scottish Highlands Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh
    Written August 1, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Marie J
    1 contribution
    Lovely tour with lots of interesting information about Edinburgh, especially some niche information that we never would have known otherwise. It was amazing.
    Since it was also a photography tour the tour guide David gave really good advice about taking pictures that is making our pictures now so much more special.
    It was also lovely to see how passionate David was about Edinburgh, photography and teaching people about both, it makes the tour make a lot of fun.

    We can highly recommend this tour and will definitely do another one when we come back. There is still so much more to learn about Edinburgh.
    Review of: Private Photography & History Tour of Edinburgh With a Local
    Written July 10, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • bob joe
    Austin, Texas4 contributions
    Scott was our guide, educator, comic, friend on this really wonderful day excursion into the mid highlands. While we did not have any set expectations or any specific sites to visit Scott was very masterful with getting a feeling of what we would prefer from the conversations we had while traveling. We hit the spots generally outlined in the description of the tour but we did a number of side spots that were interesting, beautiful, and allowed us to feel a part of the land and people of Scotland in our brief visit. The company was very informative and punctual in preparation and Scott was very timely and thorough. Brilliant in all aspects and we would look forward to another excursion with exactly this company and Scott when we return.
    Review of: Private Glencoe Driving Tour from Edinburgh
    Written July 31, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • MartinMurphy79
    Palmerstown, Ireland14 contributions
    I loved this and highly recommend to any interested hikers. The hike itself isn’t too difficult though tough at times. Rishi is your guide but also a gentleman with great knowledge of geology, history and photo opportunities. The scenes over the city and the Forth river are amazing. A very distinct view of the castle too. Stop reading this and book the hike now!!
    Review of: Hill & Nature Hike - Discover Real Edinburgh With a Local Expert
    Written August 8, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Edinburgh: Outdoor Recreation Information

Outdoor Activities80
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