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How to spend Summer in Glasgow and Edinburgh

We all know Scotland is world famous for its beauty, culture and architecture, but it’s the locals that really know how to make the most of the summer there. From magical woodland creatures to wild swimming and outdoor theatre, we’re spoilt for choice all around Native Glasgow and Native Edinburgh.

Here are just a few of our favourite summer must-dos.

Summer in Edinburgh

Find The Reekie Beastie

Hunt down the real Edinburgh in an escape-room-meets-walking-tour-meets-treasure-hunt. Get a team together, register with Search Party and explore the streets of Edinburgh. You’ll learn about some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, track down clues, solve puzzles and play games to complete the mission and find Edinburgh’s missing spirit animal – The Reekie Beastie.

Find out more

Hit the beach

Portobello Beach is just a 30 minute bus ride from your apartment but feels like a world away. It’s a much loved escape for Edinburgh natives and visitors alike and on a sunny day the beach is full of sun bathers, wild swimmers, dog walkers and nature lovers. There are also cute little cafés on the promenade and traditional seaside amusements. If you can, bag one of the air hockey tables and challenge your new neighbours to a game.

Find out more

Take to the water

Just a 15 minute drive from your apartment, the Water of Leith Walkway passes through through some of the prettiest parts of the city. You’ll see Colinton Village and Dell, the Union Canal, Saughton Winter Gardens, the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Dean Village, Stockbridge and Leith. Ideal for a family walk or a solo stroll, it’s also great for cycling, wheelchairs and even horse riding, if you’re so inclined. Keep a look out for roe deer, badgers and foxes, too.

Find out more

Summer in Glasgow

A summer’s tale

Every year, the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Glasgow come alive with theatre. This year’s Bard in the Botanics season will bring Twelfth Night and The Winter’s Tale to their outdoor stage, with a socially distanced audience and plenty of magic amidst the rare plants and lush trees.

Book your tickets

Follow the faeries

Take a swift 40 minute drive to Loch Lomond and spend a day exploring one of the most beautiful places in the UK, following the award winning Faerie Trail. Here you’ll find a huge woodland full of faeries, trolls and unicorns, as well as stunning views and great food nearby. Try and snap up a table at Luss Fish & Chip Co – the perfect reward for all your faerie finding efforts.

Book your tickets

Southside scran

BigFeedStreetFood

Summer vibes call for street food, and lots of it. Big Feed is a weekly, family-friendly street food market on the Southside of Glasgow’s famous “Squinty Bridge”. There’s delicious food, live music and DJs, games for the kids and plenty of outdoor seating. Come hungry or decisive – you might have trouble choosing between a Firedog hot dog, aromatic roasted duck fries or triple chocolate churros.

Book your tickets

Book your summer sojourn in Scotland

How to spend Summer in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Hit the beach

Portobello Beach is just a 30 minute bus ride from your apartment but feels like a world away. It’s a much loved escape for Edinburgh natives and visitors alike and on a sunny day the beach is full of sun bathers, wild swimmers, dog walkers and nature lovers. There are also cute little cafés on the promenade and traditional seaside amusements. If you can, bag one of the air hockey tables and challenge your new neighbours to a game. Click Portobello Beach to find out more

Take to the waterDean Village Waters of Leith Edinburgh

Just a 15 minute drive from your apartment, the Water of Leith Walkway passes through through some of the prettiest parts of the city. You’ll see Colinton Village and Dell, the Union Canal, Saughton Winter Gardens, the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Dean Village, Stockbridge and Leith. Ideal for a family walk or a solo stroll, it’s also great for cycling, wheelchairs and even horse riding, if you’re so inclined. Keep a look out for roe deer, badgers and foxes, too.

Find out more about Waters of Leith

Summer in Glasgow

A summer’s tale

Every year, the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Glasgow come alive with theatre. This year’s Bard in the Botanics season will bring Twelfth Night and The Winter’s Tale to their outdoor stage, with a socially distanced audience and plenty of magic amidst the rare plants and lush trees.

Book your tickets

Follow the faeries

Take a swift 40 minute drive to Loch Lomond and spend a day exploring one of the most beautiful places in the UK, following the award winning Faerie Trail. Here you’ll find a huge woodland full of faeries, trolls and unicorns, as well as stunning views and great food nearby. Try and snap up a table at Luss Fish & Chip Co – the perfect reward for all your faerie finding efforts.

Book your tickets

Southside scran

Summer vibes call for street food, and lots of it. Big Feed is a weekly, family-friendly street food market on the Southside of Glasgow’s famous “Squinty Bridge”. There’s delicious food, live music and DJs, games for the kids and plenty of outdoor seating. Come hungry or decisive – you might have trouble choosing between a Firedog hot dog, aromatic roasted duck fries or triple chocolate churros.

Book your tickets

Book your summer sojourn in Scotland

How to spend a weekend in Edinburgh

Day One

Breakfast: Naked Bakery

(4 minute walk from Native Edinburgh)
Start your weekend in Edinburgh by feeling virtuous at this friendly neighbourhood vegan bakery. Go full-fat indulgence with sweet or savoury waffles, or even a plant-based full Scottish breakfast – don’t worry, you’ll work it all off on your stroll around the city.

After breakfast: Scottish National Gallery

(9 minute walk from the bakery)
While big international names like Vermeer, Botticelli, Velázquez and Titian might draw in the crowds, here it’s the Scottish art that really shines. The works of Ramsay, Raeburn, Wilkie and McTaggart will tell you the story of this extraordinary country and give you a whole new insight into Edinburgh’s unique spirit.

Lunch: Scottish Cafe & Restaurant

(In the gallery gardens)
Run by Victor and Carina Contini, this award-winning spot enjoys views of Princes Street Gardens and serves up regional classics like cullen skink alongside sustainably sourced favourites like fish and chips or afternoon tea. Always a good idea to book in advance – it’s popular for a reason.

After lunch: Edinburgh Castle

(7 minutes from the gallery)
Scotland’s most famous castle has been a royal residence and military stronghold since the 12th century, dominating the capital’s skyline with sweeping views of New Town and the Firth of Forth. It’s now home to the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny and the National War Museum of Scotland, so pick up an audio guide and enjoy a few well-spent hours getting acquainted. Be sure to book.

Dinner: Six by Nico

(12 minutes from the castle)
Depending on when you come to stay, you can enjoy the taste of Mumbai or a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. That’s because Six is, quite literally, a new restaurant every six weeks. The entire concept of the place changes and you can see upcoming themes on the website. Booking is essential and a six-course tasting menu is just £32.

Drinks: Panda & Sons

(8 minutes from the restaurant)
Just a few doors down from your apartment is one of those places that always finds itself on the annual World’s 50 Best Bars list. It’s hidden behind a barbershop bookcase, which lends an air of speakeasy secrecy to the place, and cocktails are served with out-of-this-world flavour combinations and a healthy dose of flair.

Day Two

Breakfast: Queen Street Gardens

(1 minute away from your bedroom)
All Native Edinburgh guests have access to one of the city’s lovingly tended private gardens. Make a breakfast picnic in your apartment kitchen, take it outside and enjoy the lush, green serenity of this coveted haven from the city’s sights and sounds.

After breakfast: Princes Street

(3 minutes from your apartment)
It’s hard to believe that Edinburgh’s most famous thoroughfare was once a muddy swamp, with its first residents moving in around 1770. Nowadays it’s full of glittering modern stores and restaurants, but the history is right there between the glassy shop-fronts. Don’t miss number 95, now Hector Russell’s kilt shop, the last surviving intact Georgian town house, and Jenners the department store, built in 1895 in glorious Renaissance style.

Lunch: Ting Thai Caravan

(14 minutes from Princes Street)
If the retail therapy and historical highlights of Princes Street have made you peckish, take a leisurely walk past the National Gallery, National Library and National Museum to Ting, where you can feast on spicy fried delights and warming bowls of noodle soup, all lovingly prepared by some of the city’s best Thai chefs.

After lunch: Holyrood Park

(14 minutes from the restaurant)
If you hear “Royal Park” and think of topiaries and Victorian follies, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Holyrood Park. This unforgettable 640 acre green space next to Holyrood Palace is full of dramatic hills and crags and is home to Arthur’s Seat, the park’s highest point, which sits on the remains of an ancient volcano. The breath-taking view is a must-see for anyone new to Edinburgh.

Dinner: Tattu

(19 minutes from Holyrood Park, 15 minutes from home)
Decked with cherry blossom and koi carp frescos, this irresistibly Instagrammable restaurant guarantees a seriously stylish night out. The modern Chinese menu is full of striking fusions, like sashimi wontons, Asian pear sticky toffee pudding and chicken truffle shumai, and the ambience is enchanting.

Nightcap: Lucky Liquor Co.

(4 minutes from your apartment)
If you’re staying for the weekend, you won’t want to miss Sunday night at Lucky Liquor. Everyone brings their own vinyls and toasts the end of the week with an ever-changing menu of drinks and a relaxed, welcoming, fun-loving vibe. Best of all, it’s only four minute stumble down Queen Street to your apartment.

Book your Edinburgh escape

What family means to… @jamie_windust

How do you define your family?

For me family is something that is a state of mind and an energy, rather than a blood line or something pre-determined. Some of the best people in my life who I would call family are not blood related, but provide me with growth, kindness and the opportunity to feel whole everyday.

What makes a family?

Trust and honesty make a family. Like all relationships, having a foundation of honesty, kindness, truth and openness is integral. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always easy, but you know when you have your family around you (blood or otherwise) when you can be all of those things comfortably, When you can know their needs whilst still making sure your needs are met.

Tell us a memory you have about your family that makes you feel good.

I definitely am grateful to my blood family for learning publicly with me. I am grateful for their ability to be there in moments where I need their support, but also for moments of celebration. It was really full circle and lovely to have my family at Graduation in 2018 and to essentially have them see me off into the real world, it was really gorgeous.

How did your family help get you through tough times?

Often my family know more about me than even I know. Almost like the tide, they can sense when I am not being honest and for me and for so many, 2020 was a year of strife and pain and I am eternally grateful that both relative and chosen family were there for me as I experienced an incredibly turbulent year. Just by listening, and lending an ear, and letting me know that despite distance, we weren’t alone.

When was the last time you managed to get away with your family?

I really miss family holidays, and we have a family holiday booked for next spring and it’s going to be so interesting to get back into that dynamic now me and my siblings are adults. We went for an explore of my home town in London in July and it was so nice to just explore parts of my own town I never knew existed whilst being able to reconnect with family I’ve not seen in months.

 

Follow Jamie on Instagram @jamie_windust.

What family means to… @shaunamcgregor

With restrictions lifting, many people are getting the chance to reunite with their loved ones again. This July, we’ve been contemplating the different meanings of family and how it varies from person to person. No family looks the same, and we think that’s something to celebrate. We caught up with some of our favourite local cultural figures and asked them what family means to them.

Shauna is a lifestyle blogger and dog mum from Glasgow, working in PR. She runs an Instagram account where she shares her outfits as well as posting about the renovation of her 120 year old terrace house. Describing her sense of style as laidback, Shauna’s feed is a feast for fans of earthy tones and clean, minimal interiors. Here’s what family means to Shauna.

How do you define your family?

Family are those around me that make me feel safe. I especially love when you don’t have to say anything, you can simply enjoy the presence of one another.

What makes a family?

Ronnie, my little two year old dachshund, really is the glue that holds my little family together. She’s a ray of light during dark times, a furry shoulder to cry on and truly warms my soul.

Shauna McGregor

Tell us a memory you have about your family that makes you feel good.

Some of my best memories are on holiday with Ronnie. We can’t bear to be without her and always take her with us when we can. I love how well she adapts to new surroundings; she’s been side stage at music festivals, on the tube in London and stayed in some pretty amazing places. She’s a bit of a pampered princess and requires the VIP treatment wherever she goes but as long as she has a comfy bed, she’s happy.

How did your family help get you through tough times?

Everyone has their fair share of ups and downs, but knowing that they will always be there to get you through it and have your back, really means the world. Dogs can definitely tell when you’re upset, and Ronnie cuddles are the perfect remedy.

When is the last time you managed to get together with your family?

Most recently, we visited Drimsynie Estate in Lochgoilhead, around an hour and a half drive from Glasgow. It’s so peaceful and scenic and really allows you to switch off, relax and take in the fresh air. It’s a real home away from home.

 

Follow Shauna on Instagram @shaunamcgregor.

What family means to… @sarah.jayney

How do you define your family?

My family consists of my wife Gina, daughter Nancy and cat Eric, they are everything to me. I also class some of my closest friends as family too. Our own little support network, we look out for each other and we are a great team.

What makes a family?

A family doesn’t have to be something you were born into, you can choose your own family, your friends or partner are the family you chose, your very own squad that have your back and that make you feel safe. There’s a mutual unspoken trust. It’s a special bond, some friends just cross the line into family.

Tell us a memory you have about your family that makes you feel good.

This is easy… Marrying my gorgeous wife Gina Breeze in Las Vegas surrounded by 30 of our incredible friends and family. The sun shone, we laughed, we cried, we danced, we drank champagne, we gambled in our wedding dresses & stayed up until the sun was rising. I will never forget that day and night, the absolute time of our life.

How did your family help get you through tough times?

Gina and I faced very tough times going through multiple IVF rounds over 3 and a half years. Our chosen family (closest friends) were fantastic, small gestures, just being there for us, words of encouragement, hugs, food parcels, letting us know how loved we are, sometimes it’s the small things that count. If any of them are reading this they know who they are.

When is the last time you managed to get away with your family?

Gina and I were lucky enough to get away Summer 2020 to Greece, just the two of us, it was fabulous. It was extremely relaxing and great for us to spend some quality time together before the birth of our Daughter Nancy the following Summer.

 

Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarah.jayney.