Meet The Locals: Getting Back to Nature

Discovering Edinburgh Wildlife

Getting outside is great for the mind, body and soul. And if you’re a nature enthusiast, you’ll be in for a treat whilst visiting Edinburgh. Its prime position on the east coast of Scotland means the city is a haven for diverse Edinburgh wildlife. Whether you’re visiting the city’s parks and green spaces, or rivers and beaches, you’ll find plenty of local inhabitants.

Book a room at Parliament House Hotel, and you’re just a short stroll from the city centre and its gardens and attractions.

Thriving Parks and Green Spaces

Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh

Edinburgh is full of lush parks and verdant green spaces, that are home to a variety of wildlife species. From colourful flowers, to buzzing insects, these spaces are bursting with life.

The Royal Botanic Gardens are a great place to see thousands of diverse species of plants. Here, you can explore huge landscaped gardens that span 70 acres. Or, visit the 28 glasshouses that are home to tropical species. Tours with gardeners will teach you how to feed birds, which plants are safe to eat, and general knowledge about insects, plants and conservation efforts.

Figgate Park is a fantastic space with wild flowers and fauna. There are large grassy areas, a huge pond with ducks, a bug hotel and wildlife bank, fruit trees and a butterfly border.

Arthur’s Seat is great for spotting a range of native Scottish animals and birds. With views overlooking the city and beyond, this high peak is home to grey squirrels, weasels, pipistrelle bats, buzzards, cormorants and dragonflies.

Nature Reserves and Islands

Swans and Cygnets

Where better to meet local Scottish wildlife than in local nature reserves?

The Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill reserve on Edinburgh’s outskirts is a great place to meet nature enthusiasts and wild inhabitants. Here, there’s a wildflower meadow, ponds with swans and ducks, walled garden, and community woodland. 

If you fancy an island escape, Inchcolm Island is a short boat trip along Firth of Forth. The Forth is home to migrating salmon and around 200,000 waterfowl and seabirds including dunlins and oystercatchers. On the island look out for grey seals lounging on the shores, puffins, northern gannets and great skuas.

Edinburgh’s Coastal Locals

Bottlenose Dolphins off the coast of Scotland

Scotland’s marine life is abundant, and there are thousands of diverse species that live beneath the surface of the ocean. Rocky islands are a haven for seals and breeding seabirds.

The Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick is a 30-minute train ride from Edinburgh. Here you can take a boat trip around the coast, where you’ll spot many types of seabirds. And you might even see whales, bottlenose dolphins and porpoises. 

While staying at Parliament House, you’re close to the natural delights of Edinburgh. Our city’s nature spaces are bustling with wildlife all year round, so book your stay and enjoy Mother Nature’s finest in Scotland.