Forest bathing at Gore Glen Woodland Park

Gore Glen is a 23-hectare wooded valley on the Gore Water just south of Gorebridge, owned by Midlothian Council and run by its Ranger Service. Alder dominates the woodland, and a central area of lodgepole pine has been cleared and replanted with native Scots pine, hazel, alder and birch. The glen has an industrial past: Scotland's first gunpowder mill opened here in 1749, and the Waverley Line ran through it, now reopened as the Borders Railway.

This is a small, local woodland rather than a big day out, which is part of its appeal: it is usually quiet, and Gorebridge station is close by. A wooden footbridge crosses the Gore Water, grassy path edges carry wildflowers in summer, and there is a pond where a heron is often about. Roe deer use the cover, and buzzards circle overhead. Paths are informal and can be wet near the water.