Planespotting viewpoint

The runway at Edinburgh Airport runs almost due east-west, which means if you position yourself right, you're looking straight down the approach path as jets come in to land. The best vantage point is near Newbridge, a short drive west from the city centre, where you can park up and watch the aircraft descend through surprisingly low cloud on grey Scottish days.

It's the sort of thing that absolutely transfixes plane-mad kids for an hour or two, though honestly, adults who thought they'd grown out of it often get pulled back in. There's something genuinely thrilling about watching a 747 or an Airbus A320 drop from the sky with that noise and scale. The viewing is completely free and you can stay as long as you like - early morning tends to be busiest for movements.

Timing matters. Check the flight schedule online before you go, because you can spend a frustrating stretch watching nothing but cargo lorries. Summer brings more traffic, winter fewer delays. On decent weather days the views are clean; poor visibility takes the shine off it a bit.

Linwater Caravan Park sits just 3.8 miles away and rates brilliantly, making this a realistic half-morning activity if you're based there. It's not going to occupy a full day on its own, but paired with a walk round Edinburgh or a nearby nature spot, it fills a gap perfectly. Bring the binoculars and a flask. Leave the ego at home.