Daffodils in the snow: Spring in Edinburgh

Letter 136

I like to wake up to birds singing, I like to go running around parks and hills in the sun and I like to walk amongst daffodils and purple flowers. These are all things I associate with spring. What I don’t associate with spring is walking to uni through the meadows with snow on the ground. Allow me to show you the magic of Edinburgh in spring, and the things that make me happy.

Running around Arthur’s Seat

I’ve been trying to get back into running as the weather was getting nicer – ignoring the snow we had a couple of days ago. When I run I like to have a destination and views to look at, and there’s no better place than Holyrood Park which is a haven away from the busy city. It’s also wonderful that it’s a mere 5 minutes from my home.

run arthurs seat 1 — I love this moment as I run around Arthur, the first glimpse of the city you get is the castle soaring above everything else.

run arthurs seat 2 — St Margaret’s Loch, right at the foot of Holyrood Park, a place that is so tranquil and incredibly beautiful.

run arthurs seat 4 — Does this look like it belongs to a city?

run arthurs seat 3 — Edinburgh’s skyline with the Pentland Hills in the background and Salisbury Crags breaking out of the ground.

The Meadows in the Sun

In Edinburgh we are spoilt for choice for outdoor space, and the meadows is one of the best. This grassy expanse is traversed by tree-lined paths supporting benches for admiring all of the activities that happen here, especially in spring and summer. It’s beginning to come alive more and more everyday and soon the dominating aroma will be of burgers on the bbq and pollen in the air. On an early spring day I went for a leisurely walk around the meadows and was pleased to see spring was well under way.

meadows sun 4 — The grass is greener in Edinburgh.

meadows sun 1 — My favourite flowers that appear every year.

meadows sun 3 — The different architectures lining the meadows.

The Meadows in the Snow

I have plenty of photos of the Meadows in the snow. It’s snowed a lot this year and just when I thought we were done with it – April brings another sprinkling. Whilst Edinburgh didn’t get the memo about it being spring, not winter, the Meadows seemed determined not to let snow dampen it’s spirits. So I woke up to a beautiful day of blue skies and sunshine and walked through the snowy meadows where the daffodils remained stubborn and brighter than ever.

meadows snow 1 — The physical transition of winter to spring.

meadows snow 2 — Icy, cold and reflective.

meadows snow 3 — Daffodils standing proud along the path.

meadows snow 4 — Nothing will defeat a Scottish daffodil.

Spring is my favourite season, especially in Edinburgh. This is the first time I’ve ever experienced snow in spring here, but I secretly enjoyed it. It seems the meadows is always beautiful no matter the weather.

Now I’m just waiting for the blossom!

From Lou

About Me

PS. If you’re interested in my letters about Edinburgh over the past couple of years, click here.