'The Mound' Planespotting viewpoint

The Mound isn't fancy - it's just a raised earthwork sitting between Waverley Station and the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's city centre - but plane spotters reckon it's one of the best free vantage points in the city for watching aircraft coming into Edinburgh Airport. You get a proper clear sightline to the flight path without the airport's usual crowds and queues.

What you're actually doing is standing on an 18th-century artificial mound watching planes descend over the rooftops. On a busy day there's something oddly satisfying about clocking an inbound flight every few minutes. The light's best in the afternoon and early evening when the planes catch the sun properly. Bring binoculars if you're serious about it.

Families with plane-mad kids will get an hour or so out of this, though toddlers won't care much. Dedicated spotters could camp here all day. It costs nothing - you just turn up - and you can fit it round a walk through the city centre without losing time. The nearest caravan base is Linwater, about 3 miles west near Newbridge, which makes it easy to use as part of a broader Edinburgh visit.

Honestly, it's not a destination in itself. But if you're already in the city and someone in your group is into aircraft, it's genuinely worth twenty minutes of your time. The crowds thin out after 4pm and the views of the planes against Edinburgh's skyline are better than you'd expect from a city-centre spot.