Bruntsfield Links

Why not make this part of a day out to Bruntsfield and Morningside? Bruntsfield Links is the smaller little sister to the Meadows and doesn’t disappoint. There are picnic tables here which are perfect for having a quick takeaway lunch from one of the many cafes and coffee shops in Bruntsfield. There are pedestrian and bike paths connecting to the Meadows. You also benefit from a nice view of the castle from certain parts of the links. All this at the same time you enjoy a cupcake from Cuckoo or an Artisan Cheesecake whilst sipping Artisan Roast Coffee or Rosevear Tea. Win/​Win

Next to The Meadows, in central Edinburgh, this is a great pitch and putt golf course to spend an hour or two with friends. It’s a huge space with 36 short holes. It’s apparently one of the earliest golf courses ever to have been built so people have been playing golf here for centuries. Open to anyone, you just need to go into The Golf Tavern next to the course, pay £3.50 to hire a pitching wedge, a putter and a ball, and then head to the first hole and off you go. No booking in advance required. Just turn up and play. One warning though — when it’s busy, there can be golf balls flying around all over the place! So it’s not without risk! But it’s well worth it. I was lucky enough to play it on a warm, sunny day and you’ve got views of the city all around you — Arthur’s Seat to the east and Edinburgh Castle to the north. And when you’re all done, you can head to the Golf Tavern to tot up your score, recount where the game was won and lost and reflect on playing golf at one of the most historic courses in Scotland!

Many a day have been spent in this wonderful little park which, no matter the weather, lets you clear your mind and follow its paths for hours, escaping the bustling area of Bruntsfield for a while without having to actually leave Bruntsfield.
Smack in the middle of these Links is a lonely looking bench which, if you’re lucky enough to get on a hot day (the luck referring to the «hot» part and not because there is usually a queue) I would suggest you grab a book or a paper and spend your day here, watching the world go by.

Bruntsfield Links is located besides the Marchmont just besides to the meadows, it is predominantly used as a golf course. I lived besides Bruntsfield Links for over a year and it is a great little area which is regularly cut and always clean, perfect to enjoy a game pitch and putt golf, for absolutely free! You will need to come with your own golf clubs as there is no renting of them available at the site.
It is also possible to have a nice picnic on the area, but be cautious of where the holes are, some of the players that are often ignorant of the general public and its not too uncommon to see a rogue golf come flying out of nowhere, without anyone shouting FOUR! For this reason, it is probably best to venture about a hundred metres to the north to the meadows where the only fear will be a rogue football or rugby ball.

Located in what surely must be the leafiest, most pleasant suburb on the planet, Bruntsfield Links is a large pitch and putt course which will be best appreciated by those who don’t take their golf too seriously. Even amongst those that don’t care for the sport, it’s a well loved part of town as the links and surrounding area are exceptionally pretty, well kept and genteel.
As you’ll find out if you visit Mary King’s Close, there’s thousands of dead bodies under here, which as the jovial guide informed us, may explain why the grass grows so luxuriously.

The Links are a hillier alternative to Meadows. It’s also way emptier most of the time. Beware of golfers, though. They’re merciless, or at least I generally assume they are. I’d say it’s a safe assumption to make of all people who wield metal rods. And hit things with it. On purpose.
Rumour goes that the Links are hilly because there are thousands of plague victims buried there. The same goes for Greyfriar’s Graveyard. But that makes more sense than a public park.
The Links has a spectacular view of Arthur’s Seat (on the days there isn’t fog and generally miserable weather), and as you walk up towards the end of the park and look up towards Bruntsfield you’ll get a great glimpse of the waterfront too. In the Summertime, it’s a perfect place to go if you’re feeling particularly sentimental at around 4 in the morning after a party or two, to watch the sunrise. Yes, the sun rises around 4 – 5 am here now. You may as well go crazy and watch the sunset around 10 – 11 from there too!

I’m not a golfer, so I can only comment on the aesthetic qualities of this public golf course!
It’s the first one of its kind I’ve come across and knowing how expensive golf memberships can be, I think it’s a fantastic idea. Having relocated to Bruntsfield for the last month or so, I’ve had to walk through the Links to the adjoining Meadows park at least fifty times! It’s been pleasant and relaxing though, and like all the public parks in Edinburgh it’s wonderfully maintained; old gnarley trees not out of place in Edins and plenty of plush, green grass!
Size-​wise, there are no extensive holes, and I’d say it’s a place better designed to practice putting. It’s well utilized by the location population, usually irrespective of the weather, and for the non-​golfing folk such as myself, it’s a great place to relax with a book or have a little picnic. Granted you MIGHT get hit in the head by a golf ball, but there are areas where this risk is significantly reduced.