Edinburgh Wellbeing Walk

SWAN has been working with Walking Scotland to train our autistic volunteers to become Health Walk leaders and run local walking groups for autistic women and non-binary people.

The SWAN walks offer a supportive and inclusive environment for autistic women and non-binary people. Beyond improving physical wellbeing, these walks provide an opportunity for socialisation and peer support.

The walks will be around an hour long at an easy social pace and are perfect for anyone who would like to become more active in the company of other autistic people. We can't always guarantee good weather so please make sure you dress for the weather conditions on the day.

The meeting point is at The Water of Leith Visitor Centre (see photo below). It’s accessible by foot, car, or bus (stop along A70).

Buses that go there: 20, 34, 36, 44.

SWAN groups are safer spaces for autistic women and non-binary people over-18 who live, work or study in the local area.

SWAN is inclusive of all autistic women (both cis and trans) and non-binary people, including those who are exploring whether they are autistic, who self identify as autistic or are clinically diagnosed (private or NHS).

If these descriptions do not match you, we ask that you do not attend our groups unless they are specifically stated to be for non-autistic individuals. If you are a non-autistic person wishing to learn more about autism, visit our website for workshops and training: swanscotland.org/training

We aim to make our walks and groups as accessible as possible - they are led and designed by autisic people, in accessible venues.

If you have any medical conditions which might affect you when you are at a group, please let the facilitator know at the start of the group so they are aware of what to do should anything happen (e.g. epilepsy, diabetes, etc.).

If there is anything we can do to make the experience more accessible for you please do get in touch with us ahead of the meet up:

[email protected]

Starting at the Visitor Centre, we will cross the road to get to the other side. We will follow the Water of Leith upstream, passing by the Craiglockhart Grotto, all the way to the Colinton Dell. There are some steps to climb on the way and some parts of the path are quite narrow. The return journey will follow along the same path or slight variations thereof.

Designed to be autism-friendly, it offers a relaxed pace, optional socialising, and pauses to enjoy nature. We will be stopping at various points along the walk to observe nature and internal introspection on its impact on us.

The 60 minute route (inclusive of stops) is risk-assessed, mostly level with some steps and slopes, and returns to the start.

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