{Edinburgh} Inverleith Park Playground
My eldest was at a friend’s sleepover birthday party this weekend, so we gave our 8 yr old a choice of what he wanted to do and he wanted to visit a playground he hadn’t been to before. I picked Inverleith Park, next to the Royal Botanic Garden, which we used to go to a lot when I was a child. Due to it’s location, it’s great to combine with a visit to the Botanics, but we hadn’t been to the park yet with the boys as the bus from our house goes to the opposite end of the Botanics.
Inverleith Park itself covers 54 acres, and is one of the largest open green-spaces in Edinburgh. The playground is in the south-east corner of the park, closest to the Botanics. The focal point of the playground is a play area in three parts, which together create a big pirate ship – there’s a slide at one end, a climbing unit with platform and steering wheel at the other, and a crow’s nest in the middle. Other playground features include swings, a seesaw, and another smaller play unit for toddlers, with climbing features and a slide.
Some of the playground was looking a bit tired, and it looked like a couple of things were missing, but there was a sign up saying a consultation was already in progress to give the playground a refresh, so it still gets a double thumbs up from us. The pirate ship feature alone is worth it. There’s plenty of benches, and some picnic tables too, and there’s a coffee hut nearby selling hot drinks and sweet treats. The park itself doesn’t have toilets, but if you’re at the playground, you can nip across the road to the Botanics with your kids during their opening hours.
Besides the playground, Inverleith Park also boasts outdoor gym equipment, a fitness trail, a ball court for football and basketball, as well as tennis courts, a pétanque area, and a bowling club. On the grassed areas, there are rugby and seven-a-side pitches, and a cricket square. Elsewhere in the park, there’s a secluded sundial garden, as well as a boating pond which is frequented by swans and ducks.
Gallery
Playground Stats
Name: Inverleith Park
Location: North Edinburgh
Map coordinates: 55.9632668,-3.2122951
Best for: Toddlers, Juniors
Ground cover: Rubber
Rating: Double thumbs up
Last visited: 21 May 2022
Play Equipment
- Toddler play unit with climbing features and a slide
- Big three-part pirate ship with a slide, crow’s nest, and climbing unit with platform and steering wheel
- Swings
- Toddler swings
- See-saw
Facilities
- Benches
- Picnic tables
- Outdoor gym equipment
- Ball court for football and basketball
- Table tennis table (bring your own equipment)
- Large grassed area for playing
- Coffee van
- Toilets across the road at the Botanics
How to get there
There are no buses that stop directly at Inverleith Park. The closest bus stops on Comely Bank Road (Lothian Buses 24 & 29), and on Inverleith Row at the East Gate to the Botanics (Lothian Buses 8, 9, 23 & 27). All are around 10 minutes walk from the playground.
Check out our A to Z map of public playgrounds in Edinburgh to plan your next playground visit, and let us know your favourites that you think we should check out in the comments below!
