Scotland is not just a land of great nature, history and traditions..it’s also a great place for sports! But what I have on mind is not the usual soccer game, or American football.. Today what I’d like to explore is:

• Sports to Watch/Enjoy with friends
  Highland Games
  Rugby
  Touch Rugby
  Cricket
  Badminton
  
  
• Healthy activities to do around Edinburgh:
  Run along the canal
  Living room exercise
  24 hours gym
  Commonwealth swimming pools

Highland Games
Taken from visitscotland.com, “Taking place around Scotland during the summer months, Highland games provide a unique combination of culture, sport and social entertainment.

From traditional heavy athletics like tug-o-war and caber tossing to Highland dance competitions, piping, and field and track events, Highland games are a must-see addition to a Scottish holiday.

Highland games attract competitors from around the world, as well as locals – why not join in yourself? The games are a spectacle like no other set against beautiful Scottish scenery with colorful dance displays, local produce and an exciting atmosphere.

From May to September a full programme of Highland games takes place in small towns and villages across the country as well as those within the grounds of famed castles, so there are plenty to choose from.

At the Braemar Gathering in Aberdeenshire, you might even be lucky enough to see the Royal Family who traditionally attend each year. Or why not head along to Ceres Highland Games in Fife, the oldest free games in Scotland?”

Rugby
As previously mentioned in other posts, Rugby is a very popular sport in Scotland and Scottish people are very proud of their teams. For this reason, it may be very interesting for you to now a little more about the general rules of rugby to be prepared to see some exciting games at the Murrayfield 😉

Chris Paterson is an Edinburgh Napier Honorary Graduate

Touch Rugby
Touch rugby is a lighter version on rugby, yet very active and fast. Rules can be found here. Usually people play in Meggetland or in the Meadows, why not asking to join them during a sunny day? 😉

Cricket
I find it very boring, but many people really enjoy it here. The Meadows are usually a great location to watch it being played (and to play it), so make sure to find a team once!

Run along the canal
Just an easy way to stay fit, running along the canal can be a very fun (and beautiful!) The canal goes all the way from Tollcross to Craiglockhart campus and during sunny days it can be just gorgeous. It ends right behind Cargo.

Living room exercise
My flatmate and I have been telling each other for months that we would have started going to the gym to get fit for the summer, but it never happened. So what have we decided to do at the end? To work out in our living room! DON’T LAUGH! We’ve actually been following Jillian Michael’s 30 days shred programme and, man, we are getting better! If you’d like to try it out, this is a very cheap and effective way to get stronger and lose some weight! 🙂

24 hours gym
A bit more expensive, but there are many gyms around Edinburgh. Some of them offer student discounts, other don’t. However, it is a good opportunity to get fit and you’re lucky because you can access many of them 24/7.

Commonwealth swimming pools
And here’s the last suggestion: swimming pools! I’ve used them before, and it’s a very relaxing way to get fit. It can be quite expensive, so if you subscribe to it make sure to make the most of it. There are quite a few pools around the city and if you get a monthly pass you’d be able to access them in every location.

..Good luck!

Carlotta