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Lauriston Castle

0 ha

WildlifeBirdsInsects

Dogs welcome0 ha

Getting here

55.97122, -3.27843

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
☕Mimi's Bakehouse — a good base for a longer summer day out

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
☕Mimi's Bakehouse — a good base for a longer summer day out

Good to know

🐕Dogs welcome

Bike parkingCaféParking· FreeToilets

Best for

5 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Carrion Crow, Mallard, Magpie +90 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Carrion Crow, Mallard, Magpie +90 more · last seen 2026

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Insects — Common Carder Bee, Common Red Soldier Beetle, 7-spot Ladybird +98 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Common Carder Bee, Common Red Soldier Beetle, 7-spot Ladybird +98 more · last seen 2025

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site

Free

Easy access

Good match

parking, toilets

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

4 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Forth & Clyde/Union Canal TowpathWalking route106 km

Named routeLength 106 kmNational walking route

Water of Leith Walkway (Slateford to Leith)Walking route

Named routeRef CEC18Local walking route

John Muir Way (South Queensferry to Edinburgh part 1)Walking route

Named routeRef JMWPoint-to-pointNational walking route

John Muir Way (South Queensferry to Edinburgh part 2)Walking route

Named routeRef JMWPoint-to-pointNational walking route

🚴

Cycling

102 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Route 75Cycling route

Named routeRef 75National Cycle Network

NCN National Route 76Cycling route

Named routeRef 76Point-to-pointNational Cycle Network

John Muir WayCycling route215 km

Named routeRef JMWLength 215 kmPoint-to-pointRegional cycle route

Quiet Route 20Cycling route

Named routeRef 20Local cycle route

Quiet Route 8Cycling route

Named routeRef 8Local cycle route

Quiet Route 13Cycling route

Named routeRef 13Local cycle route

🚵

Mountain biking

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

Capital TrailMountain bike route

Named route

Wildlife to spot

27,745 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

27,745 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds59 species

autumn

2026

Tawny Owl · Magpie · Dipper · Carrion Crow · Grey Heron +54

Tawny OwlStrix aluco2025
MagpiePica pica2025
DipperCinclus cinclus2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
CurlewNumenius arquata
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
Great TitParus major2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2025
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
GoosanderMergus merganser2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
Coal TitPeriparus ater2025
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis2025
NuthatchSitta europaea2025
Mute SwanCygnus olor2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
WigeonMareca penelope
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
DunlinCalidris alpina
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2025
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
RedshankTringa totanus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba2025
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Common GullLarus canus
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
SiskinSpinus spinus
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2025
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2025
GreenshankTringa nebularia2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
Rock DoveColumba livia2025
Common GuillemotUria aalge2025
KnotCalidris canutus2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2025
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2025

🦌

Mammals6 species

autumnwinter

2026

Grey Squirrel · Roe Deer · American Mink · Red Fox · Badger +1

Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis2025
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
American MinkNeovison vison2025
Red FoxVulpes vulpes2025
BadgerMeles meles2025
Feral CatFelis catus2025

🐸

Amphibians1 species

spring

2026

Common Frog

Common FrogRana temporaria

🐝

Insects8 species

autumn

2025

Harlequin Ladybird · Cartodere bifasciata · Large Willow Aphid · Syrphus torvus · Syrphus ribesii +3

Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
Cartodere bifasciataCartodere bifasciata
Large Willow AphidTuberolachnus (Tuberolachnus) salignus
Syrphus torvusSyrphus torvus
Syrphus ribesiiSyrphus ribesii
SyrphusSyrphus
Gorse ShieldbugPiezodorus lituratus
Common EarwigForficula auricularia/dentata agg.

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

27,745 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds59 species

autumn

2026

Tawny Owl · Magpie · Dipper · Carrion Crow · Grey Heron +54

Tawny OwlStrix aluco2025
MagpiePica pica2025
DipperCinclus cinclus2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
CurlewNumenius arquata
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
Great TitParus major2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2025
MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
GoosanderMergus merganser2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
Coal TitPeriparus ater2025
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis2025
NuthatchSitta europaea2025
Mute SwanCygnus olor2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
WigeonMareca penelope
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
DunlinCalidris alpina
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2025
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
RedshankTringa totanus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba2025
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Common GullLarus canus
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
SiskinSpinus spinus
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2025
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2025
GreenshankTringa nebularia2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
Rock DoveColumba livia2025
Common GuillemotUria aalge2025
KnotCalidris canutus2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2025
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2025

🦌

Mammals6 species

autumnwinter

2026

Grey Squirrel · Roe Deer · American Mink · Red Fox · Badger +1

Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis2025
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
American MinkNeovison vison2025
Red FoxVulpes vulpes2025
BadgerMeles meles2025
Feral CatFelis catus2025

🐸

Amphibians1 species

spring

2026

Common Frog

Common FrogRana temporaria

🐝

Insects8 species

autumn

2025

Harlequin Ladybird · Cartodere bifasciata · Large Willow Aphid · Syrphus torvus · Syrphus ribesii +3

Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
Cartodere bifasciataCartodere bifasciata
Large Willow AphidTuberolachnus (Tuberolachnus) salignus
Syrphus torvusSyrphus torvus
Syrphus ribesiiSyrphus ribesii
SyrphusSyrphus
Gorse ShieldbugPiezodorus lituratus
Common EarwigForficula auricularia/dentata agg.

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 John Lord · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Lauriston Castle

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🌱Saughton ParkUrban park4.4 km→🌱Inverleith ParkUrban park3.9 km→🌱Inverleith ParkUrban park3.9 km→🌱Royal Botanic Garden EdinburghUrban park4.4 km→🌱Royal Botanic Garden EdinburghUrban park4.4 km→🌱Saughton Park GardensUrban park4.6 km→

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