Leith Links

It’s not The Meadows and it’s not Holyrood but it’s a darn good park all the same.
Pop down on a weekend and you’ll see all sorts here, football matches, kids ‘totally not drinking’, families playing, the odd barbeque if the weather is good. The Links is great for festivals too, including the Leith Festival and Parents Like Us. It’s rarely overcrowded and there’s always plenty of space, even if there’s a football match on!
I jog down here a good bit as it’s flat (though it means uphill home which is annoying!) and there’s usually a few others out pounding the pavement. I’ve also seen mother baby groups meeting for walks and such so it’s a proper community area.

Leith Links is north Edinburgh’s answer to the Meadows, a beautiful and extensive green oasis criss-​crossed with paths, dotted with playgrounds, and the perfect place for a stroll, a run, or to walk your dog. It’s actually much quieter than the Meadows and doesn’t get overrun with picnicking students, making it a much more tranquil place to spend time (although the north east corner can get a bit whiffy due to the nearby sewage works).
At the same time, the Links still have a lot going on, from allotments and a Children’s Orchard located in their midst to visiting circuses. The park also plays host to regular festivals such as the Leith Festival in June and the Edinburgh Mela in August.
Another claim to fame is that, although no longer used as a golf course, it is the place where the rules were first laid down, making it officially the home of golf — take that St Andrews!

Leith Links, one of Edinburgh council’s premier parks is situated in the heart of Leith, just near the bottom of Leith Walk. This green delight is squeezed between three streets, with large houses looking over the park on East Hermitage Place.
The park is large and has numerous walkways cutting throughout. As I walked around it I noticed that this park provides space for many sports. It has a bowling green which is across from Duncan Place. Furthermore, it is home to the local amateur football team Leith Athletic (Unsure how good this team would be to watch and how good they are in comparison to local favourites Hibernian!). Also, the park has two children play areas, one with slightly larger slides and playing frames.
The park was quite busy when I went for a visit to it, with it being very popular with joggers and young families. There are plenty of big green spaces to relax in the sun, however, in colder weather I would imagine this park, with being so close to the sea would be pretty cold at best!

Having fairly recently become a runner, I love this part of Edinburgh. The main advantage for me is that it’s flat and the path that goes right around the edge is perfect for running. There’s often football on in the grassy areas and you’re bound to see other runners and the odd dog walker. It’s a simple green area with grassy pitches, tree-​lined paths and the odd bench, but what more do you need? I’m not exactly sure of the circumference but I reckon it’s just short of 2 miles. I would definitely have struggled with my training if it weren’t for the Links!