City

Sport and activities

It's easy to stay active in Edinburgh, whether you’re an adrenaline addict or simply looking for a new hobby.

See and do overview - sport
Photo © Lesley Martin

Cycling and mountain biking

The city’s a great place to see by bike: during peak hours cyclists can share the bus lanes, although with the amount of hills in Edinburgh you may be grateful for a traffic light or two.

There are also lots of gentle cycle routes in and around the capital or, for a bit of a challenge, head to the nearby Pentland Hills Regional Park for some excellent mountain biking terrain.

Running

With its annual marathon festival, it's no surprise that Edinburgh has a large population of runners.

The sheer number of parks in the city means you're never far from a safe green space to stretch your legs.

Edinburgh Marathon Festival

Adventure sports

For the adventurous, there’s plenty to keep your blood racing.

Just outside the city, the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena is a repurposed quarry that houses the largest indoor climbing arena in the world.

Wakeboarding, water skiing, and artificial ski slopes are just a few of the things that are also available year-round.

If you fancy the real thing, Scotland is a fantastic place to ski and the main ski resorts are easily accessible from Edinburgh.

Golf

As you'd expect from the "home of golf", Scotland's towns and cities boast numerous exceptional courses.

Courses in and around Edinburgh include the historic first formal competition course at Leith Links and the equally ancient Muirfield, which is one of the hosts of the Open Championship.

Dancing

Dance classes and workshops are available in Edinburgh for beginners and experts alike.

Or, if you don’t know your left from right foot, you can still join in a ceilidh, a traditional Gaelic social dance. It's a great way to meet people and good exercise when the pace gets going.

Rugby and football

If you only want to exercise your eyes, you'll be pleased to know that the city is also home to football clubs, Hearts and Hibernian, and the 67,500 capacity rugby stadium, Murrayfield.

Surfing

A wee surprise: surfing. Just 35 minutes outside of Edinburgh near Dunbar are some of the best surf beaches in Scotland. Just be sure to pack a thermos.

At the University

Edinburgh has long been recognised as Scotland's leading sporting university and is ranked in the top ten UK sporting universities by the British Universities Sports Association.

Gyms

Our superb sport and exercise facilities are ranked among the very best in the UK.

The Pleasance sports centre has a 100 station gym, free and fixed weights gyms, squash courts, dance studios, boxing and martial arts areas, archery and rifle ranges, and climbing/bouldering walls.

The University also has outdoor playing fields at Peffermill and a centre for outdoor activities at Firbush Point, overlooking the beautiful loch tay.

Sports clubs and societies

Edinburgh University Sports Union (EUSU) is the student-run body for the organisation of sport at the University of Edinburgh. There are 67 sports clubs ranging from archery to ultimate frisbee.

Our clubs are well managed and equipped and offer regular coaching, training and competition, both locally and nationally.

Edinburgh University Sports Union (EUSU)