The Best Places to See Cherry Blossom in Edinburgh, Scotland
It’s hard to imagine it from these photos, but Edinburgh wasn’t always synonymous with cherry blossom. At some point in the last few years, though – probably due to Instagram, I suspect – people started coming to the Scottish capital, not just for the culture and the architecture, but for the beautiful pink flowers which you’ll find dotted around the city in April and May.
Here are three of my favourite locations to photograph the cherry blossom in Edinburgh…
Princes Street
Edinburgh’s main street is – for me at least – not just one of the best places in Edinburgh to see cheery blossom, but possibly THE best, because, honestly, nothing beats the sight of Edinburgh Castle towering above those pink flowers, does it?
The cherry blossom trees are planted almost the full length of the street opposite the shops. It can be tricky to photograph them because of the crowds (We took most of these photos towards the very end of the pandemic, when international travel was still forbidden and the city was almost eerily quiet), but you can either bide your time and wait for a gap in the traffic, or simply cross the street and get some close-ups.
The Meadows
The Meadows is a public park located in the southside of Edinburgh, right next to the main campus of the University of Edinburgh. I had many a drunken picnic here during my student days (And by “picnic’ I mean “a can of cider and a packet of crisps’), but these days I’m more likely to be found posing for photos under the cherry blossom on Middle Meadow Walk, because that’s the kind of person I am, unfortunately:
There are a few different ‘walks’ here, all of which are lined with cherry trees, but be warned: at the height of cherry blossom season, the already busy park becomes even busier, so you might have to wait your turn if you want to grab a decent photo. I was one of a few people here patiently waiting their turn to walk beneath the cherry blossom bower. It’s one of the biggest regrets of my life (Note: not really) that I wasn’t more appropriately dressed for it, but although it looks pretty sunny here, it was, in fact freezing, and gone are the days when I’d be willing to suffer for the sake of a good photo for my blog.
(Plenty of people do, though: at this time of year it’s not at all unusual to see family groups or couples all dressed in their best, and taking photos under the trees. I can’t blame them: it is gorgeous…)
Lauriston Castle Gardens
Despite the name, Lauriston Castle isn’t actually a “castle” – it’s just, well, a really big house. A nice one, though. It’s on the outskirts of the city, near Cramond, and the grounds are filled with cherry blossom trees, which come into their own in April and last right through until early May. Although there are some pink trees here, most of them are white cherry blossom, so you’ll get a slightly different style of photos here, but it’s still stunning, and the caste and grounds are well worth a visit, even when the trees aren’t in bloom.
Want more?
Although these three locations are my personal favourites for cherry blossom, you might also want to try…
I can’t tell you how many cherry blossom trees you’ll find here, because it’s been a while since I’ve visited at the right time of year, but I can promise fabulous views, and plenty of other flora and fauna, whatever the time of year.
Bruntsfield Links:
Another green space in the city, Bruntsfield Links, is home to several cherry blossom trees. The open area allows for unobstructed views and great lighting for photography.
Inverleith Park:
Adjacent to the Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Park is another lovely spot to photograph cherry blossoms.
Have you been cherry blossom spotting in Edinburgh? Where are your favourite spots?
Related: See the cherry blossom in Glasgow
