Timeline
14:00
Pick up a seasonal cake or bake from Twelve Triangles. The bakery opens early, so by mid-afternoon the line is short and the display is fresh.
14:15
Walk east toward the Royal Botanic Garden. Spend twenty minutes wandering the grounds. It is a great place to sit and have a picnic if the sun is out, or simply wander the Rock Garden and the herbaceous border.
14:45
Head back toward the high street and pop into Little Parlour. It is a small shop with about 30 flavours of ice cream. The building itself has character, having been a hairdresser for over a century.
15:00
Return to the Royal Botanic Garden for a final sit. Find a bench near the herbaceous border to enjoy your ice cream and watch the light change over the gardens as the afternoon fades.
Local tip
The Botanic Garden is best explored slowly. If you want to avoid crowds, the early afternoon is quieter than the weekend lunch rush.
Check before you go
- Twelve Triangles is open daily 07:00-15:00. Arrive before 15:00 to ensure they have fresh stock.
- Little Parlour has no listed opening hours, so check locally or call ahead to confirm they are open.
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to Edinburgh (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).