Scaling new heights

Like all great capital cities there is much more to Edinburgh than just the city itself. Edinburgh's suburbs and their environs overflow with hills and rivers and also boast one of Europe's top climbing centres. Great venues then for getting active this autumn and winter, as I found out when I headed out of the historic centre.

The granddaddy of climbing centres was a great place to start. The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena is a truly world class facility near Ratho. Handily it is open year round so if the ice and snow of winter scare you off or, at the other end of the scale, you want to train for some hardcore outdoor action this is the place. Even kids from as young as four are welcome on their training courses.

The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena

The massive EICA sits on an old quarry and boasts over 3,000sq m of indoor climbing with over 120 lead and tope rope lines up to a whopping 28m high. There are also three huge freestanding boulders and a dedicated bouldering room. The highlights are the only World Cup standard speed climbing wall in Europe and the, also very rare, international competition standard articulated lead wall. They can literally move mountains with the articulated lead wall, manoeuvring its angle and form around depending on the needs of climbers. They also have a lot more climbing options outdoors.

I was here for a taster session of climbing and abseiling. I have to confess I am more of a hiker than a climber and don't usually dabble with anything that involves ropes. So it was with some trepidation that I met Gayle, my reassuringly smiley and calm instructor. No big long intro spiel mercifully from her, just straight into it. All kitted out I was right on to a climbing wall. Before the fear could kick in I was 20ft high and rising. My thumping heart pumped me onwards, with my brain figuring keeping going up was easier than trying to scramble back down.

Climbing at the EICA

Finally I made it to the top and took the ultimate leap of faith as Gayle said just to lean back. To say letting go of a wall and leaning back a couple of storeys above the ground is counter intuitive is an understatement. But lean back I did and soon I was stumbling down the wall on a rope doing the world's worst Keanu Reeves impersonation. Then it was on to freefall abseiling without the walls, as I careered down five storeys faster than the arena's lift. This was a serious adrenaline buzz and I was only a few minutes away from Edinburgh Airport.

Time now to see what else I could find within striking distance of Edinburgh. Next stop was the riverside suburb of South Queensferry. Here the cobbled High Street is spectacularly backed by the impressive Forth Road Bridge and even more iconic Forth Bridge. The town is surrounded by green belt on three sides so I cycled through Hopetoun Estate on the marked trail to their new farm shop .

Hopetoun House near Edinburgh

Then it was off for a ramble through the gorgeous Dalmeny Estate. As I left the bridges behind I entered a world of beaches, pheasants and even found a castle and the rather stately Dalmeny House. Soon the Edinburgh skyline reared into view, within walking distance, via the pub at Cramond Brig. I love being active and when all your hard effort is rewarded with a wee dram at the end even better!