Autumn colour a short ride from the Royal Mile

Edinburgh in late September is still a walking city, but the colour is in the parks and the ridge. Use the bus to skip the flat stretch, then walk the pretty part.

Where to step off

Princes Street Gardens is the easy one: lawns, the castle wall, and enough benches. If the wind is kind, stay on until Calton Hill. The walk down toward Holyrood is short and the trees along the crags turn first.

A smaller plan

Do not try to collect every viewpoint. One park and one hill is a full afternoon. The bus is there for the ride back when your feet disagree.