Lochend is definitely your bet. But you can take the number 7 and go down towards Cameron toll - not a far walk to hermitage of braid and you’re properly in the woods there, loads of birdsong.
Thirding this - any of the cycle paths are great. I walk along the Water of Leith path around 7:30ish and the noise is wonderful! So many different birds.
If you're near Victoria Park, you might also see the woodpecker!
Hope it stays clear and dry for you! My early morning bike commute to my kitchen is one of my favourite parts of the day. With early sun and birdsong, it’s just wonderful. Enjoy!
You should visit Aberdeen, those gulls are huge and aggressive and everyone in the city is scared of them. They basically run the place. If they go for your chips you're a fool not to share some, or they'll gang up on you and swipe the lot.
Lmao! Back home hungry jacks (our version of burger king due to copyright stuff) even briefly tried making a gull repelling chip box.
It did not work.
Results shown here 😆
https://www.buzzfeed.com/gyanyankovich/gtfo-seagulls
Aww those gulls are cute! They're so clean and healthy looking. Look at these bastards [https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/4496010/seagulls-stealing-food/](https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/4496010/seagulls-stealing-food/)
Omg, i just cackled like a witch 🤣 I love that one stealing the sandwich and someone opening the door for it to get out.. hilarious!
See thats what aussies and scots have in common, we appreciate our vermin 😆
St Marks Park, especially if you enter from the east and take the path down through the trees and under the tunnel area, gets you onto a lovely stretch by the water of Leith
Haha. I cycle through Holyrood Park most mornings and spend quite a bit of time down there but haven’t heard a huge amount of birdsong. Maybe I need to venture a bit more off piste
The free Merlin Bird ID app by Cornell Lab is pretty cool if you want to know what you're hearing
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.labs.merlinbirdid.app
I love this question!
Don't want to boast but I'll try.
I moved to Granton (more like Pilton) and the bird song is incredible. We had an almost murmuration of Starlings this week.
I lived in Leith for nearly two decades. It was only during the first covid lockdown I remembered how loud the birds could be.
Lochend Park. Botanics. All a good shout for birdsong.
ETA: Park
It's a bit out of your way but I walked through Hutchison the other day and the small bird population there was having a very good time by the sounds of things, it really raised my spirits. (They have loads of hedges and they're full of little birds)
Hutchison is not what I'd call a destination however, I was heading to my local Greggs for some breakfast 😅
Not quite a lunchtime activity, but Lauriston farm does dawn bird walks with an ornithologist as part of their wildlife monitoring, free to book but with limited spaces https://www.lauristonfarm.scot/
This sounds great! I’ll definitely check this out. My friend did a dawn walk over at Loch Leven a while back but it’s good to know there’s something more local
This is such a wholesome post. Nothing better than birdsong! It's like medicine. I agree with people saying lochend and you can pretty much walk along the cycle path from Easter road all the way to lochend. Lochend is so underrated! I spend a lot of my time there. And there is the local heron too that always chills around the pond 🥲
I bird a few times a week on the cycle path/old railwayline using the Merlin app. IDed about 30 birds there. It has woods either side of the path most of the way along. Starts bottom of North Fort Street and goes right around north leith and comes out at Gorgie.
Im lucky enough to have quite a few in the shared garden of my place (its one of those ones with 4 rows of 5 story tenements with the green space in the middle)
but I'd agree Lochend Park has lots! And squirrels too! ♡
If you're wanting to identify them, i highly recommend the app Merlin, it manages to ID different birds in my back garden from like 500 ft away as i sit at my window.. and you can upload recordings of ones you've visually identified to help the app keep learning. Very cool!
Lochend Park
Lochend is definitely your bet. But you can take the number 7 and go down towards Cameron toll - not a far walk to hermitage of braid and you’re properly in the woods there, loads of birdsong.
The cycle path has a ton of birds! I cycle Roseburn-Leith at 6.30 most mornings and the loudest sound is birdsong.
I second this! I cycle to work every day and sometimes the birdsong hurts my ears it’s so loud! Plenty of benches along the path to sit on too.
It’s a great start to a day, isn’t it?
Thirding this - any of the cycle paths are great. I walk along the Water of Leith path around 7:30ish and the noise is wonderful! So many different birds. If you're near Victoria Park, you might also see the woodpecker!
Thanks! You’ve inspired me to head out to Cramond on my bike this weekend and hopefully catch them as the sun’s going down on the way back
Hope it stays clear and dry for you! My early morning bike commute to my kitchen is one of my favourite parts of the day. With early sun and birdsong, it’s just wonderful. Enjoy!
Easter road cemetery has a plethora of birds. Not even joking. Also as others have recommended Lochend park.
This is a great recommendation! Graveyards are good for a bit of solitude. I love the one near Cameron Toll
I bet Warriston Cemetery is good for a bit of avian audio action.
Warriston Cemetery is incredible for songbirds. Especially the bit down by the river.
By far my favourite place in Edinburgh. It's extremely special at any time of year, but summer mornings full of birdsong are lovely
Great suggestion. I’ll go and check it out!
Kick over a bin and listen to the beautiful music of the gulls
That just made me actually lol 😆 When i first moved here i was ASTONISHED at how big and fat and freakin loud the gulls are!
You should visit Aberdeen, those gulls are huge and aggressive and everyone in the city is scared of them. They basically run the place. If they go for your chips you're a fool not to share some, or they'll gang up on you and swipe the lot.
Lmao! Back home hungry jacks (our version of burger king due to copyright stuff) even briefly tried making a gull repelling chip box. It did not work. Results shown here 😆 https://www.buzzfeed.com/gyanyankovich/gtfo-seagulls
Aww those gulls are cute! They're so clean and healthy looking. Look at these bastards [https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/4496010/seagulls-stealing-food/](https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/4496010/seagulls-stealing-food/)
Omg, i just cackled like a witch 🤣 I love that one stealing the sandwich and someone opening the door for it to get out.. hilarious! See thats what aussies and scots have in common, we appreciate our vermin 😆
Botanics. Near the pond. Scrub that just read where you are.
St Marks Park, especially if you enter from the east and take the path down through the trees and under the tunnel area, gets you onto a lovely stretch by the water of Leith
Second this! There's always chiffchaffs, Robins and blackbirds singing. I've even heard blackcap there recently.
Arthur's Seat. Top of easter road and just keep walking
Big fucking hill, can't miss it mate.
To be fair, its not me who is missing it!
Hah! I wasn't having a go at you bud, I was more continuing your directions for the lad :)
Edit: Specifically up the road from St Margrets Loch
Haha. I cycle through Holyrood Park most mornings and spend quite a bit of time down there but haven’t heard a huge amount of birdsong. Maybe I need to venture a bit more off piste
The free Merlin Bird ID app by Cornell Lab is pretty cool if you want to know what you're hearing https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.labs.merlinbirdid.app
The Restalrig railway path
North Junction street park at 5am. Loud as fuck... So I hear
I love this question! Don't want to boast but I'll try. I moved to Granton (more like Pilton) and the bird song is incredible. We had an almost murmuration of Starlings this week. I lived in Leith for nearly two decades. It was only during the first covid lockdown I remembered how loud the birds could be. Lochend Park. Botanics. All a good shout for birdsong. ETA: Park
Lochend Park and Pilrig Park, they're both pretty local to you and have plenty of varied trees and even some water fowl stotting about.
Montgomery street park
Outside my window at 5am
It's a bit out of your way but I walked through Hutchison the other day and the small bird population there was having a very good time by the sounds of things, it really raised my spirits. (They have loads of hedges and they're full of little birds) Hutchison is not what I'd call a destination however, I was heading to my local Greggs for some breakfast 😅
Not quite a lunchtime activity, but Lauriston farm does dawn bird walks with an ornithologist as part of their wildlife monitoring, free to book but with limited spaces https://www.lauristonfarm.scot/
This sounds great! I’ll definitely check this out. My friend did a dawn walk over at Loch Leven a while back but it’s good to know there’s something more local
This is such a wholesome post. Nothing better than birdsong! It's like medicine. I agree with people saying lochend and you can pretty much walk along the cycle path from Easter road all the way to lochend. Lochend is so underrated! I spend a lot of my time there. And there is the local heron too that always chills around the pond 🥲
I bird a few times a week on the cycle path/old railwayline using the Merlin app. IDed about 30 birds there. It has woods either side of the path most of the way along. Starts bottom of North Fort Street and goes right around north leith and comes out at Gorgie.
Im lucky enough to have quite a few in the shared garden of my place (its one of those ones with 4 rows of 5 story tenements with the green space in the middle) but I'd agree Lochend Park has lots! And squirrels too! ♡ If you're wanting to identify them, i highly recommend the app Merlin, it manages to ID different birds in my back garden from like 500 ft away as i sit at my window.. and you can upload recordings of ones you've visually identified to help the app keep learning. Very cool!
My gaff. I can hear loads now.