When things heat up in Edinburgh, where are the cool people?

When temperatures first flutter upwards around May, the optimists of Edinburgh fondly anticipate a Summer where finding somewhere to escape the heat will be part of any jaunt. The venues below are worth a visit no matter the weather, but if you need to cool off from the beating Scottish sun they will do just fine. Warrender Swim Centre With its vast glass skylight, extending over the length of its main pool, Warrender is just one of several Victorian Baths still maintained in the city. Reminiscent of the Victorian pursuit of health and hygiene, you can cool off in the 25m pool while gazing up to the blue sky above. Portobello Beach ‘Porty’ as the locals call it, offers up sandy beaches and a mile-long promenade studded with great places to eat and drink. Seals and dolphins can often be spotted out in the water, but increasingly it is free swimmers who push out beyond the shallow waters. Rowers set out from the sailing club, and it is always a pleasant place to either watch the watersports or to take part. George Square Gardens If you are used to seeing this attractive square only when covered with marquees as part of the Fringe, it is worth a visit before the merry madness takes hold. At its centre is a small attractive grove of trees, and it provides welcome shade on a slightly more intimate level than the wide spaces of the nearby meadows. St Triduana’s Chapel and Well, Restalrig A saint particular to Edinburgh, St Triduana was a Pictish woman, who was to have been blinded and martyred in the AD 500s. The holy water from the spring here became associated with cures for eye ailments. A church has been recorded on the site of St Triduana’s Chapel since the 1100s, and the hexagonal chapel remains an impressive and unusual piece of architecture, constructed with considerable skill. Visits should be pre-arranged by contacting St Margaret’s Parish Church on 0131 554 7400. Cramond For its views, Roman connections and riverside path – plus traditional ice cream van – a trip to Cramond can usually offer a cooling breeze on a hot day. The usual refreshments are to hand, but on a hot day turn away from the coast and head along the River Almond, where sheltering trees keep the sun off and you can observe the changes to the river as it reveals its industrial history and links to early trade to Edinburgh. Douglas Walker is Chair of Unique Venues of Edinburgh. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.