The heart of the Colinton suburb is referred to as the Colinton village where many of the original buildings are intact. Wildlife and ancient woodland surround the area with The Water of Leith running through here as well. There is a public walkway running all the way from Leith to Balerno and runs nearly 20 km. A beautiful walk, cycling is probably the ideal way to go if you want to explore the full route.

The Pentland Hills sits at the edge of Colinton and is renowned for excellent hiking trails in close proximity to the city. The Pentland Hills are also home of the Midlothian Snowsports Centre, Europe’s longest dry ski slope. The surrounding area is home to several university campuses including Edinburgh Napier University (Craiglockhart and Sighthill campuses) and Herriot-Watt University (Hermiston). If you’re a golfer, you have Kingsnowe Golf Club and Merchants of Edinburgh close by.