Braid Hills Walk Edinburgh – Your Complete Guide
Updated: 2nd October 2026
Home » Blog » Europe » United Kingdom » Scotland »The beautiful Braid Hills in Edinburgh is one of my favourite spots for a walk. The circular 4.5 km hike around the Braid Hills offers spectacular views across Edinburgh and the surrounding area.
As a former Edinburgh local, I loved visiting the Braid Hills when I needed to get outside for an easy hike. It was always quiet, being located in the southern suburbs of the city, and I never tired of the views.
The Braid Hills are also a great spot for seeing yellow gorse – one of my favourite flowers to spot on hikes in Edinburgh.
The Braid Hills is an outlook point for the Seven Hills of Edinburgh, as they can all be seen from the summit!
The walk is easily accessed by public transport using Lothian Bus. Once you hike up the hill from the bus stop to the starting point, the walk from that point on is relatively flat, so it is suitable for most people. Alternatively, free car parking is available at the Golf Club, located right at the start of the walk.
In total, the circular route should take around 1.5 hrs to complete.
In this quick guide, discover the magic of the Braid Hills and how to enjoy this beautiful hidden gem of Edinburgh!
Quick Guide To The Braid Hills Walk In Edinburgh
Braid Hills is No. 3 in our “Guide to The Seven Hills of Edinburgh” series. Check out the full series here: The Seven Hills Of Edinburgh: A Quick Guide
Summary Of The Braid Hills Walk In Edinburgh
The Braid Hills are, in a word, beautiful!
Relatively open in themselves, at 213m (699ft) they sit within a primarily residential area which is quiet and secluded. There is, however, a huge golf course along the top of this hill, which is great if you love golf, but for walkers it can kind of get in the way.
Nevertheless, the main trail goes all the way around the hills by skirting the edge, so with the golf course being in the middle you only really need to cross over it once as you circle around the other side (at this stage there is also a little picnic table to stop for lunch).
The trail is also popular with pony trekkers and is a dirt track, so it can get quite muddy in places. I advise wearing boots, or trainers if you stick to a sunny day when there have been a few days of good weather.
- Distance: Around 4.5 km / 2.75 miles loop.
- Time: Around 1.5 hours at an easy, relaxed pace.
- Terrain: Relatively flat once on the path. The path can be quite muddy in places.
- Highlights: Beautiful views across Edinburgh. Vibrant gorse bushes.
- Dogs: A nice place to walk the dog. Be mindful of golf players and horses.
- Start & Finish: Braid Hills Golf Club, Braid Hills Approach (Circular Route).
Braid Hills Circular Trail Route Map
Below is a map of the route for the Braid Hills Walk in Edinburgh. You can also view the route in Google Maps here.
How To Get To The Braid Hills In Edinburgh
Bus: To get to the Braid Hills, take the Lothian Bus services 11, 15 or 15A to Comiston Road and follow the Braid Hills Road and then Braid Hills Approach. Approach the car park of the Braid Hills Golf Club.
Car: There is public parking at the Braid Hills Golf Club.
A walk around the Braid Hills can easily be combined with Blackford Hill & The Hermitage Of Braid as they are very close to one another.
What You’ll See On The Braid Hills
The Braid Hills offers great panoramic views over Edinburgh city, Blackford Hill, the Pentlands, Arthur’s Seat and all the way out to the Firth of Forth and beyond!
The Braid Hills is an outlook point for the Seven Hills of Edinburgh, as they can all be seen from the summit! The hills can be identified from a sign on the Braid Hills Summit.
My favourite thing about the Braid Hills is that they are covered with bright yellow gorse. The flowering bushes fill the air with a lovely sweet coconutty smell – yum!
Braid Hills Walk Guide
Start The Braid Hills Walk From The Golf Club On Braid Hills Approach Road
You can start the trail from the golf car park at the top of the Braid Hills Approach road.
If arriving by Lothain Bus, you’ll get off the bus at Braid Hills Rd and then walk up the short but steep Braid Hills Approach road to get to the golf club car park. If driving in a car, you can park at the golf club or on the residential street for free.
From the car park, follow the signs to the left which read “Braid Hills Trail – Farm Road Entrance”.
Enjoy Beautiful Views Across Edinburgh
The start of the trail runs east, parallel to the Braid Hills Rd, and offers beautiful views across to Blackford Hill and Arthur’s Seat.
After around 30 minutes, you will have reached a cross roads, at the location of the Braid Hills Golf Centre on Liberton Drive. Here, turn right and then continue following the path south.
In around 7 minutes, you will turn right again and begin following the trail west.
This section of the trail climbs uphill and towards two prominent masts/transmission towers. You’ll be walking for around another 20 minutes or so minutes. The path winds between the masts, and leads to the Braid Hill Summit.
At The Summit Of The Braid Hills
Once you reach the summit, enjoy the beautiful panoramic views!
The Braid Hills Summit is marked with a trig point.
There is a viewpoint area with a sign pointing to all Seven Hills of Edinburgh, as all seven can be seen from the summit of the Braid Hills! Having climbed all seven hills of Edinburgh, this is the only hill which has a sign like this.
There are also benches, which make the summit a nice place to stop for a picnic.
Completing The Braid Hills Trail Loop
From the Braid Hills Summit, continue following the path, now heading downhill.
The path heads towards the residential homes and enters a wooded area.
Once the homes are reached, the path turns right and skirts the fence around the back of the houses. There are no views here and it is a sheltered area.
Keep following the path, and eventually a left turn will lead you back to the Braid Hills Approach road. Walk straight down the road to get back to the starting point!
Things To Do Nearby To The Braid Hills, Edinburgh
The Braid Hills are situated south of Edinburgh city centre, near the suburb of Morningside.
Morningside is a nice affluent area. There are a lot of lovely cafes, bars and restaurants, a Waitrose supermarket, and very good second hand/charity shops!
Another of my favourite walks in Edinburgh is The Hermitage of Braid. This walk starts very near to the Braid Hills walk, so the two could be combined in the same day. The Hermitage of Braid walking trail links up with Blackford Hill – another summit and one of the Seven Hills of Edinburgh. There are many historical sites along the hermitage and the observatory at the summit of Blackford Hill.
To the east of the Braid Hills is a shopping centre called Cameron Toll, which has many of your usual British high street stores, plus an Aldi supermarket.
Nearby is Craigmillar Castle – a medieval ruined castle managed by Historic Scotland. Craigmillar Castle is one of Scotland’s oldest castles and has been used in TV shows like Outlander and Outlaw King. I’ve visited Craigmillar Castle and thought it was worth it. The castle is open 9:30 am – 4 pm, and costs £7.50 by booking online, or is free with a Historic Scotland membership.
This half-day small group guided tour will take you to Craigmillar Castle, as well as the beautiful town of Melrose (famous for the magnificent Abbey) and to see some cute Highland Coos!
Where To Stay Near The Braid Hills
Morningside has a lot of nice accommodation options including rental apartments and townhouses.
The Braid Hills Hotel is the closest hotel to the Braid Hills and is set in a lovely historic property.
Mortonhall Caravan and Camping Park is set in the grounds of a country house near the Braid Hills. They offer camping sites, glamping cabins and holiday home rentals.
Quick Guide To The Braid Hills Walk In Edinburgh – Thanks For Reading!
As an Edinburgh local, the Braid Hills is one of my favourite walks in Edinburgh. It is an easy hike that takes just 1.5 hrs to complete, and offers beautiful panoramic views across the city and beyond. – Lauren x
Where to next? Check out The Seven Hills Of Edinburgh: A Quick Guide
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