Forest bathing at Beecraigs Country Park

Beecraigs covers 370 hectares of the Bathgate Hills just south of Linlithgow, about 220 hectares of it woodland, much of it conifer forest. There is a loch, a herd of red deer and Highland cattle, and Cockleroy Hill on the edge of the park for views. The woods are big enough to absorb a lot of visitors.

There are three waymarked loops. The Orange Route, at 6.8 kilometres, is the longest but the easiest and mostly surfaced; the Green Route is 6.2 kilometres; the Purple Route, 3.8 kilometres, is the hardest, mostly unsurfaced, with steep sections, boardwalks and mud. The area round the visitor centre, loch and play area is the busy hub, so for quiet, pick one of the outer car parks such as Balvormie or Whitebaulks and head into the trees. Mountain bikers have their own red route, mostly separate from the walks. Car parks are locked at night, so note the closing time.